Test scores should be traced to ed schools, Duncan says

Anna Phillips & Marua Walz:

Education Secretary Arne Duncan called this morning for states to link student test data not only back to teachers, but also to the programs that trained them. New York State education officials said they are already working on it.

Speaking to a packed auditorium at Columbia University, Duncan criticized education schools for failing to graduate classroom-ready teachers. He said there needs to be a way to determine which programs are working.

"It's a simple but obvious idea," Duncan said. "Colleges of education and district officials ought to know which teacher preparation programs are effective and which need fixing. The power of competition and disclosure can be a powerful tonic for programs stuck in the past."

Duncan said he will use the competitive stimulus package funds known as the "Race to the Top" program to pressure states to use student data to evaluate teacher preparation programs.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at October 23, 2009 6:44 AM
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