Quantifying and measuring a teacher's effectiveness is complex business and is, not surprisingly, surrounded by considerable debate.  A recent report published by Scholastic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sought to gather teacher opinions on how their effectiveness and their students' success should be measured.  While teachers placed low value on standardized test scores as a measure of student achievement, they do crave ways to get feedback about their own effectiveness.  A side-by-side comparison of teacher opinion and state policy is illuminating: 



_{*Data from "Primary Sources"
**Data from "2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook National Summary"}

Even though states have made progress in their ability (and willingness) to rigorously measure teacher effectiveness, it appears teachers themselves are ready and willing to holding the profession to even higher standards.  States should take note and continue to raise the bar.

Katie Moyer