Using Alumni as Connectors: Engaging Employees in Recruitment Initiatives

1. Using Alumni as Connectors: Engaging Employees in Recruitment Initiatives Anetria Swanson

2. Interesting Facts About JCPS

3. District Profile • Largest school system in Kentucky  • 27th largest school system in U.S. • 81 percent of all children in Louisville/Jefferson County attend Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS).  • 172 schools • 6,400 teachers • 84 percent of teachers with a master’s degree • 100,600 students • 70,000 bus riders • 12,400 ECE students • 123 languages spoken by JCPS students • 64 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

4. JCPS Recruitment and Staffing Teacher Recruitment Initiative • Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) recently unveiled a new five-year strategic plan – Vision 2020:Excellence with Equity.  This plan presents several district goals, one of which is to increase the overall percentage of minority teachers within JCPS.

5. According to the plan, there is a focus on • “improving the human resources infrastructure by developing and implementing a responsive, time-sensitive educator recruitment and placement process that: identifies, hires, and assigns teachers and administrators with the capacities, skills and dispositions necessary for effective teaching and learning; targets recruitment to fill high-need positions; identifies and hires a diverse workforce; and places and retains teachers in schools taking into account teacher experience and student needs.”

6. JCPS Recruitment and Staffing Teacher Recruitment Initiative Key Outcomes • Gain insight into best practices for recruitment and retention within JCPS by evaluating the effectiveness of its current recruitment and retention initiative • Promote an understanding of best practices as they relate to attracting and keeping top talent within the district. • Increase stakeholder partnership/involvement within JCPS • Continue building relationships with teacher education preparation institutions across the country to help develop a pipeline for their graduates to our district • Developing a robust pool of applicants from which to draw; having fully staffed and supported schools at all times, and promoting a teacher workforce that mirrors the student population

8. Research questions Process Impact • How are teacher candidates being recruited? (Currently utilized strategies will be compared to the previous year’s strategies). • What is the impact of alumni focus groups within the district on recruitment and retention of highly qualified applicants? 

9. According to 2014-15 student and professional staff data for the district, 53.8% of JCPS students were classified as minority, while only 18% of the professional staff were minorities. This “minority teacher deficit” is not unique to JCPS and is continuing to rise across the United States (Hanover Research, 2014). • Additionally, Ingersoll and May argue that despite the minority teaching force doubling from 1988-2008, the minority teacher deficit increased by 10 percentage points (Ingersoll, May, & Consortium for Policy Research in, 2011).

10. Elementary School District Totals

11. Middle School District Totals

12. High School District Totals

13. Methods: HBCU Focus Group • District data related to where current employees earned their professional degrees was accessed. • The data was filtered from 27,891 employees to isolate employees who attended an HBCU and was currently serving in a professional role within the district (i.e. teacher, instructional coach, social worker, counselor, principal, etc.) • Forty-three HBCUs were represented in district data.

14. The next phase of selection consisted of narrowing the HBCUS selection to those schools that has 3 employees reflected in the data. For instance, there were 14 employees who indicated they graduated from Alabama State University, an HBCU in Montgomery, Alabama. • There were 17 HBCUS out of the 43 that had 3 or more alumni working in JCPS, with the exception of Kentucky State University. • All of these employees (totaling 75) were emailed and asked if they would like to participate in a focus group. Of this number, 15 participated, representing 9 universities.

15. 15 total  attendees; 9 HBCUS represented • 2 Alabama A&M • 3 Alabama State • 1 Hampton • 1 Howard • 1 Lane College (Jackson, TN) • 2 Oakwood (Huntsville, AL) • 1 Southern University A&M (Baton Rouge, LA) • 1 Spelman • 3 Tennessee State

16. HBCU Grads in our District

17. Methods: Out of State Focus Group • A similar method was used to identify the out-of-state focus group participants. • District data revealed that the R & S department had traditionally recruited from over 40 out of state colleges. However, recruitment numbers were extremely low. • District data was used to determine how many employees were alumni from the targeted out of state colleges. • These individuals were contacted and asked if they wanted to be a part of a focus group geared towards developing strategies for recruiting graduates from their alma mater. • This group ultimately consisted of 21 participants across 9 universities.

18. 21 total attendees ; 9 universities represented • 1 Ball State • 1 Butler University • 1 Central Michigan • 6 Indiana University • 4 Michigan State • 1 Saginaw Valley Michigan • 4 University of Southern Indiana • 2 Webster University • 1 Western Michigan

19. Methods Continued • Participants attended a two-hour session in which they were introduced to the R&S Team and provided an overview of the District’s Vision 2020 – with emphasis on improving the human resources infrastructure. • The problem/need was contextualized for each group (e.g. need for minority teachers, need for teachers in critical needs areas such as math and science).

