NCTQ Releases 2018 State Teacher Policy Best Practices Guide

Guide highlights leading state work across important policy areas that impact teacher quality

  • 03/29/18

Who: National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a non-partisan research and policy organization dedicated to ensuring every classroom has an effective teacher.

What: NCTQ's 2018 State Teacher Policy Best Practices Guide which highlights leading state work across 37 different policy areas that impact teacher quality. This resource serves as a guide to all states seeking concrete ideas and examples of how to improve teacher policy.  

Despite consistent concerns regarding whether states are acting quickly and ambitiously enough to improve the quality of the teacher workforce, there is great work happening across many states in important policy areas affecting teacher quality. By expanding the knowledge and awareness of these exemplary policies and practices currently being implemented, this tool provides states with a sense of what is possible, along with the necessary information to catalyze improvement, as they seek to drive positive change for their teachers and students.

Notable state policies to improve teacher quality highlighted in this comprehensive guide include:

  • Louisiana, New York, and Rhode Island are the only states that require elementary special education teachers to pass the same elementary content tests as general education teachers, as well as require that secondary special education teachers pass rigorous licensure tests across all subject areas they intend to teach.
  • North Carolina allows teachers to be compensated for prior work experience by awarding them one year of credit on the salary schedule for every year of full-time, relevant, non-teaching work experience.
  • Utah provides annual salary supplements to teachers with corresponding degrees assigned to teach in shortage-subjects, as well as to teachers employed in high-poverty schools who achieve a median growth percentile of 70 percent or higher.
  • New Mexico is the only state that requires elementary candidates to complete an academic content major; three additional states--Connecticut, Mississippi, and Oklahoma--require elementary candidates to have a concentration in an academic subject area. 
  • Florida and Alabama require teacher preparation institutions to provide remediation, at no additional cost, for graduates who do not achieve satisfactory teacher evaluation ratings during their first two years in the classroom.

To view the 2018 State Teacher Policy Best Practices Guide click here. 

 

Featured

  • Image credit: O

    Strategic Campus Assessment: Moving Beyond Reactive Maintenance in Educational Facilities

    While campuses may appear stable on the surface, building systems naturally evolve over time, and proactive assessment can identify developing issues before they become expensive emergencies. The question isn't whether aging educational facilities need attention. It's how institutions can transition from costly reactive maintenance to strategic asset management in a way that protects both budgets and communities.

  • Pittsburgh High School Upgrades Athletics Facilities’ Technology

    Plum Senior High School in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently partnered with South-Dakota-based Daktronics through the We’re All Mustangs Here Foundation to upgrade the technology in its athletics facilities, according to a news release. Daktronics designed, built, and installed new LED video displays and finished the project in time for the beginning of the 2025 high-school football season.

  • Creating Long-Term Sustainability on College Campuses Through Fair Student Housing

    The quality of student housing can have a significant impact on an individual’s college experience. Today’s higher education institutions face mounting challenges, including declining enrollment, low retention rates between the first and second years, and a rise in student mental health concerns. Thoughtfully designed living spaces can help address these issues by creating environments that promote both academic focus and personal well-being.

  • KI Launches K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

    Contract furniture company KI recently announced the launch of its fourth-annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, which awards $50,000 each to four K–12 educators across the U.S., according to a news release. The goal is to address decreasing student engagement and increasing teacher burnout numbers by updating learning spaces to accommodate modern needs.

Digital Edition