Comparison of First Year Teachers in the Rochester City School District Who Participated in the Collaborative Internships Masters Program and Those Who Did Not

Abstract

Central to improving the education of children is improving the competency of their teachers. A lack of preparation for prospective teachers has led to calls for higher standards in teacher training and the increased use of internships prior to graduation. This paper examines the Collaborative Internship Master’s Program (CIMP) created by the Rochester City School District and the State University of New York Collage at Brockport, in which provisionally certified first year teachers are required to fulfill a 15-hour per week teaching responsibility at a selected school site alongside their Master’s courses. The author asks whether the program increases first-year teachers’ competency in using inquiry to teach math, science, and technology as well as increasing competency in the areas of curriculum, classroom management, assessment, and organization. The study also considers what differences exist between those first-year teachers who participate in the program and those who don’t. To answer these questions, the author collected demographic data and interviewed a number of participants, non-participants, administrators, and mentors. They found that there is a significant difference between those who participated in CIMP and those who did not, with the former being sought out by employers to a higher degree because of their presumed competence. CIMP participants also had greater experience working with students in an urban environment.