20. Both groups were led through reflection exercises in which they shared their path to JCPS – specifically, what recruitment strategy or initiative contributed to them deciding to come and work for JCPS. • Additionally, participants shared what were some of the positives and/or negatives in making the move to a new school, district, state. They also considered challenges associated with moving to a new city. • Finally, participants were invited to share strategies for assisting with recruitment efforts. Participant responses were recorded and coded for themes.

29. Connections made in Michigan with two alumni Potential Candidates JCPS Alumni at Work! • Central Michigan:  46 • Michigan State:  36 • Western Michigan:  22 • Michigan University: 21  • Eastern Michigan:  TBD

31. Preliminary findings - Key themes that emerged from both focus groups • The importance of supporting new hires once they get here (e.g. NTI, Best Mentors, Alumni Support) and the idea of considering “Choice and Fit.” In other words, teachers should be given more choice in where they are hired/placed and HR should consider the best fit for BOTH the candidate and the school. • Both groups revealed key supports that were keeping them in JCPS. These influencers include: a competitive salary and living in a great city. Many candidates in the out-of-state focus group shared they were impressed with their initial district visit, which included tours of the city and JCPS schools.

32. Both group participants shared opportunities to move up within the system are key selling points to the district. For instance, several participants were hired as teacher and are now serving in administrative roles such as assistant principal, or Goal Clarity Coach. • Other positive influences included the low cost of living, support provided in the classroom and union advocacy for good working conditions. Several participants from Indiana colleges indicated they knew it was worse in other cities and/or states (i.e. Chicago, Indianapolis, Michigan) especially with regard to over testing and working conditions for teachers. • A final influencer that emerged from the participant responses was collegial support at the school and district levels.

33. More findings… • There were more similarities than differences across focus groups. This was especially evident in responses related to challenges faced by new hires. • A theme across both groups was not having choice about where they were hired and not knowing school dynamics. • Frustration with the Kentucky certification process. Differing state requirements for licensure was often confusing when there was no reciprocity.

34. Challenges included the rigidity of New Teacher Induction (NTI), a training designed for new hires. Many indicated they wished it had been in phases or differentiated based on their individual needs coming in to the district. • District mentoring at times felt too evaluative and there was no place for “let your hair down” mentoring. • The timeline line for hiring within JCPS was a perceived barrier to committing. Many competing districts extend offers to teacher candidates several months before the start of the school year. Due to the complicated nature of the district’s transfer process, candidates are often not offered a position well into the summer.

35. For example, one participant noted: • “It was extremely frustrating not getting a job until after the start of the year. I had to wait for a position to become available at a particular school before being hired, whereas in most districts, teachers are hired into the district early and placed at a school later.”

36. Next Steps • Evaluation findings suggest there is a need to rethink current recruitment practices and be more intentional with recruitment efforts with out-of-state and/or HBCU hires. • Alumni within the district can serve as ambassadors to their alma mater by connecting district personnel with key college personnel (e.g. old professors, deans, and career service reps). • The work is not done when a teacher commits to JCPS. They need to feel connected within their new community. Support retention through keeping new hired connected with alumni (socially, and through mentoring, KTIP, etc.) • Additionally, participants indicated a need for financial support in meeting licensure requirements. It is recommended that HR set guidelines for Praxis reimbursement for potential hires to increase the pool of individuals eligible for hire.

37. Next steps continued… • Continue with district visits • It is recommended that this visit be enhanced, and modeled after the Teach Kentucky model, in which candidates come for an entire weekend and are connected with alumni. • More follow up sessions are needed with the individuals who directly participate in recruitment activities. • There needs to be post recruitment surveys (for JCPS teachers involved with recruiting and recruits who are invited to the district) • Data collection from recruits – beginning with their recruitment visits.

39. Field Placement Coordinators Visit • Modeled after candidate visit • Connect with alumni during district visit

40. What I have learned…  • The power of stakeholder relationship in the evaluation process • The usefulness in the resulting data for demonstrating merit and worth of recruitment initiatives (i.e. paying for subs for teachers to join us on the road, expense of recruiting)

41. Contact Info: • Anetria Swanson • Jefferson County Public Schools • Louisville, KY • Anetria.Swanson@jefferson.kyschools.us • (502)485-3958