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Teacher Workforce
Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation (National Council on Teacher Quality, June 2026)
Publication Date
August 11, 2026
Authors
Elena Aydarova, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This review examines a National Council on Teacher Quality report on elementary teacher preparation for reading instruction and concludes that its recommendations are not supported by rigorous evidence. The review argues that the report relies on outdated research, flawed methodology, and apparent conflicts of interest, and cautions policymakers against using it to guide teacher preparation or literacy policy.
Navigating the Math Wars: A Practical Guide to the Divides and Debates Influencing Math Instruction
Publication Date
July 28, 2026
Authors
Deborah Loewenberg Ball, University of Michigan
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce; Public Education
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The review examines current debates over math instruction and argues that a report intended to clarify them instead reinforces polarization and lacks sufficient nuance about classroom practice.
Let's Stop Asking Whether Teachers Are Professionals. Let's Ask What Kinds of Professionals We Want Teachers to Be
Publication Date
March 11, 2025
Authors
Emilie Mitescu Reagan, Claremont Graduate University; A. Lin Goodwin, Boston College
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A professionalized teaching workforce is key to strong educational opportunities, improved student outcomes, and broader societal benefits. However, recent policies aimed at improving teacher quality have had unintended consequences-eroding teacher autonomy, increasing workload, standardizing curriculum and assessment, and fostering public distrust. In NEPC's new policy brief, Let's Stop Asking Whether Teachers Are Professionals. Let's Ask What Kinds of Professionals We Want Teachers to Be, authors Emilie Mitescu Reagan of Claremont Graduate University and A. Lin Goodwin of Boston College examine the ongoing evolution of teachers' professional status. The brief explores how educators can navigate the constantly shifting societal perceptions of their profession.
Review of 'So Hard, but So Rewarding:' How School System Leaders are Scaling up Strategic School Staffing Models
Publication Date
July 11, 2024
Authors
Lisa Chu, Lydia Rainey, & Steven Weiner; Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Stonehill College
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Following the pandemic, pervasive challenges have plagued the teaching profession, including teacher shortages, burnout, job dissatisfaction, and attrition. A new report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education proposes what it calls "strategic school staffing models" as a solution, though its evidence for this conclusion is lacking.
Review of Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction
Publication Date
September 19, 2023
Authors
Christie Ellis, Shannon Holston, Graham Drake, Hannah Putman, Abigail Swisher, and Heather Peske; Paul Thomas, Furman University
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) evaluates more than half of the elementary teacher preparation programs in the U.S., to gauge their effectiveness in reading instruction. A review finds, however, that the report lacks the rigor necessary to adequately inform policy or practice.
The Effects of High-Performing, High-Turnover Teachers on Long-Run Student Achievement: Evidence From Teach for America
Publication Date
March 14, 2023
Authors
Virginia S. Lovison; Emilie Mitescu Reagan, Claremont Graduate University
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent paper published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University presents findings from a study examining Teach for America (TFA) teacher turnover and teachers’ contributions to fourth through eighth grade student achievement.
Review of Autonomous Schools Can Help Solve the Problem Behind the Teacher Shortage Problem
Publication Date
January 17, 2023
Authors
Tressa Pankovits; Charisse Gulosino, University of Memphis; Hajime Mitani, Rowan University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Progressive Policy Institute highlights the emergence of widespread teacher staffing shortages. By describing teacher autonomy as a panacea for reversing the problem, however, the report oversimplifies the issue.
Review of Addressing Teacher Shortages: Practical Ideas for the Pandemic and Beyond
Publication Date
May 24, 2022
Authors
Ben DeGrow; Ed Fuller, Penn State University
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
In response to Covid-related teacher shortages, the TNTP think tank (formerly “The New Teacher Project”) released a report with recommendations for district leaders in crafting short- and long-term teacher staffing plans.
Review of Harnessing Micro-Credentials for Teacher Growth: A National Review of Early Best Practices
Publication Date
April 8, 2021
Authors
Melissa Tooley and Joseph Hood; Elena Aydarova, Auburn University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
New America recently published a report, Harnessing Micro-Credentials for Teacher Growth: A National Review of Early Best Practices, that champions ways that micro-credentials have been used to allow teachers to move up the career ladder, receive higher pay, or renew their licenses. The report, along with an accompanying implementation guide, offers recommendations for how to implement and integrate micro-credentials into states’ human resources systems.
