This Clinical Practice Action Guide tells the stories of prep programs, districts, and states that have made a concerted effort to build a strong clinical experience, and provides resources and guidance to help others follow in their footsteps.Their work aligns with most or all aspects of the Clinical Practice Framework (released in March 2024), detailing six focus areas that make for a strong clinical experience.
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....
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...
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...
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.
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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