Search Results: Teacher Prep

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A promising investment in improving reading instruction in California
https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-promising-investment-in-improving-reading-instruction-in-California
As increasing numbers of schools, districts, and states embrace and invest in a scientifically based approach to teaching reading, some are bound to wonder about the efficacy of their efforts.

What training for a marathon can teach us about clinical practice for teachers
https://www.nctq.org/blog/What-training-for-a-marathon-can-teach-us-about-clinical-practice-for-teachers
Teacher preparation isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. And just like preparing for a long race, it requires well-planned practice, feedback, and the guidance of experts.

Clinical Practice Framework
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Clinical-Practice-Framework
Too many new teachers start their careers unprepared for the realities of the classroom because they haven't had enough high-quality "hands on" practice. Their students lose out on learning because...

Defining Types of Clinical Practice
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Defining-Types-of-Clinical-Practice
Effective teacher prep depends on a high-quality clinical practice experience. There is an ever-growing variety of preparation models available to aspiring teachers. Yet to date, the field has not galvanized...

Start at the Beginning: Understanding the earliest part of the teacher pipeline can improve recruitment
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Start-at-the-Beginning:-Understanding-the-earliest-part-of-the-teacher-pipeline-can-improve-recruitment

OK, Boomer: Why younger generations may be more effective teachers
https://www.nctq.org/blog/OK,-Boomer:-Why-younger-generations-may-be-more-effective-teachers
New research found measurable differences in teacher quality between different generations of teachers—with Baby Boomers being least effective.

Teacher Apprenticeships: Long on possibility, short on details (for now)
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teacher-Apprenticeships:-Long-on-possibility,-short-on-details-(for-now)
Apprenticeships offer a promising model to help expand and diversify the teacher workforce. But NCTQ President Heather Peske cautions: We're long on enthusiasm for apprenticeships and short on the details...

Clinical Practice Research Rationale
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Clinical-Practice-Research-Rationale
This literature review, aligned to NCTQ's Clinical Practice Framework, explores various components of clinical practice and how they affect a range of outcomes, including aspiring teachers' feelings of preparedness, their...

Building a strong student teaching model: Districts and teacher prep programs share successes and challenges
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Building-a-strong-student-teaching-model:-Districts-and-teacher-prep-programs-share-successes-and-challenges

No need to beg, borrow, and steal: A road map for how states can implement and sustain reading policies
https://www.nctq.org/blog/No-need-to-beg,-borrow,-and-steal:-A-road-map-for-how-states-can-implement-and-sustain-reading-policies
State education leaders shouldn't work alone to enact teacher-focused reading policies, writes NCTQ President Heather Peske. Instead, they can look to states that have already blazed the trail and laid...

In the eye of the beholder: What happens when teachers think the curriculum is too tough for students?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/In-the-eye-of-the-beholder:-What-happens-when-teachers-think-the-curriculum-is-too-tough-for-students
A new report explores why some teachers don't use standards-aligned curriculum materials. Here's what states and districts should do to ensure teachers feel empowered and supported to use high-quality materials.

State of the States: Five Policy Actions to Strengthen Implementation of the Science of Reading
https://www.nctq.org#

State of the States 2024 Five Policy Actions to Strengthen Implementation of the Science of Reading
https://www.nctq.org/publications/State-of-the-States-2024-Five-Policy-Actions-to-Strengthen-Implementation-of-the-Science-of-Reading
For states to succeed in their efforts to improve reading instruction, they must ensure teachers are prepared to implement and sustain scientifically based reading instruction.

Driving change through research: A look back at 2023
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Driving-change-through-research:-A-look-back-at-2023
NCTQ's Teacher Quality Bulletin distills the latest education research into clear, actionable information for education leaders. From topics like effective reading instruction to teacher diversity, here are the posts that...

False Assurances: Many states' licensure tests don't signal whether elementary teachers understand reading instruction
https://www.nctq.org/publications/False-Assurances:-Many-states-licensure-tests-dont-signal-whether-elementary-teachers-understand-reading-instruction
In a new analysis, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) finds that most states (29 states and the District of Columbia) use a weak elementary teacher reading licensure test,...

False Assurances: Many states’ licensure tests don’t signal whether elementary teachers understand reading instruction
https://www.nctq.org#

More than finding the main idea: Comprehension requires background knowledge
https://www.nctq.org/blog/More-than-finding-the-main-idea:-Comprehension-requires-background-knowledge
Five actions education leaders can take to tap into the power of background knowledge.

Are we setting up English learners for reading success?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Are-we-setting-up-English-learners-for-reading-success
Every year, countless English learning students pass through our education system without getting the help they need. And for each one, a teacher is left feeling frustrated, or confused, and...

Top five state priorities for education leaders, researchers, and advocates
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Top-five-state-priorities-for-education-leaders,-researchers,-and-advocates
To learn about state priorities in the coming years, NCTQ surveyed education leaders, advocacy groups, and researchers across the country.

Connect the Dots: States’ priorities, policies, and practices impact student outcomes
https://www.nctq.org/blog/-Connect-the-Dots:-States-priorities,-policies,-and-practices-impact-student-outcomes
Do state leaders suffer from a lack of strategy? To really connect the dots and make an impact, states need to simultaneously prioritize teacher quality and learning outcomes.

Teacher Professional Development: What works and what might surprise you
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teacher-Professional-Development:-What-works-and-what-might-surprise-you
Teachers need to be constant learners to keep up with an ever-changing landscape. But professional development can vary a lot, which makes it hard to know what will ultimately help...

Data Brief: How do trends in teacher preparation enrollment and completion vary by state?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Data-Brief:-How-do-trends-in-teacher-preparation-enrollment-and-completion-vary-by-state
How popular of a career choice is teaching? New data analysis shows trends in teacher prep program enrollment and completion.

Paraprofessionals: Understudied, undercompensated, and in short supply
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Paraprofessionals:-Understudied,-undercompensated,-and-in-short-supply-
Little is know about paraprofessionals in the classroom, but a recent study in Washington sheds some much-needed light on these important players.

Give teachers what they want (and students what they need): Effective teacher prep
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Give-teachers-what-they-want-(and-students-what-they-need):-Effective-teacher-prep
Teachers demand better training on how to teach reading. Teacher prep programs ought to do more

Bridging the gap: Recruiting teachers trained in the science of reading
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Bridging-the-gap:-Recruiting-teachers-trained-in-the-science-of-reading
What can districts do to secure teachers prepared to teach scientifically based reading instruction?

Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-Prep-Review:-Strengthening-Elementary-Reading-Instruction
Giving teachers the knowledge and skills they need to teach reading effectively is fundamental for improving life outcomes for all children and reversing historical patterns of inequity.

Ten maxims: What we've learned so far about how children learn to read by Dr. Reid Lyon
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Ten-maxims:-What-weve-learned-so-far-about-how-children-learn-to-read-by-Dr.-Reid-Lyon
Together we can address the literacy crisis head-on, reversing historical patterns of inequity and changing the lives of millions of our children.

Meeting the moment with measurement: Massachusetts’ lessons from emergency teacher licensure
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Meeting-the-moment-with-measurement:-Massachusetts-lessons-from-emergency-teacher-licensure
As states quicklyshifted requirements for teacher licensure in the early days of the pandemic,some also saw an opportunity to learn from the responses they put in place.

Linking teachers’ instructional choices to student success
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Linking-teachers-instructional-choices-to-student-success
Teachers can choose from different instructional approaches, such as direct instruction, open discussion, and others, but which approach is the most effective? Does the best instructional approach depend on the...

Gambling with children’s futures—and no one’s tracking whether we win or lose
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Gambling-with-childrens-futuresand-no-ones-tracking-whether-we-win-or-lose
Almost no one is tracking the impact recent policy decisions have on student learning and how they perpetuate educational inequity.

For CTE teachers, real-world experience matters
https://www.nctq.org/blog/For-CTE-teachers,-real--world-experience-matters
New research examines the impact of career and technical education teachers who entered the profession through different pathways.

What increasing seat belt use can teach us about strengthening math instruction
https://www.nctq.org/blog/What-increasing-seat-belt-use-can-teach-us-about-strengthening-math-instruction
What if states applied the "seat belt" policy approach to solving our current mathematics education crisis?

Teacher prep matters; let’s start acting like it
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teacher-prep-matters;-lets-start-acting-like-it
Policymakers are overlooking teacher prep as a critical force in promoting teacher quality and better outcomes for students.

Teacher Prep Review: Building Content Knowledge
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-Prep-Review:-Building-Content-Knowledge
New data and analysis from NCTQ finds significant opportunities for teacher preparation programs to improve their coursework requirements to ensure that aspiring elementary school teachers receive the essential social studies...

What do NASA scientists, historians, and strong readers have in common? Content knowledge
https://www.nctq.org/blog/What-do-NASA-scientists,-historians,-and-strong-readers-have-in-common-Content-knowledge
I was recently reading a NASA article with my 12-year-old child about the dynamics of flight and was struck by the important role content knowledge played in helping her make...

Forging a path to a better place: A look back at the most widely read Teacher Quality Bulletin posts of 2022
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Forging-a-path-to-a-better-place:-A-look-back-at-the-most-widely-read-Teacher-Quality-Bulletin-posts-of-2022
The most-read Teacher Quality Bulletin posts of 2022 reflect the questions, overturned assumptions, and trade-offs that face education leaders.

Teaching reading is brain science
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teaching-reading-is-brain-science
What many still don't recognize is that teachers' reading instruction changes the wiring in children's brains.

A call to action from dismal NAEP scores: Support teachers to engage with parents
https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-call-to-action-from-dismal-NAEP-scores:-Support-teachers-to-engage-with-parents
Parents and families must be part of the partnership to help students gain back their academic footing.

Reducing certification requirements and reviewing the effects: Texas tracks the data on the state’s temporary teacher waiver policy
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Reducing-certification-requirements-and-reviewing-the-effects:-Texas-tracks-the-data-on-the-states-temporary-teacher-waiver-policy
Temporary gains accompanied by longer-term challenges.

From the source: What strategies do teachers of color believe will be most successful in recruiting and retaining teachers of color?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/From-the-source:-What-strategies-do-teachers-of-color-believe-will-be-most-successful-in-recruiting-and-retaining-teachers-of-color
A new RAND Corporation survey asked teachers what would be the most effective strategies to recruit and retain more teachers of color.

How some states use licensure test pass rate data to build a stronger, more diverse teacher workforce
https://www.nctq.org/blog/How-some-states-use-licensure-test-pass-rate-data-to-build-a-stronger,-more-diverse-teacher-workforce

Making Secretary Cardona’s vision for the teaching profession a reality
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Making-Secretary-Cardonas-vision-for-the-teaching-profession-a-reality
Beyond the important areas outlined in the Secretary's remarks, we see two big challenges to the goal of access and equity to quality teachers that have yet to be addressed.

We wouldn’t lower standards for pilot licenses—so why teachers?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/We-wouldnt-lower-standards-for-pilot-licensesso-why-teachers
Who wants someone who has not demonstrated their knowledge and skills to be trusted with landing the plane? Teaching is no different.

Setting sights lower: States back away from elementary teacher licensure tests
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Setting-sights-lower:-States-back-away-from-elementary-teacher-licensure-tests
Many states are moving to eliminate existing measures of content knowledge for aspiring teachers, citing concerns around possible teacher shortages.

How states are making licensure tests free to aspiring teachers
https://www.nctq.org/blog/How-states-are-making-licensure-tests-free-to-aspiring-teachers
These states' efforts illustrate multiple approaches to help aspiring teachers to mitigate the cost burden of testing fees.

Digging Deeper: Which types of institutions achieve excellence and equity for aspiring teachers of color?
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Digging-Deeper:-Which-types-of-institutions-achieve-excellence-and-equity-for-aspiring-teachers-of-color
Building a more diverse teacher workforce is essential to addressing educational inequity for students of color. In this analysis, NCTQ considers teacher licensure test pass rate data through the lenses...

Reflections on the pandemic and the power of teachers
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Reflections-on-the-pandemic-and-the-power-of-teachers
Now is the moment to chart a new path forward.

Who’s ready to teach elementary mathematics?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Whos-ready-to-teach-elementary-mathematics
How school districts can use NCTQ's Teacher Prep Review Elementary Math standard findings in their recruiting and hiring decisions

Coming home to teach: Do local grads make better teachers?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Coming-home-to-teach:-Do-local-grads-make-better-teachers
Do teachers who return to the district they graduated from have a competitive edge over other beginning teachers?

