Press & News

View press releases on NCTQ’s latest research and see the ways that our work is making headlines.

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Gallup Poll: Half of School Leaders Say Finding a Good Math Teacher is Tough
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Gallup Poll: Half of School Leaders Say Finding a Good Math Teacher is Tough

    The 74
    Many schools and districts are desperate for high-quality elementary math teachers. New NCTQ data finds teacher prep programs are falling short in preparing them: Only 1 in 8 elementary prep programs devote adequate time to teaching math content.

    April 10, 2025

    Only 3 Wisconsin teacher preparation programs are devoting enough time to math, report says
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Only 3 Wisconsin teacher preparation programs are devoting enough time to math, report says

    Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR)
    NCTQ's evaluation of 22 Wisconsin elementary teacher prep programs found only three devote enough time to math instruction, offering key context for why nearly a quarter of the state's fourth graders struggle with basic math concepts.

    April 8, 2025

    Georgia’s ongoing battle with literacy and its impact on incarceration
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Georgia’s ongoing battle with literacy and its impact on incarceration

    Atlanta News First
    Thirty years ago, the U.S. Dept of Justice warned that reading failure was not just linked to delinquency, but a likely cause of it. Atlanta News First features NCTQ's assessment of teacher preparation programs while exploring how low literacy rates can fuel Georgia's incarceration crisis.

    April 3, 2025

    Colorado education landscape reels over Trump’s gutting of the US Department of Education
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Colorado education landscape reels over Trump’s gutting of the US Department of Education

    Colorado Public Radio
    The federal government announced a 50% reduction in the U.S. Department of Education workforce, creating uncertainty for Colorado's education system. NCTQ warns that gutting the department will weaken its capacity to perform critical functions like data collection on teacher quality and student achievement, likely contributing to worsening student outcomes.

    March 12, 2025

    Team-Teaching Builds Supports in a ‘Very Lonely Profession’
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Team-Teaching Builds Supports in a ‘Very Lonely Profession’

    Education Week
    Team teaching models help address teacher isolation and burnout by having multiple educators collaborate to teach larger groups of students. NCTQ President Heather Peske emphasizes these approaches require investment in professional learning and structured collaboration, as "simply creating roles and assigning them to teachers will not be as impactful as ensuring that there are supports for teachers to take on these roles."

    March 4, 2025

    The building blocks of math that students need to excel — but aren’t always getting
  • NCTQ in the News

    • The building blocks of math that students need to excel — but aren’t always getting

    The Hechinger Report
    NCTQ's 2022 report reveals only 15% of undergraduate elementary education programs adequately prepare teachers in math content and pedagogy, highlighting the need for better teacher training to address persistent math achievement gaps in math.

    February 19, 2025

    ‘It Hurts Kids’: Many schools continue to teach controversial reading remediation program
  • NCTQ in the News

    • ‘It Hurts Kids’: Many schools continue to teach controversial reading remediation program

    InvestigateTV Atlanta
    Many universities still teach controversial "three cueing" reading methods despite evidence showing negative long-term impacts on students. NCTQ President Heather Peske identified these as contrary practices that have been debunked by the science and are harmful to children learning to read.

    January 27, 2025

    Hundreds of Madison school teachers hired on emergency licenses
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Hundreds of Madison school teachers hired on emergency licenses

    The Cap Times
    More than 10% of teachers in Madison, Wisconsin are working under emergency licenses, primarily in special and bilingual education. This practice gives "the least prepared, least experienced teachers to the students who need the most prepared, most effective teachers," warns NCTQ President Heather Peske.

    January 7, 2025

    Map Shows States With Most Diverse Teachers
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Map Shows States With Most Diverse Teachers

    Newsweek
    New NCTQ data shows significant gaps in teacher workforce diversity across states. NCTQ President Heather Peske emphasizes that "teachers of color have a positive impact on all students—especially students of color," while noting the profession isn't keeping pace with increasing diversity among college graduates.

    December 10, 2024

    Partnerships Tackle Denver’s Workforce Housing Shortage
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Partnerships Tackle Denver’s Workforce Housing Shortage

    Forbes
    Denver's population boom has created a housing crisis that hits teachers hard. An NCTQ analysis shows that Denver teachers spend a third of their salary on rent—exceeding the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) affordability threshold.

    November 11, 2024

    The ThoughtStretchers Podcast: How To Attract And Retain High-Quality Teachers
  • NCTQ in the News

    • The ThoughtStretchers Podcast: How To Attract And Retain High-Quality Teachers

    ThoughtStretchers Education Podcast
    The traditional classroom model isn't working for many teachers and students, making it hard to attract and keep great teachers. NCTQ President Heather Peske discusses NCTQ's interactive resource showcasing innovative approaches to teacher staffing like teacher teams, flexible scheduling, and leadership roles that make teaching more sustainable while improving student outcomes.

