NCTQ Publications

Clinical Practice Framework

Hannah Putman March 2024

Too many new teachers start their careers unprepared for the realities of the classroom because they haven't had enough high-quality "hands on" practice. Their students lose out on learning because of it.NCTQ's new Clinical Practice Framework details the six areas of clinical practice—backed by research and supported by the field—that lead to a strong clinical practice experience. For each focus area, we break down the action items for school districts, prep programs, and states, respectively....

Student teaching, Cooperating teachers, Clinical Practice, Classroom management, Teacher Prep

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Defining Types of Clinical Practice

Christie Ellis March 2024

Effective teacher prep depends on a high-quality clinical practice experience. There is an ever-growing variety of preparation models available to aspiring teachers. Yet to date, the field has not galvanized around a common vocabulary. This paper addresses that issue by establishing definitions of the two key types of clinical practice experiences teacher candidates need and an outline of five common models prep programs use to provide them. The paper also describes an increasingly prevalent sixth...

Student teaching, Cooperating teachers, Clinical Practice, Classroom management, Teacher Prep

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State of the States 2024 Five Policy Actions to Strengthen Implementation of the Science of Reading

Shannon Holston January 2024

For states to succeed in their efforts to improve reading instruction, they must ensure teachers are prepared to implement and sustain scientifically based reading instruction.New data and analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that while many states seek to improve literacy outcomes for students, they overlook a key component to implementation and sustainability: effective teachers.The report shows the extent to which states focus on 5 key policies actions: Set specific, detailed...

Reading, State role, Teacher Prep, Licensure

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State Reading Policy Action Guide

Hannah Putman January 2024

For states to succeed in their efforts to improve reading instruction, they must ensure teachers are prepared to implement and sustain scientifically based reading instruction.The states most successful in leveraging policy to improve reading outcomes for students have taken a cohesive and comprehensive approach focused on improving teachers' capacity to deliver great reading instruction.This action guide outlines five key actions states should take to strengthen implementation of reading policies.

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False Assurances: Many states' licensure tests don't signal whether elementary teachers understand reading instruction

Hannah Putman November 2023

In a new analysis, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) finds that most states (29 states and the District of Columbia) use a weak elementary teacher reading licensure test, meaning that they do not effectively measure teachers' knowledge of scientifically based reading instruction prior to entering the classroom. One state, Iowa, requires no reading licensure test at all. This shortcoming means that, every year, nearly 100,000 elementary teachers across the country enter classrooms with...

Licensing requirements, National, Licensing tests, Reading, Teacher diversity, Licensure

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State of the States 2023: Policies to Increase Teacher Diversity

Abigail Swisher August 2023

Despite robust research that shows that teachers of color increase positive academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes for all students, particularly students of color, new data and analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) suggest a variety of ways state education leaders and policymakers could do more to increase teacher diversity.

National, Hiring and Assignment, Mentorship and Induction, Differentiated pay, Retention strategies, Teacher diversity

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Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction

June 2023

Giving teachers the knowledge and skills they need to teach reading effectively is fundamental for improving life outcomes for all children and reversing historical patterns of inequity. New data and analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) provides the most up-to-date information available on the extent to which nearly 700 teacher preparation programs across the country prepare aspiring teachers to teach children to read. Download the full report or view a summary of...

Reading, Teacher Prep

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Teacher Prep Review: Building Content Knowledge

Christie Ellis, Shannon Holston February 2023

New data and analysis from NCTQ finds significant opportunities for teacher preparation programs to improve their coursework requirements to ensure that aspiring elementary school teachers receive the essential social studies and science content knowledge they need for the classroom. The new report shows that while most teacher preparation programs have sufficient course options available, only 3% require aspiring teachers to complete courses in most of the social studies and science topics an elementary teacher needs...

Subject matter knowledge, Social studies , Science , Teacher Prep

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Do States Have the Data they Need to Answer Important Questions about their Teacher Workforce?

Heather Peske, Patricia Saenz-Armstrong, Shannon Holston December 2022

Given both the importance—and dearth—of nuanced, local data on teacher supply and demand, NCTQ set out to understand the key data elements states are currently collecting, which data is missing, and the level of detail that is needed to meaningfully answer essential questions about the teacher workforce. In a new state policy brief, we share the results of a survey of state education agencies on the extent to which they collect data on 39 distinct...

Supply and Demand, Equitable distribution, Shortage areas, State role

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State of the States 2022: Teacher and Principal Evaluation Policies

Abigail Swisher, Patricia Saenz-Armstrong November 2022

Results of the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress reveal alarming results: Since 2019, scores declined substantially for all students, while disparities widened for students already most affected by opportunity gaps. As districts and states help students recover in the wake of a global pandemic, supporting teachers and principals by recognizing strong performance, and helping them grow and improve where necessary, is more urgent than ever.

Observations, State role, Evaluation, Student growth

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State of the States 2022: Teacher Compensation Strategies

Patricia Saenz-Armstrong September 2022

Salaries are one of the most powerful policy levers states and school districts can use to attract qualified, effective, and diverse teachers. However, strategic pay remains underutilized as a tool to attract teachers to the schools or subjects that are traditionally harder to staff. Similarly, few states have policies that consider performance in salary schedules or reward prior relevant work experience in order to attract career switchers to the teaching profession. This report examines the...

Supply and Demand, Differentiated pay, Shortage areas, State role

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