Early Evidence of Strong Postsecondary, Career, & Equity Outcomes

The most significant early finding is credential attainment. Among programs reporting data, Teacher Academy credential performance is nearly three times the statewide CTE average.

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Teacher Academy programs also show substantially stronger reported performance in postsecondary credit attainment while exceeding statewide CTE averages in graduation, post-program placement, and work-based learning.

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A Pipeline Designed with Multiple Entry and Exit Points

Delaware's Teacher Academy is intentionally designed as a pipeline rather than a single prescribed route to becoming a classroom teacher.

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Students enter the pathway with different interests, experiences, and career goals. Those goals may also change as students gain authentic exposure to the education profession.

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The model therefore creates multiple opportunities for students to enter, progress, earn value, transition, and re-enter the educator workforce pipeline.

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A student may:

• Explore education careers and develop foundational employability and leadership skills;

• Progress to CTE concentrator or completer status;

• Earn an industry-recognized credential;

• Earn postsecondary credit while still in high school;

• Participate in meaningful work-based learning;

• Transition directly into an education-related position;

• Continue into an educator preparation or other postsecondary program;

• Enter early childhood education or another education-related occupation;

• Begin in a paraprofessional or support role and later advance toward teacher certification; or

• Pursue another career while retaining transferable leadership, communication, instructional, and professional skills developed through Teacher Academy.

 

This approach recognizes that educator workforce development is not a single straight line from high school to teacher certification.

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Instead, Delaware is developing an ecosystem in which students can accumulate skills, credentials, college credit, professional experiences, and relationships at multiple points. Each experience can become an asset that supports the student's next step.

The goal is not simply to recruit students into education. It is to reduce barriers and create multiple supported pathways into and through the profession.

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Particularly Strong Early Childhood Education Outcomes

The Early Childhood Education pathway demonstrates especially promising results.

Among ECE programs with reported data:

• 100% average reported graduation performance

• 83.55% post-program placement

• 65.87% credential attainment

• 41.01% postsecondary credit attainment

• 60.81% work-based learning participation

 

Compared with statewide CTE, reported ECE credential performance is approximately 47 percentage points higher, while reported work-based learning participation is approximately 27 points higher.

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These early results suggest that ECE can serve as a particularly strong entry point into Delaware's educator workforce pipeline by connecting secondary students to credentials, college credit, workplace experiences, and continued education or employment.

Importantly, ECE can also represent an early workforce entry point rather than an endpoint. Students may enter the early childhood workforce with a credential and experience, continue their postsecondary education, and progress into additional roles across the education profession.

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Encouraging Equity Indicators

The preliminary subgroup analysis provides additional evidence that Teacher Academy may be creating meaningful opportunities for populations that have historically faced barriers to postsecondary education and workforce advancement.

Among programs reporting subgroup data:

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African American students

• 82.9% post-program placement compared with 77.3% statewide CTE

• 45.5% credential attainment compared with 20.8% statewide

• 28.8% postsecondary credit compared with 15.7% statewide

 

Hispanic/Latino students

• 86.5% placement compared with 69.1% statewide CTE

• 37.7% credential attainment compared with 13.3% statewide

• 28.9% postsecondary credit compared with 24.6% statewide

 

Students from low-income backgrounds

• 83.7% placement compared with 79.0% statewide CTE

• 47.4% credential attainment compared with 14.7% statewide

• 32.1% postsecondary credit compared with 14.7% statewide

• 39.1% work-based learning compared with 29.5% statewide

 

Particularly encouraging preliminary results also appear among English Learners and students with disabilities.

English Learners in reporting Teacher Academy programs demonstrate approximately 80% post-program placement compared with 52% statewide CTE, while students with disabilities demonstrate approximately 86% placement compared with 65% statewide CTE.

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Credential attainment is similarly promising: approximately 33% for English Learners compared with 8% statewide, and 38% for students with disabilities compared with 11% statewide.

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ECE as a Potential Equity Accelerator

Some of the strongest preliminary subgroup outcomes appear within Early Childhood Education.

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Among ECE programs reporting data:

• African American students average approximately 66% credential attainment

• Hispanic/Latino students average approximately 62% credential attainment

• Students from low-income backgrounds average approximately 53% credential attainment

• Students with disabilities average approximately 56% credential attainment

• English Learners average approximately 83% credential attainment

 

Available ECE data also indicates strong work-based learning and postsecondary credit outcomes for several of these populations.

While subgroup sample sizes vary and these results require additional validation, the consistency of the pattern warrants further study and investment.

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An Emerging Educator Pipeline Strategy

The preliminary 2025 results suggest that Delaware's Teacher Academy is doing more than introducing students to teaching careers. The pathway shows promise as a college access, workforce development, leadership development, economic mobility, and educator pipeline strategy.

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Its strength is not dependent upon a single outcome or a single route into the profession. Instead, students can leave high school having accumulated tangible assets: credentials, college credit, work experience, leadership development, professional networks, career clarity, and connections to postsecondary education and employment.

Strategic investment can strengthen multiple points in this pipeline: expanding access and recruitment, supporting Educators Rising experiences, increasing credential and dual-credit opportunities, strengthening work-based learning, supporting transitions into postsecondary education and employment, and building longitudinal systems capable of tracking students as they progress through the educator workforce.

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The early signal is promising: Delaware's Teacher Academy is building more than a high school program. It is developing an interconnected educator workforce pipeline with multiple entry, exit, and advancement points; giving students opportunities to build skills, earn credentials and college credit, develop professional identity, enter the workforce, and continue advancing within the education profession.