Review of 2020 Teacher Prep Review: Clinical Practice and Classroom Management
Publication Date
March 16, 2021
Authors
Laura Pomerance and Kate Walsh; Jamy Stillman and Katherine Schultz, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Technology & AI; Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The authors of the NCTQ report reviewed over 2,400 programs, including what NCTQ terms "traditional" and "alternative" programs in two areas: clinical practice and classroom management. Only 3% of traditional programs received the highest grade for their approaches to clinical practice, signaling their compliance with the internal standards set by NCTQ. Asserting that a "positive" environment is the product of classroom management, the report offers as a major conclusion that there was a 26% increase in the number of programs that taught five specific classroom management strategies
We All Want More Teachers of Color, Right?: Concerns and Considerations about the Emergent Consensus
Publication Date
July 21, 2020
Authors
Thomas M. Philip, University of California, Berkeley; Anthony L. Brown, University of Texas at Austin
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
The brief, titled, We All Want More Teachers of Color, Right?: Concerns and Considerations about the Emergent Consensus, explores the question, "How might we acknowledge and work toward the important task of diversifying the educator workforce while maintaining a healthy skepticism about the confluence of actors with their differing motivations who are promoting the diversification of the teaching profession?" The brief's authors – Thomas M. Philip of the University of California, Berkeley and Anthony L. Brown of the University of Texas at Austin – caution in particular against the "no excuses" school model, where teachers of color must try to satisfy irreconcilable demands focused on extreme accountability on one hand and commitments for cultural relevance and justice on the other.
Review of Financial Crisis Looming for K-12 Schools? Flexibility Needed, Not Bailouts
Publication Date
May 7, 2020
Authors
Jonathan Butcher; Jack Schneider, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Research Areas
Technology & AI; School Funding; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A new report from the Heritage Foundation argues that public education special interest groups, particularly teachers' unions, are detrimentally promoting excessive federal relief for education. Such spending, the report suggests, will come at the immediate expense of priorities like national defense.
The Opportunity Myth: What Students Can Show Us About How School Is Letting Them Down—and How to Fix It
Publication Date
January 24, 2019
Authors
Amanda Datnow of the University of California, San Diego
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from TNTP, formerly The New Teacher Project, aims to expose what it labels the “opportunity myth” in American education: that while schools purport to prepare students well, they don’t deliver.
Making a Difference: Six Places Where Teacher Evaluation Systems Are Getting Results
Publication Date
December 4, 2018
Authors
Hannah Putman, Kate Walsh, and Elizabeth Ross; Amy Farley and Leah Chamberlain, University of Cincinnati
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Narrow focus and methodological flaws also diminish report’s attempt to promote the benefits of teacher evaluation linked to measures of student growth.
2018 Teacher Prep Review, National Council on Teacher Quality
Publication Date
June 12, 2018
Authors
Robert Rickenbrode, Graham Drake, Laura Pomerance, and Kate Walsh; Marilyn Cochran-Smith of Boston College, Elizabeth Stringer Keefe of Lesley University, Wen-Chia Chang of Boston College, and Molly Cummings Carney of Boston College
Research Areas
Early Childhood; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released its “2018 Teacher Prep Review,” examining whether U.S. teacher preparation programs are aligned with NCTQ’s standards. This alignment, the report insists, will produce teachers “ready to achieve individual successes, but also [ready] to start a broader movement toward increased student learning and proficiency.”
A review of two reports on early childhood education (ECE) teacher preparation.
Publication Date
May 8, 2018
Authors
Marnie Kaplan / Emily Workman, Lisa Guernsey, and Sara Mead; Adam Winsler, George Mason University
Research Areas
Early Childhood; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Two recent reports examined the current state of early childhood education (ECE) teacher preparation at the university and community college levels. Both reports raise awareness about the challenges facing the ECE workforce. A new review out today finds both reports to be mostly sound and useful, although some limitations in research and length were identified.
