TQB Newsletter

We're all for helping teachers stay on at turnaround schools.

Announcements

Want to use student data to judge the quality of a teacher prep program? In a new brief, here's our take on what states need to do to get it right.

Building strong value-added models for teacher preparation programs is no small task. Pioneering states have had to stumble through the dark, trying to figure out how to do this right, without any real guidance to speak of. Now they've got some. Read on.

Mark your calendars! Review arrives June 18.

The first edition of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Review will be released June 18, the first opportunity for a joint release with our publisher, U.S. News & World Report. In a recent EducationNext article, NCTQ president Kate Walsh explores the genesis of this landmark study.

Views

Research

  • Coming and going: some thoughts on managing staff in turnaround schools

    Michael Hansen recently examined formerly low-performing schools that improved, and the results suggest that schools should focus their efforts on helping the teachers who remain to improve and on making good new hires, rather than just trying to weed out the low performers.

    Hybrids: more than just your Prius

    A new study from Dan Goldhaber and Cyrus Grout adds to the growing evidence that many teachers are quite open to considering pension plans that go beyond the defined benefit model.

  • Tr3 Trends: Health Insurance Premiums

    Health insurance is a major part of teacher benefits packages and it comprises a big chunk of districts' compensation budgets. Here's a district-by-district comparison, showing which are more generous than others.

    Learning the language of middle school

    It's high time that teacher prep programs prepare candidates with proven management techniques targeted to the grade levels they intend to teach. This might slow down the exodus of middle school teachers recently described in a report by Research Alliance for New York City Schools.

Blog Favorites

Where are the teachers when you need them?

An Oklahoma first-grade classroom has reportedly been without a teacher since January for lack of viable candidates. Yet there are some 500 elementary teacher candidates who recently graduated from an Oklahoma teacher prep program. Where are they?

 Moving your way to more effective math instruction

Research from the University of Iowa and Michigan State University shows that math teachers who incorporate gestures into their instruction see better outcomes for their students.

 Viewing teacher evaluations through rose-colored glasses

A survey of Chicago parents shows how hard it is for some to accept that their child's teacher may be sub par.

Resources

Teacher preparation program student performance data models: Six core design principles

At the intersection of policy pushes to assess teacher effectiveness and to improve accountability systems for teacher preparation programs lie state efforts to connect student achievement data to preparation programs. We've taken a close look at the experience of early adopters and, in this brief, offer six core principles for strong design.
Teacher Quality Roadmap: Improving Policies and Practices in Oakland, CA

This report examines teacher quality policies and practices in the Oakland Unified School District and provides Oakland with a tailored analysis of the teacher policy areas most in need of critical attention, as well as areas of strength for the district.