Teacher Prep Review: Preparation in Elementary Mathematics
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-Prep-Review:-Preparation-in-Elementary-Mathematics
Improving instruction in elementary mathematics is critical to supporting better academic and life outcomes for our students. While weak elementary math instruction is not a new challenge, the COVID-19 pandemic...

In gratitude - A final message from Kate Walsh
https://www.nctq.org/blog/In-gratitude----A-final-message-from-Kate-Walsh
Doing this job has been the privilege of a lifetime, shaping and championing better teacher policies across the nation.

If you want to help new teachers improve, invest in great coaches
https://www.nctq.org/blog/If-you-want-to-help-new-teachers-improve,-invest-in-great-coaches
People have life coaches, nutrition coaches, and executive coaches. So, it's no surprise to see schools turning to coaches as well.

A new path to the classroom: What could Registered Apprenticeship mean for teaching?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-new-path-to-the-classroom:-What-could-Registered-Apprenticeship-mean-for-teaching
As the challenge of recruiting a new generation of teachers gains increasing urgency, what's old is being made new again.

The evidence is mounting: Teacher specialization in elementary grades hurts student learning
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-evidence-is-mounting:-Teacher-specialization-in-elementary-grades-hurts-student-learning
Assigning elementary teachers to teach only their best subjects, also known as "teacher specialization," holds a lot of appeal...

Dig into the Research: Teacher licensure, student achievement, and the edTPA
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Dig-into-the-Research:-Teacher-licensure,-student-achievement,-and-the-edTPA
NCTQ President Kate Walsh hosts a panel discussion on how the edTPA affects the teaching profession with leading researchers in the field of educator preparation.

Teacher quality in 2021: A story of resilience
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teacher-quality-in-2021:-A-story-of-resilience
Our nation's educators and students are exhausted and embattled, but not beaten.

2021 in Review: School district policy priorities in a truly challenging year
https://www.nctq.org/blog/2021-in-Review:-School-district-policy-priorities-in-a-truly-challenging-year
A round-up of NCTQ's most-read District Trendline blog posts from 2021.

Digging Deeper: Which subjects pose the greatest challenges to aspiring elementary teachers?
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Digging-Deeper:-Which-subjects-pose-the-greatest-challenges-to-aspiring-elementary-teachers
Elementary teachers have a big job. Unlike secondary teachers, they need to know not just one subject well, but four. Elementary teachers are expected to teach English language arts, math,...

Messaging from reading advocates comes off as lopsided. The science isn't
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Messaging-from-reading-advocates-comes-off-as-lopsided.-The-science-isnt
It is clear that neither word recognition nor comprehension at the expense of each other produces successful readers.

Getting districts and teacher prep on the same page on reading pays off
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Getting-districts-and-teacher-prep-on-the-same-page-on-reading-pays-off
There's clear evidence that teachers are more effective reading instructors with special education students when both their preservice preparation and their school district emphasize evidence-based reading practices.

Lamenting the poor lot of student teaching
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Lamenting-the-poor-lot-of-student-teaching
When we sow benign neglect, it's no wonder we reap mediocrity.

Knowledge of Early Reading - Excerpted from State of the States 2021: Teacher Preparation Policy
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Knowledge-of-Early-Reading----Excerpted-from-State-of-the-States-2021:-Teacher-Preparation-Policy
- Updated August 2021 - Most states continue to lack a comprehensive set of policies to improve teacher knowledge of evidence-based early reading methods. This excerpt from NCTQ's State of...

The backstory on dislodging pass rate data
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-backstory-on-dislodging-pass-rate-data
Twenty three years after the U.S. Congress first tried to dislodge the pass rates on teacher licensing tests, the dam has been broken.

The importance of content knowledge for elementary teachers
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-importance-of-content-knowledge-for-elementary-teachers
Elementary teachers need to know the content they will teach.

Driven by Data: Using Licensure Tests to Build a Strong, Diverse Teacher Workforce
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Driven-by-Data:-Using-Licensure-Tests-to-Build-a-Strong,-Diverse-Teacher-Workforce
The NCTQ publication of long-hidden data on institutional pass rates for elementary content teacher licensure tests serves as a compass, pointing toward strengths and opportunities in preparing aspiring elementary teachers...

Does state oversight of teacher prep make a difference?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Does-state-oversight-of-teacher-prep-make-a-difference
A new study focused on Massachusetts finds a direct link between its performance rating of providers with the future effectiveness of providers' graduates in classrooms.

Teacher licensure pass rate data: Lessons learned on teacher quality and diversity
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teacher-licensure-pass-rate-data:-Lessons-learned-on-teacher-quality-and-diversity
Information gleaned from licensure tests can offer a compass, guiding efforts to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce.

The opportunity to learn from teacher licensure pass rate data — and why it matters
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-opportunity-to-learn-from-teacher-licensure-pass-rate-data--and-why-it-matters
Strengthening our teacher workforce begins with better, more transparent data.

Back to the basics to boost reading results: Q&A with TSU's Dr. Jerri Haynes
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Back-to-the-basics-to-boost-reading-results:-QA-with-TSUs-Dr.-Jerri-Haynes
Tennessee State University's Dr. Jerri Haynes on how their college of education worked to ensure its teacher candidates were better prepared to teach elementary students how to read.

A framework for success: Q&A with UNC's Dr. Laura Bilbro-Berry
https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-framework-for-success:-QA-with-UNCs-Dr.-Laura-Bilbro--Berry
The University of North Carolina's Dr. Laura Bilbro-Berry discusses how the UNC System created a structured framework to help improve what future elementary teachers learn about reading instruction across all...

These states deserve a round of applause
https://www.nctq.org/blog/These-states-deserve-a-round-of-applause
Some remarkable progress is being made by Arkansas, North Carolina, Colorado, and Texas on the teacher quality agenda.

Dipping into the untapped supply of cooperating teachers
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Dipping-into-the-untapped-supply-of-cooperating-teachers
Policymakers and teacher prep programs often claim there's an extremely limited pool of effective mentor teachers when pairing them with student-teachers. A new study aims to find out if that's...

High-quality student teaching placements, and who stands to benefit the most
https://www.nctq.org/blog/High--quality-student-teaching-placements,-and-who-stands-to-benefit-the-most
A new study adds to the mix research that unpacks which candidates particularly benefit from high-quality student teaching placements.

Learning from the vaccine rollout
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Learning-from-the-vaccine-rollout
Just as the U.S. managed one of the most successful rollouts of COVID vaccines of any nation, so too can we dramatically improve the literacy rate in the nation.

