OPPORTUNITY AND CAPACITY: CLOSING THE CURRICULUM, STRATEGY, AND CULTURE CAPACITY GAPS FOR BEGINNING, PROVISIONAL, AND ALTERNATIVELY LICENSED TEACHERS WHO SERVE IN A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK AND LATINX RURAL SCHOOL

Abstract

The educational landscape regarding human resources is changing. Fewer students are graduating from college with education degrees and obtaining traditional teaching licenses. The lack of highly qualified teachers creates unstaffed positions. As an alternative to these vacancies, schools and systems are hiring international teachers who hold a provisional license, or recruiting people who only hold a closely related degree in the field, and providing them with an alternative license. The purpose of this inquiry was to provide schools and systems with insight into teacher capacity gaps and to propose differentiated support through professional learning pathways that target those gaps. Educators in this study participated in a three-part survey and a focus group to identify knowledge gaps in curriculum, strategy, or culture, and then engaged in professional learning tailored to those gaps. The findings in this study revealed several areas where teachers have capacity gaps, and the post-survey results at the conclusion of professional learning support the notion that professional learning for teachers should be intentionally planned to target identified areas to build teacher confidence, efficacy, and efficiency. When systems examine how they support beginning, provisional, and alternatively licensed teachers, they may find that identified teacher capacity gaps provide clues to where the system actually lacks support.