Evaluation of the Teacher Incentive Fund: Final Report on Implementation and Impact of Pay-for-Performance Across Four Years
Publication Date
February 27, 2018
Authors
Hanley Chiang, Cecilia Speroni, Mariesa Herrmann, Kristin Hallgren, Paul Burkander, and Alison Wellington; Francesca López, University of Arizona
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The final report from a four-year evaluation of 2010 Teacher Incentive Fund grant recipients was released late in 2017. The evaluation project sought to determine whether pay-for-performance (PFP) bonuses for teachers and principals resulted in improved student achievement. The final report found that test scores in reading and math increased slightly among the 2010 TIF recipients. It also found that the incentives were associated with higher classroom observation ratings, but the report found no association between test scores and observation ratings. Findings also indicated that the incentives had no effect on filling teacher vacancies.
When Degree Programs for Pre-K Teachers Go Online: Challenges and Opportunities
Publication Date
January 18, 2018
Authors
Shayna Cook; Beth Graue and Erica Ramberg, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from New America sought to explore the impact of online degree programs for early childhood (EC) educators. The report argued that online degree programs had the potential to professionalize pre-K teachers. The report claimed that flexible online bachelor’s programs could facilitate degree completion, increase the overall quality of EC educators, and raise salaries for pre-K teachers.
Student-Centered State Funding: A How-to Guide for State Policymakers
Publication Date
January 9, 2018
Authors
Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A report from Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) attempted to illustrate and explain how state policymakers could design fairer and more transparent state funding systems where monies ‘follow the child’ through parental choice. The school finance systems promoted in the report allow for all state and local tax dollars to flow freely to local district, charter, or private and religious schools. The central premise of the report is: “that adopting ‘student-centered’ funding to enable parental choice of schools necessarily leads to a fairer and more transparent system for financing children’s schooling.”
Back to the Staffing Surge: The Great Teacher Salary Stagnation and the Decades-Long Employment Growth in American Schools
Publication Date
July 5, 2017
Authors
Ben Scafidi; Joydeep Roy, Columbia University; and William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from EdChoice, formerly the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, concluded that non-teaching staffing growth in schools after the Great Recession has outpaced enrollment growth and student performance. The report recommended increasing teacher pay, at the expense of non-teaching staff, and more school choice.
Understanding a Vicious Cycle: Do Out-of-School Suspensions Impact Student Test Scores?
Publication Date
June 1, 2017
Authors
Kaitlin P. Anderson, Gary W. Ritter, & Gema Zamarro; Brea L. Perry, Indiana University; and Daniel Losen, director of the Center for Civil Rights Remedies initiative at the Civil Rights Project at UCLA
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas released a recent working paper on the association between out-of-school suspensions and student test scores. The paper concluded that punishment works, and that out-of-school suspension had a positive relationship to math and language arts test scores. However, an academic review of the paper finds multiple methodological and validity concerns, which limit the claims made.
A New Agenda: Research to Build a Better Teacher Preparation Program
Publication Date
March 28, 2017
Authors
Ashley LiBetti Mitchel & Melissa Steel King; Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Stephani Burton, Molly Cummings Carney, Juan Gabriel Sánchez, and Andrew F. Miller; Boston College
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Bellwether Education Partners (BEP) released a report calling into question the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs in the U.S. The report proposed that improving teacher quality could be accomplished through teacher preparation program redesign. Further, it asserted that teacher preparation programs are “blindly swinging from one popular reform to the next” and decades of input- and outcome-based research have failed to improve teacher education.
Within Our Grasp: Achieving Higher Admission Standards in Teacher Prep
Publication Date
March 23, 2017
Authors
Kate Walsh, Nithya Joseph and Autumn Lewis; Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Boston College; Megina Baker, Project Zero, Harvard University; Wen-Chia Chang, Boston College; M. Beatriz Fernández, Alberto Hurtado University, Chile; and Elizabeth Stringer
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recently issued report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) advocated raising the bar for entry into teacher preparation programs as a means to improve teacher quality across the country. The report reviewed the academic requirements at 221 institutions in 25 states, and argued for boosting entry requirements.