Admissions requirements: Following the lead of state policy?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Admissions-requirements:-Following-the-lead-of-state-policy
Do state policies have an impact on who enters teacher preparation and what is the impact of program' admissions requirements on teacher candidate enrollment?

Leveraging American Rescue Plan Funds to Advance Literacy: A Step-by-Step Guide for States and Early Reading Advocates
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Leveraging-American-Rescue-Plan-Funds-to-Advance-Literacy:-A-Step--by--Step-Guide-for-States-and-Early-Reading-Advocates
With the significant infusion of dollars now available to both states and school districts, we have a unique opportunity to finally reduce high rates of illiteracy, particularly in populations which...

Affirming spaces matter for teachers too
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Affirming-spaces-matter-for-teachers-too
To cultivate the type of learning environment that would support and sustain candidates of color there are three areas to consider: community, curriculum, and communication.

Could it be that teacher certification does in fact matter?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Could-it-be-that-teacher-certification-does-in-fact-matter
Lo and behold, it turns out that stricter certification requirements do appear to pay off—but not for the reasons that have all that much to do with what happens inside...

Tools to help recruit a strong, diverse teacher workforce
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Tools-to-help-recruit-a-strong,-diverse-teacher-workforce
A new tool designed to help districts identify sources of academically strong, diverse teacher candidates and better target recruitment efforts.

State of the States 2021: Teacher Preparation Policy
https://www.nctq.org/publications/State-of-the-States-2021:-Teacher-Preparation-Policy
NCTQ examines state policy trends that govern some of the most essential aspects of teacher preparation, from reading and content knowledge licensure exams to admissions and basic skills test requirements.

Making sustainable residencies THE standard
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Making-sustainable-residencies-THE-standard
Teacher preparation residencies have the benefit of providing extended time for future teachers to learn how to teach before they are responsible for their own classrooms.

The wind at our backs on diversifying the teaching profession
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-wind-at-our-backs-on-diversifying-the-teaching-profession
No longer is it appropriate to decouple the goal of improving teacher quality from parallel efforts to increase the number of Black and Hispanic teachers. What's left to argue about...

Teacher Prep Review: Program Diversity and Admissions 2021
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-Prep-Review:-Program-Diversity-and-Admissions-2021
New data from NCTQ examines the interplay between racial diversity and admissions standards in teacher preparation programs. We present strong evidence that these two considerations need not be competing goals,...

A moment for humility and a new path forward on reading
https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-moment-for-humility-and-a-new-path-forward-on-reading
This moment in education requires leaders who will publicly position themselves as the best learners, not the best knowers.

Falling short of expectations
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Falling-short-of-expectations
New data suggests expectations placed on novice teachers during their first real professional development experience are far too low.

More on student teaching: Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match
https://www.nctq.org/blog/More-on-student-teaching:-Matchmaker,-matchmaker,-make-me-a-match
Teacher candidates' clinical placements should represent an environment similar to what they'll experience in their first teaching job.

Relearning what it means to be an American
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Relearning-what-it-means-to-be-an-American
What role should our nation's schools play in fostering an informed electorate?

Silver linings of 2020: Some much-needed good news in teacher quality research
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Silver-linings-of-2020:-Some-much--needed-good-news-in-teacher-quality-research
While it may still feel like the 273rd day of March, we're really truly nearing the end of December, and the year 2020.

NCTQ Databurst: State Oversight of Alternate Routes into Teaching
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Databurst:-State-Oversight-of-Alternate-Routes-into-Teaching
All but four states in the nation now permit teachers to come into the profession through an "alternate route," compared to only a few 30 years ago. Alternate routes into...

Are we done with teacher licensing tests?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Are-we-done-with-teacher-licensing-tests
Are teacher licensing tests a milestone to achieve or an obstacle to be removed?

Student teaching: The pipeline to great new teachers
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Student-teaching:-The-pipeline-to-great-new-teachers
Five steps every school district should take to get the most bang for the buck with student teachers

Preparing for reality: Bringing together the head, heart, and habits
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Preparing-for-reality:-Bringing-together-the-head,-heart,-and-habits
Teacher preparation is a delicate balance between having a broad enough lens to account for the multitude of contexts those new teachers will find themselves in, while also being specific...

October surprises
https://www.nctq.org/blog/October-surprises
Science has taken some really hard knocks in 2020. Over the past week, however, science had a couple of well-needed wins within the world of education—both in reading instruction and...

2020 Teacher Prep Review: Clinical Practice and Classroom Management
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2020-Teacher-Prep-Review:-Clinical-Practice-and-Classroom-Management
Strong preparation requires meaningful practice.

What we’re reading: The stubborn myth of “learning styles”
https://www.nctq.org/blog/What-were-reading:-The-stubborn-myth-of-learning-styles
Some excellent recent research and analysis from William Furey and Education Next exposes that more than half of states continue to endorse learning styles by including them in licensure tests...

Is undergraduate preparation the best way to train a teacher?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Is-undergraduate-preparation-the-best-way-to-train-a-teacher
Unlike any other state, the majority of Texas teachersare prepared by non-traditional programs.

Meeting the moment: Preparing teachers to teach for equity
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Meeting-the-moment:-Preparing-teachers-to-teach-for-equity
What is it going to take for teachers to enter the classroom ready to close the opportunity gap, rather than to perpetuate it?

Dueling endorsements
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Dueling-endorsements
Some sensible solutions sometimes turn out to be counterproductive. A prime example may exist in Washington state, which recently instituted a policy requiring new special education teachers to pursue a...

The emerging science on predicting if a teacher will be effective
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-emerging-science-on-predicting-if-a-teacher-will-be-effective
Researchers have spent decades investigating the most valid predictors and measures of teacher quality, with one of the hopes being that school districts will know exactly what to look for...

A+ Reading Programs
https://www.nctq.org/publications/A-Reading-Programs
Every year, over a million children, most of them black and Hispanic, enter the fourth grade unable to read. Fully half of elementary teacher preparation programs have addressed this inequity...

The Four Pillars to Reading Success
https://www.nctq.org/publications/The-Four-Pillars-to-Reading-Success
Learning how to read is not something that comes naturally. Many children need instruction from their teachers that follows the research on the most effective and efficient methods of teaching...

Benefits of learning from the best
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Benefits-of-learning-from-the-best
Some of the essential skills can be learned from textbooks and lectures—but knowing how to put it all in motion requires some real-world practice.

