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Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL)
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The NTC's Teaching and Learning Conditions initiative collects perceptions of teachers, principals and other licensed educators about the presence of supportive teaching conditions including induction, school leadership, decision-making, resources, and time. Since 2008, the initiative has captured the voices of more than 500,000 educators in 12 states and through 9 district-level surveys.
Results from the NTC's 2011 TELL surveys have been released in Colorado, Kentucky and Tennessee. The Maryland TELL survey is currently underway.
Important data lies beneath the statewide averages in these TELL surveys with varied participation among districts. In states with follow-up surveys, schools exhibit both worsening and improving teaching conditions over time. And teachers and principals often have very different perceptions of school conditions. NTC resources - such as these TELL Colorado tools and this "Supporting New Teachers" brief - help states and districts to make smart use of their survey data.
Kentucky - The TELL Kentucky survey yielded the largest first-time statewide response rate - 80.27%! Education Commissioner Terry Holliday is pleased with the results: "The value of this survey lies in participants' honest evaluation of their teaching conditions. Because we expect every principal and teacher to create and sustain positive conditions for learning in every classroom, we must be able to measure those conditions." Overall, educators are positive about their teaching conditions with 94% agreeing that school leadership facilitates using data to improve student learning and 92% agreeing that teachers are encouraged to try new things to improve instruction. For more, read this Kentucky Department of Education press release.
Tennessee - A project of its Race to the Top initiative, the TELL Tennessee survey had a statewide response rate of 77%. Results show that 85% of Tennessee educators believe that their school is a good place to work and learn. Governor Bill Haslam, in a news release, said, "It is critical that we remain engaged and connected to work jointly towards the improvement and success of our teachers, classrooms, and student achievement." Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman said, "These results will help us to better understand the things that work, but also help to identify areas that need improvement such as ... developing more individualized professional development opportunities." A follow-up survey is scheduled for 2013. Read more in this article from The Commercial Appeal.
Colorado - On May 11th, the NTC presented the results of the 2011 TELL Colorado survey to the State Board of Education. Nearly 30,000 educators responded - an increase of 11% from 2009. The data show marked improvement in teaching and learning conditions over the last two years, with 84% agreeing (up from 73% in 2009) that their school is a good place to work and learn and 94% (up from 88% in 2009) agreeing that their faculty is committed to ensuring that every student learns. For more, read this Education News Colorado article and read this Colorado Department of Education news release.
Maryland - In this YouTube video, Governor Martin O'Malley urges educators to participate in the 2011 TELL Maryland survey and discusses the importance of the 2009 TELL survey. Governor O'Malley says that the survey is an opportunity for Maryland educators to give feedback on how the state can provide world-class education for all students. Maryland used 2009 data to "readjust mentoring and leadership programs" and identified school leadership as "the most important factor influencing teachers' decisions" to remain at a particular school.
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National Summit on Educator Effectiveness
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The NTC has joined the State Consortium on Educator Effectiveness (SCEE) as an affiliate member. NTC Director of Policy Liam Goldrick recently attended the National Summit on Educator Effectiveness in Washington, DC along with SCEE teams from 31 member states, business partners, and other affiliated organizations. Led by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the SCEE aims to serve as a cross-state consortium to shape the policies and practices that will improve the effectiveness of our nation's educators.
At the Summit, the CCSSO released the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards. The prior iteration of these standards focused on new teachers, but the 10 updated standards are intended to apply to all teachers. In the past, states have used these to inform the development of their own professional teaching standards, and several are already moving forward to adopt these new standards.
A good discussion of the state policy implications of the new InTASC standards can be found in this CCSSO policy paper. It identifies key state policy levers to create change in human capital systems, including standards, licensing and certification, induction and mentoring, evaluation, and working conditions. Key policy levers discussed for supporting new teachers include states requiring new teacher induction and states developing and adopting induction program standards to guide local implementation. For teacher working conditions, a key policy lever includes investigating the relationship between teaching conditions and educator effectiveness.
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Rhode Island Building Model Teacher Induction Program
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Rhode Island's Race to the Top scope of work includes a commitment that educators "will be supported by robust induction practices designed to support development throughout the continuum of an educator's career." Specifically, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) will create "an instructionally-focused and data-driven induction program for all first-year teachers across the state" and will provide a second year of coaching for those new teachers in urban core districts. Local school districts must participate in the design and development of the program and identify mentors and support for new teachers.
RIDE's Office of Educator Quality and Certification is working with the NTC to design and implement this program.
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North Dakota to Provide Statewide Teacher Mentoring
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In late April the state Legislature approved legislation that will require the North Dakota Educator Standards and Practices Board to offer a statewide teacher mentoring program. Currently, the state administers a competitive grant program that supports some first-year teachers across the state.
Read The Bismarck Tribune article for more.
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Michigan Governor's Reforms Include New Teachers
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Governor Rick Snyder in late April released an education reform proposal that would raise entry standards for teachers, refashion teacher preparation and strengthen the quality of classroom instruction. The Governor challenged the state "to deliver on Michigan's constitutional promise to our children" by changing "the ways we prepare, support, evaluate, and reward teachers."
Specifically, Governor Snyder said that Michigan "must support and build the skills of new teachers" and noted that many novices leave the profession because "they don't get the clear and consistent coaching, mentoring and feedback they need to become great teachers." Finally, he gave a nod to the NTC's strong belief that great teachers are made, not born. "Great teaching requires specialized knowledge and skill, including how to connect with students," said Governor Snyder. "These skills can be taught."
Read more in Education Week's Teacher Beat blog.
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NTC Policy News is a monthly publication by the New Teacher Center. It is produced with funding support from the Joyce Foundation. Based in Chicago, Illinois, the Joyce Foundation invests in initiatives to improve public education and works to close the achievement gap by improving the quality of teachers in schools that serve low-income and minority children.
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Teachers Are the Center of Education: Mentoring, Teaching and Improving Student Learning
|  The College Board, in collaboration with the NTC and Phi Delta Kappa International, has published a report on the importance of mentoring. The report profiles nine outstanding NTC mentors and offers recommendations. |
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PBS Hawaii:
Race to the Top
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Hawaii's scope of work for its Race to the Top (RTTT) grant includes a strong focus on teacher induction and mentoring. In Fall 2011, Hawaii will implement a new set of Teacher Induction Program Standards across its 15 complex areas.
The "Insights on PBS Hawaii" television program recently featured a roundtable on the state's RTTT initiative that included State Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, Governor Neil Abercrombie's education policy advisor, the CEO of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, and a school principal. At the 32-minute mark, watch and listen to a two-and-a-half minute discussion of how this work will support new teachers.
Watch Here
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NTC Staff
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Ellen Moir, CEO
Policy
Liam Goldrick, Director
David Osta, Associate Director
Dara Barlin, Associate Director
Teaching & Learning Conditions
Andrew Sioberg, Director
Communications
Jane Baker, Director
Tracy Kremer, Senior Manager
External Affairs
Eric Hirsch, Chief Officer
Ann Maddock, Sr. Policy Advisor
Jennifer Burn, Project Manager/Newsletter Editor
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