NCTQ: Publications

A Fair Chance: Program Action Guide

Hannah Putman, Kate Walsh April 2019

A Fair Chance: Simple steps to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce examined a particularly troubling issue, the fact that so many elementary teacher candidates struggle to pass licensing tests in the essential content needed to teach elementary grades. This inadequate content knowledge is not a problem that begins with post-secondary institutions—but it can end there. It is also not a problem that teacher preparation programs can solve alone. The report explored course requirements, both...

Subject matter knowledge, Social studies , Science , Math, Teacher Prep

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Start Here to Become a Teacher

Kate Walsh, Dan Brown March 2019

Peppered with plenty of advice from practicing teachers, Start Here to Become a Teacher provides advice to people interested in teaching and allows aspiring educators to more wisely "comparison shop" among teacher prep programs by providing them with a listing of the nation's top 120 undergraduate teacher prep programs. Other highlights include:- Calling out common myths about teaching and what teachers who are successful love most about their jobs- The pros and cons of undergrad...

Admissions, Student Teaching, Pay, Teacher Prep, Licensure

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A Fair Chance

Hannah Putman, Kate Walsh February 2019

In A Fair Chance: Simple steps to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce, NCTQ analysis reveals both astonishingly high numbers of elementary teacher candidates failing their professional licensing tests each year, as well as widespread evidence that teacher preparation programs give scant attention to the content knowledge candidates need. Candidates of color are hit hardest. Already more likely to be disadvantaged by an inequitable system of K-12 education, only 38 percent of black teacher candidates...

Licensing tests, Subject matter knowledge, Teacher Prep, Teacher Diversity

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Walking the Tightrope Databurst

Elizabeth Ross, Kelli Lakis November 2018

Deciding under what circumstances teachers are laid off during a reduction in force or dismissed will always be a tightrope. Teachers deserve a fair process and one that respects their contributions to a school district, just as every student deserves competent teachers. This NCTQ Databurst looks at how states approach these two tough issues, examining if states are achieving an appropriate balance of interests between teachers and students.

National, Dismissal, State role, Evaluation, Layoffs

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Making a Difference

Hannah Putman, Kate Walsh, Elizabeth Ross October 2018

The past decade has been marked by rapid changes in teacher evaluations. While many districts and states announced their intention to install better systems, they faced political and structural challenges. In this study, NCTQ examines evidence of the impact of teacher evaluation in six places (four districts and two states) that have stayed the course in developing and implementing improved teacher evaluation systems: Dallas Independent School District, Denver Public Schools, District of Columbia Public Schools,...

New Mexico, Colorado, New Jersey, District of Columbia, Texas, Tennessee, Performance pay, Evaluation, Retention and Tenure, Professional Development

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Strengthening Reading Instruction Databurst

Elizabeth Ross August 2018

This study examines all 50 states' and the District of Columbia's requirements regarding the science of reading for elementary and special education teacher candidates.

Licensing tests, Reading, Special Education, Teacher Prep

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States, Strikes, and Teacher Salaries

Kency Nittler, Nicole Gerber May 2018

Teachers' demands in strikes across the country have varied, but there's no question that low salaries are one of the chief complaints. To provide some additional insight into what's motivating these strikes, we look at the salary data for 10 states that make salary information available for all of their districts. Clearly, teachers need to be paid more in some states and districts, but when it comes to thinking about how we improve teacher salaries...

North Carolina, Ohio, California, Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina, Salary schedules, Illinois, West Virginia, State role, District contracts and unions, Kentucky, Pay

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Strategic Teacher Compensation Databurst

Elizabeth Ross, Catherine Worth May 2018

NCTQ's Strategic Teacher Compensation Databurst is a study of states' strategic teacher compensation policies which includes a snapshot of all 50 states' and the District of Columbia's teacher compensation policies as they relate to providing additional compensation for effective teacher performance, teaching in high-need schools and subjects, and relevant, prior non-teaching work experience.

Differentiated pay, Salary schedules, Performance pay, Pay

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2018 Teacher Prep Review

Graham Drake, Laura Pomerance, Rob Rickenbrode, Kate Walsh April 2018

The 2018 Teacher Prep Review examines the results of rating 567 traditional graduate programs, 129 alternative route programs, and 18 residencies preparing both elementary and secondary teachers. The Review includes recommendations for programs to make changes to improve the quality of teachers entering the profession and highlights exemplary programs for states and institutions to examine.

Student Teaching, Teacher Prep

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2018 State Teacher Policy Best Practices Guide

Elizabeth Ross, Catherine Worth March 2018

The 2018 State Teacher Policy Best Practices Guide is a comprehensive resource that highlights leading state work across 37 different policy areas affecting teacher quality, and provides reference information for states seeking to emulate these best practices.

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Teacher Shortages and Surpluses Databurst

Elizabeth Ross February 2018

The Teacher Shortages and Surpluses Databurst is an analysis of states' work to track teacher shortages and surpluses, and to implement the policy solutions to address these challenges. This resource includes an overview of promising practices currently being implemented, a snapshot of all 50 states' and the District of Columbia's efforts in addressing teacher supply and demand challenges, and noteworthy state policies by region across the country.

Supply and Demand, Hiring and Assignment

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Can Moving Teachers Between Grade Levels Actually Hurt Student Learning?

Hannah Putman, Nick Ledyard February 2018

A great deal of attention has been given to the learning loss that can take place under brand new teachers, but there is a growing body of research that shows moving teachers between grade levels, or "grade switching," can actually be harmful to student achievement too. While grade switching is a common practice for many reasons (about a quarter of all teachers in a school have switched grades any given year), here are a few...

Impact of teacher, Hiring and Assignment, Transfers

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2017 State Teacher Policy Yearbook

Elizabeth Ross December 2017

NCTQ's bi-annual 2017 State Teacher Policy Yearbook grades states on how well their programs and policies raise the quality of the teachers in their schools. The 2017 Yearbook evaluates states against nine policy areas, with this year's edition including, for the first time, information to reflect teacher diversity initiatives, principal evaluation and support systems, and state support for teacher leadership opportunities. For all 50 states and the District of Columbia, NCTQ produces a customized summary...

Hiring and Assignment, State role, Evaluation, Teacher Prep, Licensure

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