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 | The Issue
Ambitious new goals for raising teacher quality have forced schools to reconsider their professional development strategies. Not only must schools ensure that teachers are given proper on-the-job training, they also must take steps to retain top talent.
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| The Debate
The focus on teacher quality has put the education profession at somewhat of a crossroads. Does the profession need a rethink? Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor Ellen Condliffe Lagemann says it is not strong in its current form and argues that it should create a set of common standards and norms, much like medicine or law.
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| The News
Access an extensive collection of articles about teacher quality from SmartBrief's news archive. To register for this free service, simply type in the e-mail address at which you receive SmartBrief and create a password. Sign up now.
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| Teacher development strategies employed by successful schools
Tony Wagner of Harvard University's Change Leadership Group outlines seven strategies employed by school districts that have raised achievement among lowest-quartile students. Wagner says districts should spend less time worrying about the merits of testing and more time creating systems that foster continued improvement among teachers. Education Week (11/12)
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| |  | Take the ASCD Professional Development Planning Survey: ASCD's comprehensive survey helps busy educators plan a comprehensive professional development program.
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| | | ASCD professional development resources: Click here to see a collection of ASCD resources devoted to professional development.
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| | | Strategies for teacher training: The Education Commission of the States reviews the most effective strategies for educating and training teachers.
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| New teacher-prep program intends to curb rookie teacher flight
Using a $5 million grant from the Carnegie Corp., the University of Washington plans to establish a new teacher-preparation program that incorporates extensive mentoring and supervision of new graduates. About 11% of the state's freshly minted teachers quit after their first year. The Seattle Times (11/6)
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| Study looks at San Diego's top-down approach to teacher quality
A report (Adobe Acrobat required) from the University of Washington's Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy documented how San Diego schools boosted student achievement by implementing a comprehensive program designed to improve teaching in the district. The five-year study found schools that took a collaborative approach to professional development were the most successful. Click here to read the abstract.
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| Teacher quality commission urges overhaul of teaching profession
Can higher salaries attract more top candidates to teaching? The Teaching Commission, a group of government and business leaders headed by former IBM Chairman Louis V. Gerstner, thinks so. The Commission has released a report (Adobe Acrobat required) urging better pay and more rigorous certification standards for teachers. The commission also is calling for stepped up recruitment of top college students.
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| | | Praise and criticism for Teaching Commission report: Barnett Berry, executive director of the Southeast Center For Teaching Quality, praises the "Teaching at Risk" report for its ambitious goals, but says it also has some holes, such as an unrealistic proposal to link teacher compensation to student achievement. Click here to read more. (Adobe Acrobat required)
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| PEN report takes an in-depth look at teacher quality
A new report from Public Education Network looks at factors that influence teacher quality among novice teachers in the U.S. The report is designed as a tool for developing teacher mentoring, professional development and recruitment programs.
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| | | The importance of field placement: Field experience is an essential part of the teacher training process, but a lack of cooperation between school districts and education schools has marginalized these types of professional development programs, says Chicago area field-placement expert Connie Goddard. Education Week (2/18)
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| Training teachers for the new millennium
Over the past two decades, myriad organizations have proposed ways to improve teacher education, yet many still believe that only educators are fully qualified to train their peers. The disparate groups do agree, however, that a standardized teacher curriculum both at the university level and during the course of a teacher's career is crucial to ensuring standards. The Harvard Graduate School of Education asks educators their opinions about the state of the teaching profession. HGSE News (12/1)
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 | As of 2002, 41% of teachers in U.S. public schools held a master's degree. -- National Center for Education Statistics
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