Learning about Learning: What Every New Teacher Needs to Know
Publication Date
March 24, 2016
Authors
Laura Pomerance, Julie Greenberg and Kate Walsh; P.L. Thomas, Furman University; and Christian Z. Goering, University of Arkansas
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
As part of a series of reports chronicling teacher education, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) attempted to investigate the textbooks used in teacher prep coursework. The report contended that textbooks assigned in methods coursework fail to provide teacher candidates with proper preparation. The NCTQ report is based on six strategies adapted from a practice guide provided by the What Works Clearinghouse, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The report offers recommendations for textbook publishers, teacher education programs, and state departments of education.
Smart, Skilled, and Striving: Transforming and Elevating the Teaching Profession
Publication Date
January 7, 2016
Authors
Carmel Martin, Lisette Partelow, and Catherine Brown; Elizabeth J. Meyer, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This recent Center for American Progress (CAP) report outlined a vision for elevating and modernizing the teaching profession. The report provided ten recommendations for improving the public perceptions and experiences of teachers. However, an academic review reveals several harmful policy reforms in the report.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Reversing the Deprofessionalization of Teaching
Publication Date
December 8, 2015
Authors
William Mathis and Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
As part of a series of briefs being released by the National Education Policy Center with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, William J. Mathis and Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder, discuss three forces impacting teachers: (a) alternative (fast-track or no-track) teacher preparation and licensure; (b) teacher evaluation approaches that are largely focused on students’ test scores; and (c) scripted, narrow curriculum that can be constricting and demoralizing for high-quality teachers.
The Effects of Test-based Retention on Student Outcomes Over Time: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Florida
Publication Date
December 3, 2015
Authors
Guido Schwerdt and Martin R. West; Joseph P. Robinson-Cimpian, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
As part of its working paper series, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) recently released a report examining the outcomes of Florida’s third-grade retention policy. The report concluded, contrary to the conventional wisdom on grade retention, that third-grade retention had positive effects on the following year’s test results, but the effects fade, with no effect on graduation. The report attempted to investigate the impact of a Florida policy, which flags students for retention, to repeat third grade, based on a state-specified cut-score on the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test. The findings indicated that students just below the threshold (one-third of whom were retained) performed better than those just above the threshold (5% of whom were retained) on next year’s tests.
Paying the Best Teachers More to Teach More Students
Publication Date
April 13, 2015
Authors
Marguerite Roza and Amanda Warco; Patricia H. Hinchey, Penn State University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University proposed that school districts pay top performing teachers a bonus for accepting additional students into their existing classes. The report claimed that larger classes and reductions to the teaching force would create significant savings. According to the report, districts should pay teachers in the top quartile a bonus for increasing their class size by up to three students. The report considers that students working with more effective teachers would offset any potential sacrifice in student learning.
Proposed 2015 Federal Teacher Preparation Regulations
Publication Date
January 12, 2015
Authors
Kevin K. Kumashiro, University of San Francisco
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The U.S. Department of Education has released proposed Teacher Preparation Regulations under Title II of the Higher Education Act with a call for public comments through the Federal Register. The comment period closes February 2. The Department of Education claims that the proposed regulations will help ensure teacher-training programs are better preparing educators to succeed in the classroom by requiring states to measure outcomes of how graduates are doing in the classroom. The proposal would require states to assess and rate every teacher preparation program every year with four Performance Assessment Levels (exceptional, effective, at-risk, and low-performing), and states would be required to provide technical assistance to “low-performing” programs. Additionally, programs that do not show improvement could lose state approval, state funding, and federal student financial aid.
New York City's Children First: Lessons in School Reform
Publication Date
June 3, 2014
Authors
Maureen Kelleher; Randal Reback, Barnard College
Research Areas
Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Center for American Progress summarizes and evaluates the public education reforms during the Bloomberg mayoral era in NYC. The report suggests that positive change resulted from the Children First reforms and makes several policy recommendations. The report describes four aspects of reform during the Bloomberg era, and makes recommendations for NYC and other urban districts. It focuses on top-down school reforms from the mayor's office, rather than on instructional changes inside classrooms.
