Vanderbilt University has recently put out a new study on teacher retention, which examined a Tennessee program that offered high-performing teachers in the state’s worst schools a $5,000 bonus to stay on another year. The program was fairly small and implementation was uneven, but researchers still found preliminary evidence of Read more
In his edweek.org blog, Marc Tucker argues that success in improving teacher quality should be measured by our country’s ability to transform teaching from a blue-collar occupation to a high-status profession. Tucker was encouraged to write this particular blog post by a new report, “Genuine Progress, Greater Challenges: A Decade Read more
Teacher Prep Review 2014 is the second edition of NCTQ‘s annual assessment of the nation’s 2,400 teacher prep programs. The Review uncovers early evidence that teacher prep programs are beginning to make changes. It arrives at a time of heightened, unprecedented activity across the nation to improve teacher preparation. Here Read more
Written for state legislators, governors, and their staff, this policy snapshot provides an overview of the latest research, information, and policy trends for establishing and supporting effective induction programs. Induction is a term that is often associated with mentoring of new teachers, and for good reason, but it is important Read more
With new standards, curricular materials, assessments, and evaluations in many districts, the education landscape is changing rapidly. Feedback and leadership from teachers is essential to the profession at this critical time. In this month’s issue brief, we have assembled stories, survey results, and views of teachers reflecting on their own Read more
A new report from TNTP provides an inside look at their effort to rebuild their own pre-service teacher training from the ground up, with one goal in mind: Give new teachers the skills they need to be successful from the moment they set foot in their classrooms. TNTP had to Read more
An oft-cited question in education circles is how much poorly-performing teachers are able to continue to collect paychecks because of tenure systems and powerful teachers’ unions. This question becomes even more contentious when it is combined with the argument that more poorly performing teachers usually teach at underprivileged schools. In Read more
The National Education Association (NEA), Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) are launching a groundbreaking initiative to advance teaching as a 21st-century profession. The Teacher Leadership Initiative (TLI) will support accomplished teachers in leading effective pedagogical, policy, and union reforms. In the 2014 Read more
Can big data and predictive analytics help school leaders hire better teachers? That’s the new pitch being made by two companies: TeacherMatch, from Chicago, and Washington-based Hanover Research. Both claim that their new algorithm-driven teacher-selection tools can predict the impact teacher candidates will have on student test scores should they Read more
A groundbreaking new policy guide provides state lawmakers and education advocates with a blueprint for practical changes to improve teaching quality in America — one of the most critical factors to support student success. The guide recommends research-based policies and state models that have been highly effective in developing and Read more
Most every education official and pundit agrees that effective teachers are the largest determining factor of student success within control of the education system. Many have suggested various methods by which teacher training programs, principals, schools, school districts, and even states can act to ensure a greater number of quality Read more
In the overwhelming majority of American classrooms, pupils are divided roughly equally among teachers of the same grade in the same school. Parceling them out uniformly is viewed as fair to teachers-and doing otherwise might be seen as unfair. Parents might wonder, too. But what if more students were assigned Read more
Recognizing the rising pressure to hold teachers and administrators responsible for student achievement and increased pressures on new teachers, the University of Southern California’s college of education is offering its graduates a guarantee – if they’re struggling with part of their jobs, the college will have their backs. In a Read more
As advanced technologies enter the mainstream of everyday life, more than half of K-12 school districts are already offering – or interested in starting – blended and online learning programs. Though new school programs are evolving to personalize learning for every student using new tools and new methodologies, a national Read more
There have been rumblings for the last couple of years about a new “bar-exam” for teachers entering the teaching profession, which this blog has discussed here and here and here. The organization that is spearheading one of the chief candidates to fill the void of more rigorous teacher licensing tests Read more
TNTP, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that all students get excellent teachers, recently released the latest in its one-of-a-kind series of essays on effective teaching written by and for practicing teachers. Titled “Going Deep: Empowering Students to Take Risks, Make Mistakes and Master Difficult Material,” the new paper was Read more