The annual turnover rate in rural Alaskan schools can be as high as 35%, compared with urban rates as low as 5%. A new program in rural Alaska seeks to halt this trend through a new program that pairs rural schools with big-city counterparts. Funded by a federal grant of nearly $2 million to launch Read more about Group Aims to Reverse Rural Teacher Turnover Rate[…]
The National Education Writers Association (EWA) has released a research brief on teacher effectiveness. Organized around several prevailing questions about teacher effectiveness, the brief seeks to synthesize the available research to help leaders make informed decisions as they develop teacher evaluation systems. The brief reviews over 40 specific research studies or syntheses and interviews with Read more about What Studies Say About Teacher Effectiveness[…]
In a recent opinion piece for Education Week, Craig Hochbein and Bradley Carpenter, assistant professors of K-12 leadership at the University of Louisville, reflect on what they call “disciplined improvement.” Using examples such as Ty Cobb and Ernest Hemingway to illustrate that disciplined improvement encompasses both “the commencement and termination of actions. In addition to Read more about Solving the Real Problems: Disciplined Improvement[…]
The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) recently released their revised standards for online teaching to ensure that students engaged in online learning have access to quality education. The new standards differentiate between two sets of indicators: the first are what the online teacher should know and understand; the second what they should be Read more about iNACOL Revises National Standards for Quality Online Teaching[…]
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recently released a “First Look” report on the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study (BTLS), which collected data from teachers who entered the profession in 2007 or 2008 in three waves (two more waves of collection are expected). This report looks at the first wave of data collection. The study Read more about Beginning Teacher Attrition and Mobility: A Longitudinal Study[…]
A recent report released by Public Impact proposes a strategy for getting an excellent teacher into every classroom, which would “close most of our stubborn achievement gaps in just five years.” An “excellent teacher” is described as one who produces well over today’s typical year of learning growth, and the authors emphasize that it is Read more about Seizing Opportunity at the Top[…]
A new study by Morgaen Donaldson and Susan Moore Johnson studying the real attrition rates of TFA teachers was published in the most recent issue of Phi Delta Kappan. We all know the debates surrounding the TFA program, with the most contentious issue being the motivation and longevity of TFA corps members in some of Read more about The Truth About TFA Attrition[…]
It is projected that over the next decade, one million teachers will retire from the profession. This estimate forms the basis of the current Department of Education policy objectives to transform the teaching profession by reforming teacher evaluation systems, identifying and rewarding effective teachers while removing the ineffective, and recruiting a “new brand” of teacher. Read more about What We Lose When Teachers Retire[…]
A new study published in the current issue of Educational Researcher began with a simple question: Is the well-documented phenomenon of teacher effectiveness increasing substantially over the first two years of teaching due to skill improvement over time, or because weaker teachers choose to leave—making the overall teaching pool look better? Using a value-added model, Read more about New Study Finds Surprising Trends in Teacher Effectiveness[…]
A recent study published by Karen DeAngelis and Jennifer Presley takes a closer look at new teacher attrition. We have all heard the claim that 50% of new teachers leave the profession within their first five years of teaching, but is this really true? DeAngelis and Presley found some surprising and interesting new perspectives in Read more about A Better Understanding of New Teacher Attrition[…]
In the most recent edition of Teachers College Record, Spyros Konstantopoulos examines the long-term benefits of teacher effects on student achievement in early elementary grades. Konstantopoulos uses experimental data from Tennessee’s Student Teacher Achievement Ratio Study (Project STAR) for his study, and focused on two specific areas: 1) Determining the persistence of teacher effects in Read more about Teachers Matter Most in Early Grades[…]
A recent study authored by Will Dobbie of Harvard University suggests that teacher success can be predicted at the time of hire. For his study, Dobbie looked at Teach For America’s (TFA) admissions measures to see if they can predict teachers’ future impact on student achievement. TFA bases their selection of candidates on several criteria Read more about Predicting Teacher Success[…]
In an article in the most recent edition of Education Outlook, Fairfax County Schools Superintendant Jack Dale shares his vision for the “21st century teacher-leader.” He claims the current system of negotiated contracts, 10-month work, various pay schemes, etc. are moving the teaching profession “toward an hourly, blue-collar, piecemeal work paradigm.” We need to stop Read more about Dangerous Mind Games Are We Ready to Overhaul the Teaching Profession?[…]
Education|Evolving Founder Ted Kolderie has encouraged a strong look at the current management of schools. He explains, “Our deal with teachers has been that we don’t give you professional authority, and you don’t give us accountability. Cut a new deal: in exchange for real accountability we’ll give you real authority.” The premise is that when Read more about Education/Evolving’s National Inventory of Schools with Teacher Autonomy[…]
The U.S. Department of Education and Asia Society released a report last week entitled, “Improving Teacher Quality Around the World: The International Summit on the Teaching Profession,” addressing lessons shared during the two-day event held in New York City in March. The summit marked the first-ever convening of education ministers, teachers, and union leaders from Read more about Report from the International Summit on the Teaching Profession[…]
Nearly four in 10 teachers report that they are interested in combining their classroom work with other roles or responsibilities in their school or district, including 46 percent of teachers with five or fewer years of experience. Across the country, interest is increasing in alternative approaches to school staffing that provide more flexible work roles Read more about Beyond Classroom Walls: Developing Innovative Work Roles for Teachers[…]