Fast Start: Training Better Teachers Faster, with Focus, Practice, and Feedback
Publication Date
May 29, 2014
Authors
Ana Menezes and Adam Maier; William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The report recommends giving new teachers the tools they need to be successful and proposes a five-week pre-service preparation model. The recommendations include several strategic changes: (1) a narrower curriculum focused only on the most essential teaching skills; (2) an emphasis on practicing skills instead of just learning about them; and (3) intensive coaching that provides regular, specific feedback on changes to instructional techniques.
Measuring the Impacts of Teachers I (NBER No. 19423) & II (NBER No. 19424)
Publication Date
April 10, 2014
Authors
Raj Chetty, John N. Friedman, and Jonah E. Rockoff (both papers); Moshe Adler, Columbia University & Empire State College, SUNY
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This NBER working paper - split in two parts - studied the impact of teachers on long-term outcomes using value-added scores. The reports addressed a key question: Are teachers' impacts on students' test scores ("value added") a good measure of their quality? Economists Raj Chetty, John Friedman, & Jonah Rockoff claim in a two-part paper that higher value-added scores for teachers lead to greater economic success for their students later in life. The paper drew widespread media and politicians' attention, including the president's.
Transfer Incentives for High-Performing Teachers: Final Results from a Multisite Randomized Experiment
Publication Date
January 28, 2014
Authors
Steven Glazerman, Ali Protik, Bing-ru Teh, Julie Bruch, and Jeffery Max; Donald Gratz, Curry College
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Teacher Transfer Initiative (TTI) actively encouraged 1,500 "high-performing" elementary teachers in 10 urban school districts to transfer to low-performing schools in return for a total stipend of $20,000 distributed over two years. The teachers were all identified as having students who were in the top 20 percent in their districts, based on a value-added measure of standardized test scores. The assumption was that better teachers would get better results on standardized tests wherever they teach.
Fixing Classroom Observations: How Common Core Will Change the Way We Look at Teaching
Publication Date
January 21, 2014
Authors
Jennie Whitcomb, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report suggests that many states and school districts are rolling out new teacher evaluation systems that will not succeed in improving instruction because they have not been updated to reflect the Common Core. The report asserts that new evaluation systems have not remedied practical challenges of classroom observations. It calls for increased emphasis on lesson content and a paring down of observation rubrics – to make them more focused and clear.
An Opportunity Culture for All : Making teaching a highly paid, high-impact profession
Publication Date
December 12, 2013
Authors
Emily Ayscue Hassel and Bryan C. Hassel; Patricia Hinchey, Penn State University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A report from Public Impact calls for a sweeping restructuring of the teaching profession. Public Impact in its consulting work promotes school turnarounds, charter schools, and market-based reforms.
Model Legislative Language for Comprehensive Assessment and Accountability
Publication Date
October 22, 2013
Authors
Andy Hargreaves, Boston College Henry Braun, Boston College
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
In a report released today, Andy Hargreaves and Henry Braun of Boston College describe how data-driven accountability initiatives have created “perverse” incentives for educators. The legislative brief highlights the flawed use of DDIA in much, though not all, of the U.S. education system. To restore focus on improvement, schools should consider systematic reforms that capture the full range of learning and assess educational values holistically, instead of relying on narrow metrics to define success that punish teachers and students. The brief includes twelve recommendations for establishing more effective systems and processes of Data-Driven or Evidence-Informed Improvement and Accountability. Model legislation by attorney Kathy Gebhardt accompanies Data-Driven Improvement and Accountability.
Two Culminating Reports From The MET Project
Publication Date
January 31, 2013
Authors
Jesse Rothstein, University of California Berkeley William Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Measures of Effective Teaching Project (MET) is an ambitious, multi-year study of thousands of teachers in six school districts. This review is of two of the final research papers dealing with the impact of student assignment on teacher evaluations and how teacher evaluation measures are best combined.
