A comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the Minority Teacher Education Matching Grant Program in Tennessee.

摘要

Legislators designed the Minority Teacher Education Matching Grant Program (MTEMGP) to increase the pool of minority teacher candidates in Tennessee's education programs. Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) awards {dollar}250,000 each year to public and private higher education institutions in Tennessee for this effort. Since its establishment, nineteen private and public colleges and universities have participated in this program with various proposals and plans to increase the pool of minority teachers in Tennessee.; The purpose of this research was to examine the efforts of Tennessee's higher educational institutions in regard to the recruitment, retention, and graduation of African-Americans in MTEMG programs. Overall, the minority matching grant program for the nineteen Tennessee's higher educational institutions has had a 68 percent retention rate, 33 percent dropout rate and 86 percent placement rate. The data indicate that the University of Memphis, in collaboration with LeMoyne Owen College and Shelby State Community College, has graduated the highest number of African-American teachers, a total of 59 students. The University of Tennessee at Martin has produced the highest number of certified teachers, a total of 46. In terms of retention rate, Fisk University has had the highest rate, at 100 percent. The University of Memphis, through collaborations with LeMoyne-Owen College and Shelby State Community College, has had a 98 percent retention rate. In terms of placement rate, Fisk University, East Tennessee State University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Tennessee Technological University have had the highest placement rate, 100 percent. In terms of dropout rates, Fisk University has had zero dropouts and the University of Memphis, through its collaborations with two colleges, has held its dropout rate to two percent.; Implementation of the task force's initiatives should have increased the percentage of African-American teachers in Tennessee from 10 percent in 1989 to 22 percent by the year 2000. According to the data provided by THEC and higher educational agencies, the program has not achieved these goals. The percentage of African-American teachers in Tennessee is currently approximately 12 percent.