progress report

The following are the activities accomplished by the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force between May 2002 and February 2003

• Assembled 35 Task Force members from across the United States and established Listserv for ongoing communication with members.
  
• Developed criteria for identifying model programs in the areas of Teacher Recruitment and Retention.
  
• Collaborated with New Visions in Action Research and Evaluation staff to develop survey questionnaires for the web-based survey.
  
• Updated the Task Force’s Literature Review in the area of Teacher Recruitment and Retention.
  
• Assembled information from various states on “general teacher recruitment efforts” and explored different possibilities for how the Task Force’s activities to recruit Foreign Language teachers can be integrated into these on-going efforts.
  
• Studied a variety of models of “stop-gap” measures designed o address immediate teacher shortage issues, and how to support teachers in such programs. The modes explored were:
  1. Blended Programs which combine undergraduate degree and Teacher Education programs, reducing the time it takes to get a teaching credential,
  2. Intern Programs, providing teacher candidates with teaching experience and support while completing the course requirements for a full credential, and
  3. Pre-Intern Programs, where candidates receive support both on their subject matter competency and teaching skills while they complete the required degree and teacher preparation programs.
     
• Developed a proposal for establishing a Foreign Language National Teacher of the Year, designed to engage local, regional and national professional organizations in the selection process, and bring visibility to the profession at each of these levels.
  
• Identified and started a data-base of financial resources —scholarships, fellowships, forgivable loans, grants, etc. that support teacher candidates.
  
• Identified a number of Financial Incentives available only to teachers such as “Teacher Retention Tax Credits,” “HUD’s Teacher Next Door Home Loans,” etc. Additionally, the Task Force has identified a variety of Professional Development and Study/Travel Abroad opportunities that are only available to Foreign Language teachers.
  
• Identified and started a data-base of teacher recruitment centers, and other initiatives aimed at recruiting and supporting teacher candidates in becoming teachers.
  
• Planned, proposed and delivered a session on the Task Force’s goals and activities at the ACTFL 2002 conference in Salt Lake City. At the same event, the Task Force Chair, in collaboration with the Steering Committee Liaison, facilitated a discussion with the session’s participants and recorded and disseminated the results of the discussion to all present, and members of the Task Force.
  
• Explored the feasibility of producing a “We Teach Languages” video(s) to be used for recruitment purposes. Preliminary plans call for developing a 15-20 minute video featuring a variety of teachers teaching languages at various levels and engaging in professional related activities, such as participating in professional development programs, leading student trips abroad, hosting cultural activities, etc. From the “main video” shorter clips of 30 seconds and 1 minute would be developed and made available to television stations for Public Announcement spots.