Challenging the comfortably entrenched with the Teacher Prep Review
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Challenging-the-comfortably-entrenched-with-the-Teacher-Prep-Review
Over a century ago, former school principal Abraham Flexner catalyzed the reform of medical education, producing an exhaustive report and ratings of the nation's 155 medical schools.

Student teaching and initial licensure in the times of coronavirus
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Student-teaching-and-initial-licensure-in-the-times-of-coronavirus
States must now consider how these coronavirus-related closures are impacting student teaching and other licensure requirements.

Beating the drum on student teaching
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Beating-the-drum-on-student-teaching
Student teaching may not be a magic bullet for combating the myriad problems that plague teacher preparation, but it sure comes close...

A win for CA students, but not necessarily for science
https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-win-for-CA-students,-but-not-necessarily-for-science
The settlement agreement in CA still tiptoes around the most likely reason these kids aren't reading.

Better reading starts with better teacher preparation
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Better-reading-starts-with-better-teacher-preparation
Reading is the gateway to educational achievement and lifelong success, especially for students who face seemingly insurmountable social and economic barriers.

Is it too early to pop the bubbly?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Is-it-too-early-to-pop-the-bubbly
While the success we see in adoption of reading science among teacher prep programs really is cause for celebration, I still can't help but feel that it's too early to...

2020 Teacher Prep Review: Program Performance in Early Reading Instruction
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2020-Teacher-Prep-Review:-Program-Performance-in-Early-Reading-Instruction
New data and analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality finds significant progress on the science of reading instruction in teacher preparation. For the first time since NCTQ began...

Getting at the root of the school to prison pipeline
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Getting-at-the-root-of-the-school-to-prison-pipeline
Is the reason Americans tolerate unnecessarily high rates of kids who never learn how to read yet another manifestation of institutionalized racism?

The missing link
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-missing-link
While all student teaching experiences are notcreated equal, understanding and measuring how they are different turns out tobe a challenge.

Shocker! New evidence that teachers are more effective when they know their subject
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Shocker!-New-evidence-that-teachers-are-more-effective-when-they-know-their-subject
Perhaps this headline seems self-evident, but the backlash against licensure tests suggests otherwise.

Can public education find its mosquito net?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Can-public-education-find-its-mosquito-net
In journalist Natalie Wexler's powerful new book, The Knowledge Gap, she sets out to make the case for the critical importance of a knowledge-rich curriculum.

Three steps for creating and retaining a strong STEM teaching corps
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Three-steps-for-creating-and-retaining-a-strong-STEM-teaching-corps
Districts report the most difficulty not only filling STEM and special ed vacancies but keeping them filled with strong, effective teachers. Given these shortages, what can districts do to recruit...

Case closed
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Case-closed
If a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm thinking that these two images should have long ago put an immediate end to any debate over what teachers need to...

Basic Undergraduate Teacher Preparation Requirements
https://www.nctq.org/yearbook/basicRequirements
Do you want to know the GPA requirements for admission and the number and types of tests aspiring teachers have to pass from admission through program completion? Explore Basic Undergraduate...

NCTQ Databurst: Maintaining strong elementary content requirements for prospective teachers
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Databurst:-Maintaining-strong-elementary-content-requirements-for-prospective-teachers
Prospective teacher candidates should make informed decisions about which teacher preparation programs are likely to best prepare them to succeed on their licensure tests and in the classroom. However, too...

Drinking deep of the data in Tennessee
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Drinking-deep-of-the-data-in-Tennessee
Tennessee is at it again! The Volunteer State, known for its strong policies around teacher prep and teacher evaluation, is once again offering up its data.

A Fair Chance: Program Action Guide
https://www.nctq.org/publications/A-Fair-Chance:-Program-Action-Guide
A Fair Chance: Simple steps to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce examined a particularly troubling issue, the fact that so many elementary teacher candidates struggle to pass licensing tests...

Are colleges of education really cash cows? New data suggests otherwise
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Are-colleges-of-education-really-cash-cows-New-data-suggests-otherwise
A new study casts some legitimate doubts about just how much of a cash cow ed schools really are.

Life lessons from a trip to the hospital
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Life-lessons-from-a-trip-to-the-hospital
No matter how much I am inclined to trust someone else's expertise, I need to be my own best advocate.

Start Here to Become a Teacher
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Start-Here-to-Become-a-Teacher
Peppered with plenty of advice from practicing teachers, Start Here to Become a Teacher provides advice to people interested in teaching and allows aspiring educators to more wisely "comparison shop"...

Steps to help create a stronger, more diverse elementary teacher workforce
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Steps-to-help-create-a-stronger,-more-diverse-elementary-teacher-workforce
School districts currently hire about 70,000 new elementary teachers each year, with the expectation that these teachers are ready to teach the standard elementary curriculum of English language arts, mathematics,...

Why the big yawn?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Why-the-big-yawn
There's a big push inmany states and among the edu-policy crowd to do away teacher licensing tests.

A Fair Chance
https://www.nctq.org/publications/A-Fair-Chance
In A Fair Chance: Simple steps to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce, NCTQ analysis reveals both astonishingly high numbers of elementary teacher candidates failing their professional licensing tests each...

An open letter to all who care about making sure every child in America learns to read
https://www.nctq.org/blog/An-open-letter-to-all-who-care-about-making-sure-every-child-in-America-learns-to-read
As our nation embarks upon a new year, we must acknowledge a sobering reality…

Win-win-win for student teaching
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Win--win--win-for-student-teaching
New research adds two fascinating twists to this (thankfully) increasingly popular field of research.

Late-breaking news: Cooperating teachers should be good at teaching!
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Late--breaking-news:-Cooperating-teachers-should-be-good-at-teaching!
Oftentimes research is way out ahead of the conventional wisdom. Occasionally though, common sense ends up being justified by research.

Start at the beginning
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Start-at-the-beginning
Perhaps you can help me solve a puzzle.

Different language, same problems
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Different-language,-same-problems
Over the past century, science has revealed a great deal about how the brain functions.

Because you probably haven’t been paying attention…
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Because-you-probably-havent-been-paying-attention
Take your eyes off the pounding surf for a moment to read my top three interesting developments worth noting.

Strengthening Reading Instruction Databurst
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Strengthening-Reading-Instruction-Databurst
This study examines all 50 states' and the District of Columbia's requirements regarding the science of reading for elementary and special education teacher candidates.

