THE EFFECT OF PREVIOUS POVERTY EXPERIENCE ON SUCCESS IN TEACHER CORPS PRESERVICE PROGRAMS

NATIONAL TEACHER CORPS INTERNS ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM FOR TEACHING THE DISADVANTAGED (TYPICAL NUMBER OF 35 TO 40 PERSONS) WERE RATED BY FACULTY MEMBERS AT EIGHT UNIVERSITIES ON (1) ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, (2) TEACHING AND FIELD PERFORMANCE, (3) RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DISADVANTAGED, (4) PERSONAL STABILITY AND STRENGTH, (5) INTERPERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND (6) COMMITMENT AND GENERAL PROMISE. DIFFERENCES IN RATINGS WERE EXAMINED AMONG INTERNS WHO VARIED IN DURATION AND TYPE OF PREVIOUS POVERTY EXPERIENCE, THAT IS, (1) NO POVERTY AREA EXPERIENCE, (2) LESS THAN 1 YEAR OF EXPERIENCE IN A POVERTY AREA, (3) AT LEAST 1 YEAR OF HAVING WORKED IN A POVERTY AREA OR LIVED IN A POVERTY AREA, OR BOTH LIVED AND WORKED IN POVERTY AREAS. ALL RAW SCORES WERE CONVERTED TO STANDARD SCORES WITHIN EACH PROGRAM. THE GROUP WITH LESS THAN 1 YEAR OF POVERTY AREA EXPERIENCE SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN EACH OF THE OTHER GROUPS. THE AUTHORS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THOSE WITH LESS THAN A YEAR OF POVERTY EXPERIENCE WERE LARGELY MIDDLE-CLASS, WELL-EDUCATED COLLEGE GRADUATES WHO HAVE SUFFICIENT MOTIVATION, IDEALISM, AND INITIATIVE TO SPEND A LONG VACATION IN VOLUNTEER POVERTY WORK AND THAT SINCE RATINGS WERE OF PERFORMANCE IN THE PROGRAM RATHER THAN ON THE JOB, THIS GROUP WOULD BE EXPECTED TO DO BETTER. NEVERTHELESS, THEY FELT THAT IT IS STILL POSSIBLE THAT ONE OF THE OTHER GROUPS WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN ACTUAL WORK WITH THE DISADVANTAGED BECAUSE OF THEIR GREATER EXPERIENCE WITH SUCH PERSONS. (LC)