NCTQ Releases 2018 State Teacher Policy Best Practices Guide

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

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:

  • LouisianaNew 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

  • Designing Learning Spaces that Support Student Mental Health and Wellness

    In today’s education landscape, schools are more than just centers for learning; they are integral to the holistic development and well-being of students. The global pandemic underscored the importance of addressing mental health in schools, as productivity dropped, stress levels rose and students faced challenges managing emotions.

  • Extron, CENTEGIX Partner for Comprehensive School Security Solution

    Professional audiovisual solutions provider Extron recently announced a partnership with CENTEGIX, which provides rapid incident response technology, to integrate two of their top products in the name of school safety.

  • Pudu Robotics Launches AI-Powered, Large-Scale Floor Sweeper

    Pudu Robotics recently launched the newest member of its MT1 series of robotic floor sweepers, the PUDU MT1 Max, according to a news release. The AI-powered, 3D perception robotic sweeper was designed for use in large, complex cleaning environments both indoors and semi-outdoors, like parking garages and semi-open building atriums.

  • Delta State University Completes Renovations to School of Nursing Facilities

    Delta State University recently completed a major expansion and renovation project for the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing facilities on its campus in Cleveland, Miss., according to a news release. The project includes about 14,000 square feet of new construction and more than 21,000 square feet of renovation work to the existing space.

Digital Edition