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Teaching at the Core
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By Liam Goldrick, NTC Director of Policy Last week I attended a provocative event hosted by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) in Washington, DC. It featured Tom Friedman (New York Times columnist and co-author of the new book, That Used To Be Us: How America Fell Behind In the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back) and Marc Tucker (President and CEO of NCEE and author of Surpassing Shanghai: An American Education Agenda Built on the World's Leading Systems, released on November 10).
In his book, Surpassing Shanghai, Tucker examines the educational policies and practices of five high-performing nations (Canada, China (Shanghai), Finland, Japan and Singapore), explores how they contribute to those countries' successes, and defines commonalities among them from which the United States can learn. A focus on attracting, developing, supporting and rewarding quality teaching looms large.
My two main takeaways from the NCEE event, from my initial reading of Tucker's book, and from his recent Education Week commentary are:
(1) Think systemically. Remember that education is and should be a system rather than a loosely cobbled together string of programs. The U.S. needs to re-envision the relationship between teaching and that overall system and ensure that the components of teaching such as standards, preparation, induction and compensation fit together coherently and productively. Policy must attend to all elements of teaching - rather than attempt to design or reform individual components in isolation.
(2) Learn from others. Tucker describes the U.S. as being in "the grips of an education reform agenda that has virtually nothing in common" with high-performing nations where rigorous entry standards, intensive pedagogical preparation, competitive compensation, and enormous on-the-job discretion are the norm. American education policy often seeks to wield accountability as a cudgel over teachers, fails to provide support to develop and enable quality teaching, and prevents the true professionalization of teaching. Our solitary approach precipitates a vicious cycle where the highest quality candidates are not attracted to teaching and the overall system cannot achieve the results policymakers demand. We can learn from nations that have built a better system - and have the results to prove it.
Today, the typical American teacher has only one or two years of classroom experience. At the New Teacher Center, we are eager to expand our policy work to support the needs of new educators and the system as a whole, to help policymakers and educational leaders consider how comprehensive induction can help to redefine and reinvigorate the American system of teaching and learning, to help states learn from one another and from international exemplars, and to ensure that a focus on supporting and accelerating the development of new teachers is at the core of every policy and reform blueprint.
If you are a policymaker, please visit our web site to learn more about how NTC can support you through our policy services.
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NTC to Work With Colorado Department of Education
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The New Teacher Center recently was awarded a contract from the Colorado Department of Education to strengthen the state's educator induction policies and programs. The work will entail determining the characteristics of a quality induction program, examining how state policy aligns with those characteristics, and providing the state with recommendations to improve its induction policies and to increase the effectiveness of induction programs. The NTC currently works with state of Colorado to assess teaching and learning conditions through the TELL Colorado initiative.
Read the 2010-11 NTC Review of Colorado State Induction Policy
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California Panel Recommends Induction as a Requirement for New Administrators
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The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, at its November meeting, approved a recommendation of an advisory panel that would make induction a requirement for all new school administrators seeking to move to a professional license. Specifically, the recommendation would "establish induction as the sole pathway" to an administrator clear credential. Currently, California state policy requires a two-year induction program for all new teachers, but does not include a similar requirement for principals and superintendents.
Read the Recommendations
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Rhode Island Race to the Top Funds Induction Coaches for New Teachers
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A recent Providence Journal story highlights the work of induction coach Crystal Monteiro who provides support to 16 new teachers during her two-year leave from classroom teaching in her Rhode Island district. Monteiro is one of 18 NTC-trained induction coaches selected out of a pool of 100 applicants to provide regular, weekly support to 270 first-year teachers as part of Rhode Island's Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative. The state received $75 million through the federal RTTT grant to improve teacher quality and $5 million has been spent on hiring the induction coaches. |
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Hawaii's Race to the Top Plan Strengthens New Teacher Support
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Hawaii's Race to the Top (RTTT) program will provide new teachers a system of support and an opportunity to participate in a learning community. All first-year teachers will be expected to participate in mentoring that will include weekly assessments on their progress. Another component of the state's RTTT plan is the implementation of "cutting-edge" induction program standards. The state will use $3 million in federal RTTT funding for mentor training and induction program quality. The total cost of the program, including federal Title II funding, will be $12 million over the next three years, according to a recent Honolulu Star Advertiser story.
Read the Full Article
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10 Kentucky Schools Recognized for Supportive Teaching Conditions
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Ten public schools in Kentucky were recognized for having the best teacher working conditions, school safety and student achievement in the state. Data from the NTC-administered Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) Kentucky Survey, informed the selection. With 1395 schools participating, Kentucky set a first-time response-rate record with its 2011 TELL survey, with participation from more than 80 percent of all licensed teachers and school administrators. The Kentucky Board of Education will use TELL survey data to inform policy and help persistently low-achieving schools.
Read the Kentucky Department of Education press release
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NASBE Teacher Study Group Calls for Multi-Year Induction
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Gearing Up: Creating A Systemic Approach to Teacher Effectiveness (October 2011) is the final report of the National Association of State Boards of Education's study group on teaching. The report recommends that state and local education leaders "ensure that all teachers complete a multiyear induction program" and calls upon state boards of education to "strongly advocate full funding of induction programs."
Read The Report Summary
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| Illinois Group Urges the Transformation of Teaching | |
An educator advisory council established by the education reform organization Advance Illinois has produced a report entitled Transforming Teacher Work for a Better Educated Tomorrow. It calls for the transformation of the teaching profession - including more collaborative time, shared leadership and responsibility, a stronger focus on professional learning and continuous growth, and evolving career paths available without leaving the classroom.
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| Policy Must Prioritize 'The Quality of Teaching' | |
A new paper in the American Enterprise Institute's Education Outlook Series argues that education policy must focus on the 'quality of teaching' rather than on 'teacher quality'. Dr. Heather Hill and Corinne Herlihy of the Harvard Graduate School of Education write: "Reforming the evaluation system will bring about the greatest success not through carrots and sticks but through resources to help teachers improve their craft." They recommend a 'multiple measures' approach to evaluation, improved observation instruments and systems, and embedded learning opportunities including mentoring and professional development.
Read The Paper
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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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Ellen Moir Named Ashoka Fellow
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Focusing on teachers so students succeed has earned New Teacher Center founder and CEO Ellen Moir election to Ashoka's global fellowship of leading social entrepreneurs in more than 60 countries. Selection criteria include the newness and social impact of the idea, demonstrated creativity in problem solving and the entrepreneurial quality of the founder. Moir was selected for her innovative approach to accelerating new teacher effectiveness - and with it, student learning.
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Join us at NTC's
14th National Symposium
on Teacher Induction
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The New Teacher Center's 14th National Symposium on Teacher Induction, "Shining a Light on Great Teaching", will be held February 5-7, 2012 in San Jose, CA. Experts in the field will share how high-quality induction, including mentoring and professional development, can accelerate the learning of beginning teachers and school leaders to improve student achievement. Join us as we put great teaching center stage!
Click here for more information and to register.
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