NASBE's State Education Standard Urges State Policymakers to Take Fresh Look at Preparing Teachers and Leaders

Alexandria, Va. — The National Association of State Boards of Education today released the fall issue of its journal, The State Education Standard. This edition explores the many ways policymakers can ensure that those who teach and lead our children in public schools are better prepared and better supported to do their jobs well.

Research shows that teacher quality makes the biggest difference of all the in-school factors that influence student learning. Teachers want to improve, and good principals want to prepare their teachers for any classroom challenge and support their professional development. But, as the authors in the Standard suggest, raising the level of teaching in every classroom isn’t easy, nor is it an exact science. We are still learning what works, but it is clear state policymakers have a vital role in identifying, developing, evaluating, and supporting effective school leaders.

Two states, West Virginia and Massachusetts, are taking the lead to retool and rethink teacher preparation. Buoyed by a directive from the governor, the West Virginia State Board of Education is changing requirements for teacher preparation and certification. As past-president Gayle Manchin can attest, such planning is best started around a table big enough to fit a lot of stakeholders. The Massachusetts state board baked improving teacher preparation programs right into their most recent strategic plan. Now, the state’s educator preparation programs must demonstrate need for their programs and provide evidence of their effectiveness.

Researcher Brenda Turnbull highlights the lessons of six school districts across the country taking on the critical challenge of ensuring their schools have a supply of effective principals. All six districts are participating in The Wallace Foundation’s Principal Pipeline Initiative. Denver teacher Lori Nazareno details the sequence of events that led Denver Public Schools to its commitment to fully implement a district-wide teacher leader program by 2018.

Evaluation can be a key tool in building up education leaders. But many states are missing the mark. Drew Gitomer of Rutgers University argues state policymakers should look at evaluation systems with fresh eyes—seeing the connection between policy and practice—so that these systems become real engines of instructional improvement. Patrick McGuinn assesses lessons learned in the teacher evaluation reforms carried out in six “early adopter” Race to the Top states.

Other highlights in this issue include a federal education update on ESEA, an interview with 2010 National Teacher of the Year Sarah Brown Wessling, and a preview of a NASBE study group survey on principal development policies.

Read the full September 2015 issue of The State Education Standard at www.nasbe.org/standard-issue/preparing-teachers-and-leaders/.

Featured

  • Aims Community College to Build Workforce Innovation Center

    Aims Community College in Greeley, Colo., recently announced that it has broken ground on its new Aims Workforce Innovation Center (AWIC), according to a news release. The facility for workforce development, entrepreneurship, and education has a scheduled opening date of fall 2026.

  • Boise State University Starts Construction on New Academic Building

    Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, recently broke ground on the new ESI Construction Management Building, according to university news. The university is partnering with Engineered Structures, Inc., for the building’s construction.

  • Exhale Fans Launches New Generation of Bladeless Ceiling Fan

    Exhale Fans recently announced the launch of Gen. 5 of its flagship HVAC delivery product, the world’s only bladeless ceiling fan, according to a news release. The fan provides users with a 10% savings on HVAC energy costs and requires no renovations to current systems to install.

  • Kimball International Launches Season 5 of Alternative Design Podcast

    Commercial furnishings manufacturer Kimball International recently premiered the fifth season of its Alternative Design podcast, according to a news release. The first episode was released on March 17, and new episodes will launch monthly. The podcast discusses forces that shape built environments, from work to housing to healthcare to human wellness.