Volume 6, Number 1 (January - March 2011)
As K-12 teachers and administrators grow increasingly concerned with issues of accountability, research-based methods, and intervention strategies, little discussion exists on the impact of substitute teachers in the classroom. In the rush to analyze test scores, are the days covered by substitute teachers even considered? Though districts are implementing policies and strategies to limit teacher absences from the classroom, substitute teachers are still an integral part of our educational system. And yet, at times, they are the most neglected. The purpose of this article is to discuss four attributes of a quality substitute teacher program: (a) selection, (b) induction, (c) development, and (d) evaluation. A theoretical framework from the literature is used to both define the attributes of a quality substitute teacher program and explore specific strategies that can be used to improve substitute teacher programs. Finally, additional surveys are provided to help facilitate the evaluation of any substitute teacher program. ACCESS FULL MANUSCRIPT AT: http://cnx.org/content/m36661/latest/