Welcome to the TQ Update, a quarterly newsletter dedicated to providing information and resources on teacher quality related issues.
New Center Publications
TQ SOURCE, a new collaboration between ECS and
Learning Point Associates, provides a multitude
of resources on teaching quality issues. Resources
include 50-state policy information, customizable
graphs and tables, research summaries and
information about current teaching quality
initiatives and programs.
http://www.tqsource.org/
A new 50-state database provides summaries of
state TEACHER RECRUITMENT and RETENTION policies,
and links to other relevant sources of
information. The database also allows users to
contrast and compare state policies.
http://www.tqsource.org/randr/policy/index.asp
"Who's In Charge Here? The Changing Landscape of
TEACHER PREPARATION in America" concludes that, to strengthen the preparation and development
of teachers, policymakers must work to assure the
longevity and stability of partnerships between
public schools and universities.
/clearinghouse/54/36/5436.doc
Check out our 50-state compilation "StateNote" on SPECIAL
EDUCATION CERTIFICATION and endorsement systems.
/clearinghouse/54/13/5413.htm
Back to top.Upcoming Center Meetings/Events
With support from Washington Mutual and the
Johnson Foundation, ECS and Learning Point
Associates are hosting a Wingspread conference
September 28-30. The conference is examining
HOW CLASSROOM TIME IS USED in low-performing
schools and how it might be restructured to
produce more effective teaching.
Back to top.Related ECS Activities
Check out ECS' new toolkit designed to help
policymakers and practitioners develop
policies to increase COMMUNITY COLLEGES' INVOLVEMENT IN TEACHER PREPARATION.
http://www.communitycollegepolicy.org/html/toolkit/default.asp
The most comprehensive and up-to-date report
of states' progress toward implementing the NO
CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT is now available on our
Web site. Print copies are available, and online
orders will receive a special $5 discount.
/html/special/nclb/reporttothenation/reporttothenation.htm
Back to top.What States Are Doing
LOUISIANA may become the first state in the nation
that rates teacher training based on how students
fare in the classroom. The proposed plan could
help pinpoint which of the state's 19 public and
private college-based teacher preparation
programs are most effective.
http://asa.regents.state.la.us/TE/technical_report.pdf
Four years after DELAWARE's General Assembly ordered the nation's only teacher accountability system tied to student test scores, the State Board of Education finally approved partial implementation of the plan. The board will seek to establish pilot programs in several districts around the state, in which 20% of a teacher's job evaluation would be dependent on student test scores.
http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2004/08/20pilotplantoeval.html
ILLINOIS' Public Act 093-0679 makes it easier for two
groups of teacher to meet the state's teacher
certification requirements: (1) teachers moving from
another state into Illinois and (2) inexperienced
teachers wanting to upgrade their Illinois licenses.
http://www.legis.state.il.us/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?name=093-0679
CALIFORNIA's Commission on Teacher Credentialing has
passed a motion declaring that the American Board
for the Certification of Teacher Excellence program -
which certifies teacher candidates who manage to pass a
set of tests - will not be recognized in the state.
http://nea.org/nationalboard/abcte-ca.html
A NORTH CAROLINA Center for Public Policy Research
study recommends that the state board require school
systems with teacher turnover in excess of 15%
to annually file "Teacher Retention Improvement Plans."
To head off an impending teacher shortage
crisis, the study also recommends the state
board seek funds for financially struggling
counties with teacher turnover higher than 15%.
http://www.nccppr.org/Teachershortage.pdf
NEW YORK City will triple the amount it spends to
hire mentors for new teachers, setting aside $36
million this year. Under the program, more than
5,000 first-year teachers will receive year-round
guidance from 300 mentors.
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/29400.htm
District officials in PHILADELPHIA, citing the No
Child Left Behind Act, are pushing for significant
cutbacks in teacher seniority rights.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=02philly.h24
Back to top.Good Reads
An article by Virginia Governor Mark Warner in the
latest edition of Education Next focuses on how to
attract and retain better teachers in HARD-TO-STAFF
schools. Just like professionals in the business
world, Warner says, the best and brightest teachers
will gravitate to where they can find competitive
compensation and benefit packages, positive working
environments, and opportunities to upgrade their skills. Warner focused on this issue as 2003-04 ECS chairman.
http://www.educationnext.org/20044/pdf/38.pdf
According to the U.S. Department of Education's
third annual report on teacher quality, seven states
do not currently assess the ACADEMIC CONTENT KNOWLEDGE of individuals seeking initial
certification or licensure. In addition, the report
says many states that require content assessments
have set minimum passing scores so only the
lowest-performing teacher candidates are screened out.
http://www.title2.org/secReport04.htm
A book by Richard Rothstein makes a series of policy
recommendations to narrow the STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GAP -
including focusing on education, health and housing
issues. The book also attempts to calculate the cost
of significantly reducing the achievement gap.
http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/books_class_and_schools
Pay for the nation's teachers is considerably lower
than for other workers with similar education and
skills, according to a new book from the Economic
Policy Institute. Despite growing national attention
on the need to recruit and retain highly skilled
teachers, the book finds the TEACHER WAGE GAP grew
larger over the last decade.
http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/releases/2004/08/040826TeacherPay1.pdf
"Where We Stand: TEACHER QUALITY," is a recent AFT report finds the current system of teacher education, licensure
and professional development is generally devoid of
high standards and is in serious need of
improvement.
http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/downloads/teachers/TQres.pdf
Back to top.Other Useful Web Sites
NATIONMASTER.COM provides users with a central data
source and a handy way to graphically compare
nations statistically. On education, the site
provides information on a variety of issues,
including starting teacher salaries worldwide and
comparisons of teaching weeks per year.
http://www.nationmaster.com/
The UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA's COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Web site provides a comprehensive list of
education policy and research organizations.
http://www.coe.uga.edu/adminpolicy/policy.html
Back to top.International Focus
A third of LONDON's teachers must come from minority
ethnic communities to help end the historic failure of
the education system, says a report from the London
Development Agency.
http://www.lda.gov.uk/upload/pdf/Educational_experiences.pdf
NEW ZEALAND's Ministry of Education says the number
of teachers being physically assaulted by students is
rising. A recent online survey conducted by the
country's secondary teachers' union shows 70% of
teachers want panic buttons installed in their
classrooms.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/0,2106,3014384a6009,00.html
AUSTRALIA's Victorian schools are being offered up
to $20,000 for each teacher who agrees to retrain and
work in hard-to-staff subjects such as math, languages,
technology and physical education. Incentives are also
available to rural teachers as part of a statewide
push to improve staff shortages in rural schools.
http://www.det.vic.gov.au/det/media/articles/edtimes.htm
Education ministers from 23 nations have signed a
protocol discouraging richer countries from POACHING
TEACHERS from poorer ones. Last year, England
gave work permits to 5,564 teachers from other
countries, including 1,492 from South
Africa and 523 from Jamaica.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3620962.stm
Back to top.
Teaching quality is part of the Teaching Quality and Leadership Institute. The mission of the Institute is to provide resources to help state policymakers shape education policy on finding, keeping and developing highly effective teachers and education leaders. |
TEACHING QUALITY
To read more about Teaching Quality,
visit the ECS Issue Site on Teaching
Quality. |