Measures of Effective Teaching—Asking Students About Teaching
Publication Date
November 15, 2012
Authors
Eric M. Camburn, The University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) Project presents advice on administering and using information from student surveys to evaluate teachers and provide feedback to teachers.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking—Teacher Evaluation
Publication Date
September 20, 2012
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes research findings on the effects of teacher evaluation systems, including unintended as well as intended consequences. This two-page brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
An Analysis of the Use and Validity of Test-Based Teacher Evaluations Reported by the Los Angeles Times: 2011
Publication Date
June 20, 2012
Authors
Catherine S. Durso,University of Denver
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Catherine S. Durso of the University of Denver prepared the research brief for the National Education Policy Center. The brief was funded in part by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice.
Gathering Feedback for Teaching: Combining High Quality Observation with Student Surveys and Achievement Gains
Publication Date
March 13, 2012
Authors
Cassandra Guarino, University of Indianana Brian Stacy, Michigan State University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report is the second to come out on the e Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project and focuses on an evaluation method in which videotaped lessons, evaluated by trained raters, are used to assess teachers.
Review of The Long-Term Impact of Teachers: Teacher Value-Added and Student Outcomes in Adulthood
Publication Date
February 16, 2012
Authors
Dale Ballou, Vanderbilt University
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report concludes that teachers whose students show high gains on standardized test scores continue to have a positive impact on the students later in the form of reduced teenage pregnancy rates, increased college attendance and increased future earnings. Ballou's review acknowledges that the report is impressive in many ways, but that important tests for bias were omitted and it failed to account for external factors which could impact test scores such as good parenting.
Assessing the Compensation of Public School Teachers
Publication Date
January 31, 2012
Authors
Jeffrey H. Keefe, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report claims that public school teachers are paid 52 percent more than fair market rates and that teachers are less intelligent than other workers of comparable education and experience.
Creating Teacher Incentives for School Excellence and Equity
Publication Date
January 12, 2012
Authors
Barnett Berry, Center for Teaching Quality (Policy Brief) Jon Eckert, Wheaton College (Policy Brief) Scott R. Bauries, University of Kentucky College of Law (Legislative Brief)
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A newly released report highlights incentives that can be much more effective in attracting and retaining quality teachers than simple merit pay programs. The report shows how merit pay programs that reward teachers based on their students' standardized test scores do little to improve student achievement and offers information on other incentives that could be more successful.
Redefining Teacher Pensions. Strategically Defined Benefits for New Teachers and Fiscal Sustainability for All Teacher Effectiveness from Changing Retirement Benefits Buyer Beware: The Risks to Teacher Effectiveness from Changing Retirement Benefits
Publication Date
November 22, 2011
Authors
Teresa Ghilarducci, New School for Social Research, Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
These two reports consider the potential costs and benefits of eliminating traditional defined benefit pension plans for teachers and replacing them with cash-balance plans.
Florida Formula for Student Achievement: Lessons for the Nation
Publication Date
June 30, 2011
Authors
William J. Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Bush presentation claims that six "reforms" caused gains in fourth-grade reading scores in Florida.
Cross-Country Evidence on Teacher Pay for Performance
Publication Date
May 31, 2011
Authors
Mattias von Davier, Education Testing Service
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report claims that students in nations where teachers are paid on "merit" score higher on an international achievement test.
District Awards for Teacher Excellence: Final Report
Publication Date
March 3, 2011
Authors
Donald B. Gratz, Curry College
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Gratz's review finds although the report is thorough and presents some interesting findings, "it suffers from two major constraints: data not collected and questions not asked." Gratz cautions against using this report for policymaking.
Due Diligence and the Evaluation of Teachers: A Review of the Value-Added Analysis Underlying the Effectiveness Rankings of Los Angeles Unified School District Teachers by The Los Angeles Times
Publication Date
February 8, 2011
Authors
Derek Briggs and Ben Dominque, University of Colorado at Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This report, by Richard Buddin, is a value-added analysis of elementary teachers in the LAUSD. Buddin asserts that teacher quality can validly be measured using student performance on the reading and math portions of the California Standardized Test. Buddin's analysis was the focus of an article in the LA Times which included a database of LAUSD teachers by name and their individual rankings which were based on Buddin's model. The reviewers found that Buddin's analysis is a deeply flawed and an inaccurate measure of teacher effectiveness.