Who does it better? Comparing undergraduate and graduate teacher training programs
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Who-does-it-better-Comparing-undergraduate-and-graduate-teacher-training-programs
It's reasonable to assume that a master's degree in teaching should provide new teachers with a leg up compared to those who go through training as an undergraduate. Not so.

Are teacher prep programs all alike?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Are-teacher-prep-programs-all-alike
A new paper adds to the growing body of research pointing out just how difficult it is to tell teacher prep programs apart based on outputs.

Drowning in data from the OECD
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Drowning-in-data-from-the-OECD
Though I've never considered myself an isolationist, I am increasingly questioning the value of looking beyond American borders for insights into education, at least regarding teacher quality.

Want teachers who are ready on day one? Here's where to look!
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Want-teachers-who-are-ready-on-day-one-Heres-where-to-look!
As school districts plan for the coming school year, many are already considering where to recruit a fresh crop of new teachers - teachers eager to put everything they've learned...

Reading into flat NAEP scores
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Reading-into-flat-NAEP-scores
With decades of research that have shown the number of children struggling to read can be cut by two-thirds or more if the methods used to teach them to read...

2018 Teacher Prep Review
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2018-Teacher-Prep-Review
The 2018 Teacher Prep Review examines the results of rating 567 traditional graduate programs, 129 alternative route programs, and 18 residencies preparing both elementary and secondary teachers. The Review includes...

Is NCTQ’s Teacher Prep Review actually having an impact?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Is-NCTQs-Teacher-Prep-Review-actually-having-an-impact
In just a couple of weeks NCTQ will be releasing an updated set of ratings for graduate and alternative route teacher prep programs. These results are made all the more...

POP QUIZ: Why should teacher candidates be trained in assessment?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/POP-QUIZ:-Why-should-teacher-candidates-be-trained-in-assessment
We've all taken plenty of tests in our time—so surely any of us could figure out how to assess our students, right? Not so fast! Strong assessment practice requires training...

Do teachers practice what their prep programs preached?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Do-teachers-practice-what-their-prep-programs-preached
Teachers often say that of all parts of their training, student teaching was the most valuable. This may leave their course instructors wondering: does everything they say go in one...

Teacher prep programs should check their work
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teacher-prep-programs-should-check-their-work
As a student, it is so frustrating when a teacher never returns your work. How will you know how you did? Teacher preparation programs instruct candidates to give frequent feedback...

Want to keep great teachers in high-needs schools? Train them there
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Want-to-keep-great-teachers-in-high--needs-schools-Train-them-there
Even today, high-needs schools struggle to attract and, more critically, retain effective and experienced teachers. We think teacher prep programs are missing a huge opportunity to tackle this issue, through...

2017 State Teacher Policy Yearbook
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2017-State-Teacher-Policy-Yearbook
NCTQ's bi-annual 2017 State Teacher Policy Yearbook grades states on how well their programs and policies raise the quality of the teachers in their schools. The 2017 Yearbook evaluates states...

Push for Quality Faces Uphill Climb for Florida's Teacher Preparation Programs
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Push-for-Quality-Faces-Uphill-Climb-for-Floridas-Teacher-Preparation-Programs
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released its 2014 Teacher Prep Review, with a much expanded and more comprehensive evaluation of 1,612 teacher preparation programs across the United States,...

Best Books for New Teachers (Part II)
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Best-Books-for-New-Teachers-(Part-II)
This second part of our book recommendations focuses on books that help teachers learn about how to teach students to read and books on the big picture--international comparisons and efforts...

Getting Active on Classroom Management
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Getting-Active-on-Classroom-Management
Halloween might be over a month away, but new teachers have their own terror to face as school begins: "Classroom" and "management" are two of the scariest words for anyone...

Should Teacher Prep Steer Students to Fields with the Most Jobs?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Should-Teacher-Prep-Steer-Students-to-Fields-with-the-Most-Jobs
Should schools of education steer their students to fields where they have the highest chances of being hired? Or should they allow students to major in fields in which the...

The Power of Productive Classroom Experience
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-Power-of-Productive-Classroom-Experience
Whether you're running a marathon, learning something new, or trying to improve student achievement, there's no advantage quite like a head start. Unfortunately, teacher prep programs tend to squander this...

Changing Reading Instruction by the Book
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Changing-Reading-Instruction-by-the-Book
Among the biggest surprises NCTQ encountered in researching our December 2016 Landscape in Teacher Preparation – Undergraduate Elementary were the substantial improvements in coursework aimed at teaching elementary teachers how...

New online course helps teachers learn and practice the latest reading research
https://www.nctq.org/blog/New-online-course-helps-teachers-learn-and-practice-the-latest-reading-research
It's no secret that teacher prep programs often fail to teach scientifically based approaches to reading instruction. Our December 2016 analysis of undergraduate elementary teacher prep programs found that just...

Wanted: Teachers! No reading or writing required
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Wanted:-Teachers!-No-reading-or-writing-required
Over the last few months, a whole bunch of states -- including Arizona, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, New York, and Wisconsin -- have tried to lower their requirements for...

Is it easier to prepare high school teachers than elementary teachers?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Is-it-easier-to-prepare-high-school-teachers-than-elementary-teachers
NCTQ's new report on teacher prep programs provides an updated perspective on how well some 700 colleges and universities are preparing high school teachers. While it is certainly no easier...

NCTQ names 16 programs to “Top Tier"
https://www.nctq.org/blog/NCTQ-names-16-programs-to-Top-Tier
With today's release of NCTQ's newest teacher prep ratings, we single out 16 programs as the "Top Tier." These programs at the top of our rankings are the best places...

If knowing is half the battle, Tennessee is winning this engagement
https://www.nctq.org/blog/If-knowing-is-half-the-battle,-Tennessee-is-winning-this-engagement
We've long been excited about the wealth of information – and its potential uses – coming from Tennessee's teacher prep report cards (see here and here). The state's Department of...

Teacher Prep Review: Undergraduate Secondary Education
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-Prep-Review:-Undergraduate-Secondary-Education
High school represents an amazing opportunity for students and their teachers. For most Americans, the high school years played a pivotal role in shaping what they know about subjects such...

This balloon is ready to pop
https://www.nctq.org/blog/This-balloon-is-ready-to-pop
If you're even a casual observer of the trends in higher education, odds are you're familiar with the persistent challenge of grade inflation. The rise of college grades—in the absence...

