4 Steps to Upgrade Teacher & Administrator Prep Programs

Sandra Stotsky, via a kind reader's email:

The part of public education that has received the least attention for reform is the most important: whom our education schools admit and how they are prepared to be teachers, administrators, education researchers, and education policy makers. Although there is very little high quality research on these topics, useful information for reforming education schools came from the massive review undertaken by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel for its report in 2008.

It found no relationship between student achievement and traditional teacher education programs, certification status, and mentoring and induction programs. That means that teachers who have completed a traditional teacher preparation program, hold a teaching license, and have participated in an induction program get no higher student performance on average than other teachers.

Researchers have found no relationship between student achievement and master's degree programs in education, most of which are for those already holding a teaching license from an undergraduate program.
In addition, the Panel found almost no evidence that professional development programs increase student achievement, whether or not they increase teachers' knowledge of the subject they teach. Nor is student achievement related to whether prospective teachers graduate from a traditional teacher education program or an alternative program.

However, the Panel did find teachers' knowledge of the subject they teach significantly related to student achievement. In other words, the more academically competent the teacher is, the more students learn. That finding wouldn't surprise anyone who thinks content matters.

There may be other characteristics of an effective teacher, but so far no credible body of research has told us what they are. Part of the problem lies with educational research itself. Over 16,000 potentially relevant studies were located by Abt Associates for the Panel's consideration. But Abt judged only a tiny number worthy of review.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at July 25, 2013 12:26 AM
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