Measures of Effective Teaching - Learning about Teaching: Initial Findings
Publication Date
January 13, 2011
Authors
Jesse Rothstein, University of California at Berkeley
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This study indicates that classroom effectiveness can be reliably estimated by gauging students' progress on standardized tests.
Getting Teacher Assessment Right: What Policymakers Can Learn from Research
Publication Date
December 7, 2010
Authors
Patricia H. Hinchey, Penn State University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This policy brief outlines authoritative research documenting a wide range of useful criteria that should be used together to form the foundation for high quality assessment of teacher quality and effectiveness. These criteria include: classroom observations and evaluations, portfolios prepared by teachers, peer review and value-added models based on student standardized testing. The brief cautions against relying solely or in large part on student test scores for teacher assessment as they are unreliable and encourages policymakers to adopt assessment systems that rely on multiple sources of information.
Teacher Evaluation 2.0
Publication Date
November 16, 2010
Authors
H. Richard Milner, Vanderbilt University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This guide analyzes how to fix teacher evaluations, proposing six design standards that any rigorous and fair evaluation system should meet. It offers states and school districts a blueprint for better evaluations that can help every teacher thrive in the classroom.
Teacher Layoffs: Rethinking "Last-Hired, First-Fired" Policies
Publication Date
May 12, 2010
Authors
Richard Ingersoll and Lisa Merrill, University of Pennsylvania
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report urges making teacher layoff decisions on the basis of teacher quality and performance as opposed to the seniority system used by most school districts.
The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Teacher Differences
Publication Date
August 5, 2009
Authors
Raymond Pecheone and Ruth Chung Wei, Stanford University
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report describes serious problems with teacher evaluation systems based on surveys conducted in 12 school districts in four states. The report urges changes to establish more effective evaluation systems that will be able to discern the highest and lowest quality teachers.
An Evaluation of Teachers Trained Through Different Routes to Certification
Publication Date
March 10, 2009
Authors
Sean P. Corocoran, New York University and Jennifer Jennings
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report finds that students who were assigned an alternatively certified teacher did no worse on achievement tests than students whose teacher came through the traditional teacher-education route. Moreover, the report concludes that there is no association between greater amounts of teacher training coursework and effectiveness in the classroom.
The High Cost of High School Dropouts in Ohio
Publication Date
March 4, 2009
Authors
Sherman Dorn, University of South Florida
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report offers up “dropout recovery” charter schools as a solution to reduce Ohio’s dropout rates.
Alternative Certification of Teachers
Publication Date
May 12, 2008
Authors
Gene V Glass, Ph.D. Arizona State University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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The Promises and Pitfalls of Alternative Teacher Compensation Approaches
Publication Date
April 23, 2007
Authors
Debbi C. Harris - Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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How Much Are Teachers Paid?
Publication Date
February 19, 2007
Authors
Sean Corcoran, New York University Lawrence Mishel, Economic Policy Institute
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report asserts that teachers are paid at a higher rate and work fewer hours than most white-collar professionals and puts forward an analysis that finds no correlation between their measure of teacher pay and student achievement.
Giving Students the Chaff: How to Find and Keep the Teachers We Need
Publication Date
October 25, 2006
Authors
Raymond Pecheone & Ash Vasudeva, Stanford University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report asserts that school choice, in the form of private-school vouchers and charter schools, will improve the quality of teachers.
Getting Farther Ahead by Staying Behind: A Second-Year Evaluation of Florida's Policy to End Social Promotion (2006)
Publication Date
October 10, 2006
Authors
Derek Briggs, University of Colorado at Boulder
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report concludes that Florida's policy of retaining third-grade students based on their scores on a standardized reading test has helped them to improve their reading.
Getting Ahead by Staying Behind: An Evaluation of Florida’s Program to End Social Promotion
Publication Date
February 23, 2006
Authors
Ed Wiley, University of Colorado
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This Education Next article summarizes the Manhattan’s Institute’s 2004 study, An Evaluation of Florida’s Program to End Social Promotion. The authors analyze the test scores of two third-grade cohorts over the period of one year and conclude that there are major positive effects associated with retention in the program.
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