For those who want to teach: UTeach
https://www.nctq.org/blog/For-those-who-want-to-teach:-UTeach
Looking for an effective math teacher? What about a skilled science instructor? Need both? UTeach programs have you covered.

Local View
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Local-View
The fact that many of Nebraska's schools lack enough teachers, particularly in fields like science, mathematics, and special education, is likely not news to most. Year after year, nearly all...

Statement from Kate Walsh, President of the National Council on Teacher Quality, on Scrapping New York’s Literacy Test for Prospective Teachers
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Statement-from-Kate-Walsh,-President-of-the-National-Council-on-Teacher-Quality,-on-Scrapping-New-Yorks-Literacy-Test-for-Prospective-Teachers
Today, New York's State Board of Regents is considering doing away with a recentlyadopted licensing test for teacher candidates, amid concerns that the too many blackand Latino teacher candidates fail...

Statement from Kate Walsh on Congressional Action on the Federal Teacher Preparation Regulations
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Statement-from-Kate-Walsh-on-Congressional-Action-on-the-Federal-Teacher-Preparation-Regulations
The Senate is now considering a bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that overturns the teacher preparation regulations finalized by the Department of Education this past October. NCTQ...

Readiness Starts with Reading
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Readiness-Starts-with-Reading
Reading drives nearly everything in schools -- from learning about other cultures by reading textbooks, to finding out about the planets by reading about astronomy, to discovering about great heroes...

The Science of Teaching Reading
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-Science-of-Teaching-Reading
Neuroscientists, psychologists, and reading experts all agree on the methods that will result in the most children becoming successful readers.

Honor Roll: Selective Programs that Achieve High Diversity
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Honor-Roll:-Selective-Programs-that-Achieve-High-Diversity
Studies have shown teachers who have strong academic backgrounds tend to be more successful in the classroom.

The best teacher quality research of 2016!
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-best-teacher-quality-research-of-2016!
Teacher quality researchers made plenty of provocative headlines in 2016. They identified trends to monitor, new tips for the trade, and a few wins worth celebrating. Here are the papers...

NCTQ’s Teacher Prep Review Paints a Landscape of Undergraduate Elementary Teacher Preparation
https://www.nctq.org/blog/NCTQs-Teacher-Prep-Review-Paints-a-Landscape-of-Undergraduate-Elementary-Teacher-Preparation
Today, NCTQ is excited to share the latest results in our ongoing analysis of teacher prep programs, this time focusing on what we've learned from 875 undergraduate elementary programs.This is...

Teacher Prep Review: Undergraduate Elementary Education
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-Prep-Review:-Undergraduate-Elementary-Education
NCTQ's 2016 Landscape in Teacher Preparation has examined 875 traditional undergraduate programs that prepare elementary school teachers, finding widely variable levels of quality. Some programs prepare teachers whom parents would...

Coming Soon: New Findings on Undergraduate Elementary Teacher Prep Programs
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Coming-Soon:-New-Findings-on-Undergraduate-Elementary-Teacher-Prep-Programs
NCTQ's Teacher Prep Review coming out on December 8th (previously December 6th) which will rate undergraduate programs that prepare elementary school teachers, is a follow up to the June 2014...

New Study: Despite Moves to Dilute Admissions Standards, Many Teacher Prep Programs Maintain High Bar for Entry
https://www.nctq.org/publications/New-Study:-Despite-Moves-to-Dilute-Admissions-Standards,-Many-Teacher-Prep-Programs-Maintain-High-Bar-for-Entry
A strong body of research, and the example of other nations, supports a relationship between student performance and the selectivity of admissions into teacher prep programs. Therefore, America's institutions training...

Within Our Grasp: Achieving Higher Admissions Standards in Teacher Prep
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Within-Our-Grasp:-Achieving-Higher-Admissions-Standards-in-Teacher-Prep-
Within Our Grasp: Achieving Higher Admissions Standards in Teacher Prep is the tenth annual publication in the State Teacher Policy Yearbook report series. This report focuses on teacher preparation program...

How not to respond to criticism
https://www.nctq.org/blog/How-not-to-respond-to-criticism
It's not surprising that teacher educators feel defensive thesedays. They frequently face accusations for their allegedly inferior qualityprograms. Non-traditional training programs assert they can produce betterteachers in a few months...

We never thought it would happen but US ED releases its teacher prep regs
https://www.nctq.org/blog/We-never-thought-it-would-happen-but-US-ED-releases-its-teacher-prep-regs
At long last the USDepartment of Education released its teacherprep regulations this week, prompting me to check mycalendar. I had to look up the date of my first meeting with...

NCTQ Commends U.S. Department of Education’s Regulations on Teacher Prep
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Commends-U.S.-Department-of-Educations-Regulations-on-Teacher-Prep-
Today the U.S. Department of Education released long anticipated regulations on teacher preparation, specifying the program information that states must collect and report in complying with the Title II of...

NCTQ Applauds Former Secretary Duncan for Bringing Attention to the Issue of Rigor in Teacher Preparation.
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Applauds-Former-Secretary-Duncan-for-Bringing-Attention-to-the-Issue-of-Rigor-in-Teacher-Preparation.
Today former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan published an open letter to higher education leadership, urging them to ensure that their teacher prep programs are sufficiently rigorous. In the...

Observing Success
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Observing-Success
As we discussedearlier this month, holding teacher prep programs accountable for theperformance of their graduates is no easy task. The data is often scant andresearchers usually can't distinguish any standouts...

Teacher Prep Programs: Why Run, When Everyone Else is Walking?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teacher-Prep-Programs:-Why-Run,-When-Everyone-Else-is-Walking
Ifyou want to judge the quality of a teacher prep program, one approach isobvious: examine whether the teachers who graduate from that program actuallyhelp students learn.Easiersaid than done. Many factors...

Dyslexia and Teacher Prep Dysfunction
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Dyslexia-and-Teacher-Prep-Dysfunction
Is it too much to ask that professionals stay abreast of the research? The authors of a recently published study, "The Dyslexia Dilemma," don't think it is and the extendedtitle...

Alt Cert: The Road Increasingly Taken?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Alt-Cert:-The-Road-Increasingly-Taken

High Hopes and Harsh Realities: The real challenges to building a diverse workforce
https://www.nctq.org/publications/High-Hopes-and-Harsh-Realities:-The-real-challenges-to-building-a-diverse-workforce
Public schools are suffering from a well-publicized diversity problem. Students of color make up nearly half of all public school students, yet teachers of color comprise just 18 percent of...

