Assessing Acomplished Teaching: Advanced-Level Certification Programs
National Research Council of the National Academics
June 11, 2008
In its newest report, the National Research Council indicates that students taught by educators certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards make bigger gains on standardized tests than students taught by other teachers. It is not clear from the research whether the process of getting certified by the national board makes teachers better or if those who get certified were already top performers. More research is needed.
Link to NBPTS Website for More Info
Measuring and Improving the Effectiveness of High School Teachers
Alliance for Excellent Education
March 25, 2008
In its most recent policy brief funded by the MetLife Foundation, the Alliance for Excellent Education examines value-added analysis. The brief examines the use of value-added assessments as one way to measure teacher effectiveness and asserts that the primary goal of such assessments is to improve the knowledge and skills of teachers so that they improve student achievement.
Link to Brief
Teacher Credentials Don't Matter for Student Achievement
National Bureau of Economic Research
Charles Cotfelter, Helen Ladd, and Jacob Vigdor
August 24, 2007
According to a new report from the National Bureau of Economic Research, having a graduate degree has little effect on student achievement:
Teachers who entered teaching with a master's degree, or who earned it within five years of beginning to teach, were as effective as teachers without a master's degree.
Teachers who earned a master's degree more than five years after they started teaching were less effective than those without master's degrees.
Additional Information
National Staff Development Council
The Learning System
Vol. 2, Nol. 6, March 2007
In the Carmen-Ainsworth Community Schools (Flint, Michigan), professional development has become more job-imbedded, results-driven, and standards based. The district is undergoing significant professional development reform.
Full Report
Value-Added Assessment of Teacher Preparation in Louisiana
Dr. George Noell, Louisiana State University and A&M College
August 30, 2006
According to research conducted by Dr. George Noell about teacher preparation in Louisiana, many widely-held beliefs about the importance of teacher experience may not be valid. Key findings include:
About half of Louisiana's teacher preparation programs are preparing new teachers whose contribution to their students' achievement is comparable to the effectiveness of experienced teachers.
Louisiana's new teachers exhibited the greatest increases in teaching effectiveness during their first two years of teaching. Although growth was evident between teachers ranging out to 20 years of experience, it was more gradual and uneven. A period of little if any increase in effectiveness was evident in mathematics and English Language Arts between third to eighth year teachers.
Overview
Full Report