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Strengthening teacher quality through regional K-18 data-driven
collaboration
Kern County Initiative
for Recruiting, Preparing and Retaining Highly Qualified and
Effective Teachers
During the 2000-01 school year, nearly 15 percent
of Kern County’s 7,400 teachers did not hold even a
preliminary teaching credential, and 17 percent of the county’s
teachers were not fully credentialed for their current teaching
assignment. In spring 2001, education leaders in Kern County
joined with the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning
in an effort to develop and apply regional solutions to the
teacher shortage based on current, relevant research and data.
Co-chaired by Dr. Tomas Arcinega, President
of CSU Bakersfield, and Dr. Larry Reider, Kern County Superintendent
of Schools, the initiative involves more than 100 education
professionals, including school superintendents and representatives
from public and private teacher training institutions of higher
education. The Kern County research team, with technical assistance
from SRI International, provides research for the initiative.
Drawing from the county’s extensive capacity
for data collection and with broad input from the education
community, education leaders in Kern developed a comprehensive
plan for action to address key issues impacting the teacher
workforce. The action plan established in spring 2002 includes
goals and benchmarks that are updated each year using current
year data to inform and evaluate progress.
Within three years the Initiative showed significant
progress toward strengthening the quality and capacity of
the teacher workforce throughout Kern County. For example:
- The number of emergency permits issued in Kern County
was decreased by 84 percent.
- The number of schools with 20 percent or more underprepared
teachers on staff was reduced by 82 percent.
- The number of districts with 20 percent or more underprepared
teachers was reduced from 11 districts to no districts.
- Preparation programs at CSU Bakersfield as well as Kern’s
private universities expanded significantly for multiple
subjects, single subject and special education teachers.
- A Web site to house and track important information about
the teacher workforce in Kern County was created.
For information about the Kern Initiative or to review documents
and data associated with this initiative, please visit: http://kcsos.kern.org/research/Kern_Initiative.
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