    November 7, 2024

    Teachers Want Sustainable Workplaces. State Policies Make it Harder
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Teachers Want Sustainable Workplaces. State Policies Make it Harder

    Education Week
    Districts nationwide are adopting new staffing models to improve teacher morale, teacher retention, and student learning outcomes. This article explores NCTQ's interactive resource examining how state policies impact districts' ability to implement these innovative staffing models.

    September 17, 2024

    California looks to build more teacher housing to boost recruitment, retention
  • NCTQ in the News

    • California looks to build more teacher housing to boost recruitment, retention

    K-12 Dive
    Some California school districts offer teacher housing to combat affordability issues. NCTQ President Heather Peske raises concerns about this approach and questions what happens when teachers with subsidized housing lose their jobs.

    August 23, 2024

    Nebraska Literacy Project aims to boost learning, test scores with ‘the science of reading’
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Nebraska Literacy Project aims to boost learning, test scores with ‘the science of reading’

    Omaha World-Herald
    Nebraska's education department aims to boost third-grade reading proficiency from 62% to 75% by 2030 through its new literacy initiative, which will require teacher prep programs to teach evidence-based methods. This effort addresses a critical need, as NCTQ rated Nebraska "weak" in policies to support the implementation of the science of reading.

    August 17, 2024

    Schools are bracing for widespread teacher layoffs. Here’s why
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Schools are bracing for widespread teacher layoffs. Here’s why

    CNN
    With pandemic funds expiring, many districts face painful teacher layoffs that will hit disadvantaged students hardest. NCTQ President Heather Peske warns "students of color and students in higher-poverty districts are going to feel the brunt," advocating for layoff policies prioritizing student needs and high-demand specialties rather than just seniority.

    May 11, 2024

    Paid parental leave at schools is so dire that teachers must hoard their sick days and time their pregnancies around summer vacation
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Paid parental leave at schools is so dire that teachers must hoard their sick days and time their pregnancies around summer vacation

    Fortune
    Teachers often plan births around summer vacation due to limited parental leave benefits. NCTQ's analysis of large districts finds less than a fifth offer any paid leave beyond sick time. NCTQ President Heather Peske urges districts to consider how this affects retention, noting "paid family leave really helps school districts attract good teachers."

    April 19, 2024

    Hawaii Wants to Build Houses for Teachers
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Hawaii Wants to Build Houses for Teachers

    Newsweek
    Hawaii lawmakers proposed teacher housing and rent vouchers to combat the state's high cost of living, which makes attracting educators difficult. NCTQ research confirms Hawaii is among the most expensive places for teachers, with our analysis showing teachers in a fifth of major metro areas can't comfortably afford a one-bedroom apartment.

    March 4, 2024

    New report OK’s Mass. early literacy teacher prep policies
  • NCTQ in the News

    • New report OK’s Mass. early literacy teacher prep policies

    Boston Globe
    Massachusetts has joined states prioritizing science-based reading instruction, earning a "moderate" rating in NCTQ's State of the States report. The article uses NCTQ data to show both Massachusetts' progress and remaining policy gaps in strengthening reading instruction.

    January 16, 2024

    National report ranks Nebraska ‘weak’ in implementing science of reading policies
  • NCTQ in the News

    • National report ranks Nebraska ‘weak’ in implementing science of reading policies

    Omaha World-Herald
    NCTQ rated Nebraska as "weak" in implementing effective reading policies. The state has a lot of work to do to better prepare teachers and improve the state's concerning literacy rates, says NCTQ President Heather Peske.

    January 16, 2024

    What Makes a Strong Early Reading Law? Not Everyone Agrees
  • NCTQ in the News

    • What Makes a Strong Early Reading Law? Not Everyone Agrees

    Education Week
    Many states are pushing new reading laws, but these efforts often miss a crucial element: effective teachers. An NCTQ report examines five key policy actions across the country that strengthen teachers' ability to teach reading.

    January 16, 2024

    Hawaii Gave $10,000 Raises to Teachers. It’s Working—for Now.
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Hawaii Gave $10,000 Raises to Teachers. It’s Working—for Now.

    Mother Jones
    While claims of a "national teacher shortage" make headlines, shortages vary across subjects, grade levels, and locations. NCTQ President Heather Peske urges states to set strategic compensation policies to help fill vacancies and eliminate raises for master's degrees, which don't correlate with higher teacher effectiveness.

    December 5, 2023

    Not all teachers want to be principals, but what comes next otherwise?
  • NCTQ in the News

    • Not all teachers want to be principals, but what comes next otherwise?

    Stacker
    Most professions offer advancement opportunities, yet many teachers enter classrooms planning to remain there until retirement, prompting states and districts to create leadership roles that leverage teacher expertise while allowing continued classroom work. Using NCTQ data, this article examines state policies regarding teacher leadership positions, including additional compensation.

    November 14, 2023

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