A long fall to the bottom: Missing coursework in teacher prep
https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-long-fall-to-the-bottom:-Missing-coursework-in-teacher-prep
Youcan't teach what you don't know—andwhen it comes to math, some teachers just don't know enough. Why? MichiganState University professor William H. Schmidt and his colleagues look at...

Teacher Prep Programs Fail to Prepare Future Preschool Teachers in Essential Classroom Skills
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-Prep-Programs-Fail-to-Prepare-Future-Preschool-Teachers-in-Essential-Classroom-Skills
A new study from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) takes a first look at the inner workings of teacher preparation programs aimed at aspiring preschool teachers, discovering major...

Preschool teacher prep: illusions of quality
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Preschool-teacher-prep:-illusions-of-quality
30million words. It's a staggering number representing the tremendous gap in thenumber of utterances (not distinct words) a child hears by agefour—depending on where his family falls on the socioeconomic...

Getting a teaching certificate after your bachelor’s degree
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Getting-a-teaching-certificate-after-your-bachelors-degree
For many people, the call to teach isn't heard until after they've received their college degree. At times this change can be overwhelming due to the various programs and types...

Some Assembly Required: Piecing together the preparation preschool teachers need
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Some-Assembly-Required:-Piecing-together-the-preparation-preschool-teachers-need
Preschool teachers have one of the toughest jobs around. Do the prep programs training aspiring preschool teachers give them the skills and knowledge they need to create an high-quality and...

Three reasons why every teacher prep program should adopt the edTPA…or not.
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Three-reasons-why-every-teacher-prep-program-should-adopt-the-edTPAor-not.
Over the last few decades, the field of teacher educationhas heavily promoted the use and even the mandatory adoption by states ofstandardized assessments that can be used to judge how...

Charterizing Teacher Prep?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Charterizing-Teacher-Prep
Of late, there's been a lot of chatter amongteacher educators objecting to language in ESSA for "teacher preparationacademies," relatively regulation-free routes into teaching. From theperspective of much-maligned traditional teacher prep...

Part 1: Five Habits that lead to ineffective teaching—and how to fix them
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Part-1:-Five-Habits-that-lead-to-ineffective-teachingand-how-to-fix-them
Editor's Note: I heard Erin Burns speak at an Opportunity Culture conference about her decision to return to the same struggling high school where she started her teaching career....

Part 2: Follow-up Q & A with special guest Doug Lemov
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Part-2:-Follow--up-Q--A-with-special-guest-Doug-Lemov
Editor's Note: We spoke with Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like A Champion (now in its revised 2.0 version), Reading Reconsidered and Practice Perfect to discuss the challenges facing teachers...

A bleak look at teacher prep in Tennessee
https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-bleak-look-at-teacher-prep-in-Tennessee
New data shines a spotlight on what's happening in the black box of teacher prep – but what it reveals is just plain depressing.A non-profit organization which describes itself as...

Matchmaking matters when it comes to student teaching
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Matchmaking-matters-when-it-comes-to-student-teaching
With the year's most romantic holiday freshin our memories, we turn to a different kind of matchmaking: matching studentteachers with the right schools.

Teacher prep struggles gain global attention—and NCTQ’s at the table
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teacher-prep-struggles-gain-global-attentionand-NCTQs-at-the-table
A few weeks ago while myblizzard-frenzied hometown of Baltimore was busy emptying grocery shelves ofbread and toilet paper, I took off for Paris—at the invitation of the OECD. There's nothing...

Want to stand out? Raise the bar for who gets in
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Want-to-stand-out-Raise-the-bar-for-who-gets-in
Shouldn't we expect that teachers will initially performdifferently in the classroom based on the quality of their preparation? Afterall, there are no fewer than 1,400 institutions of higher education in...

Learning About Learning should be an eye-opener for teacher candidates
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Learning-About-Learning-should-be-an-eye--opener-for-teacher-candidates
As an aspiring elementary teacher, my goal has been to obtain thebest possible training to prepare myself for my future classroom. I put fullfaith in my university's teacher preparation program...

Stopping lemmings with a single click
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Stopping-lemmings-with-a-single-click
We've all been there. A teacher asks a class to answer asimple question with a show of hands. You're not sure of the answer—butlucky for you, the top student was...

What teacher candidates won't find in their textbooks
https://www.nctq.org/blog/What-teacher-candidates-wont-find-in-their-textbooks----
Over the holidays, I ran into an old colleague from back when Iwas doing a lot of work in Baltimore during the 1990s. The conversation turnedto NCTQ's work in teacher...

Learning About Learning: What Every New Teacher Needs to Know
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Learning-About-Learning:-What-Every-New-Teacher-Needs-to-Know
To write this report, we combed through thousands of pages of teacher education textbooks for discussion of research-based strategies that every teacher candidate should learn in order to promote student...

#2—Most Informative Research Every Superintendent Should Be Reading
https://www.nctq.org/blog/2Most-Informative-Research-Every-Superintendent-Should-Be-Reading
A Foot in the Door: Exploring the Role of Student TeachingAssignments in Teachers' Initial Job Placements by Krieg, Theobald, &GoldhaberEvery district wants to get a leg up onhiring the best...

Youth Truth Findings Show Room for Improvement in Teachers' Knowledge of Subjects They Teach
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Youth-Truth-Findings-Show-Room-for-Improvement-in-Teachers-Knowledge-of-Subjects-They-Teach
High school teachers may not be getting sufficient opportunities and training to learn the very subjects they are teaching - and students are taking notice - according to new findings...

2015 State Teacher Policy Yearbook
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2015-State-Teacher-Policy-Yearbook
The 2015 State Teacher Policy Yearbook is our ninth annual Yearbook report. Comprised of a National Summary and State-specific reports for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, this...

Thoughts on the Good Behavior Game and Classroom Management
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Thoughts-on-the-Good-Behavior-Game-and-Classroom-Management
I am one of NCTQ's biggest supporters, but I amvery disappointed with the recent publication of The Good Behavior Game as ameans for improving classroom management. This is not...

4 teachers down; 3,499,996 to go
https://www.nctq.org/blog/4-teachers-down;-3,499,996-to-go
Four teachers'use of a self-monitoring checklist that successfully helped them use the GoodBehavior Game is reported in a new study.* We perked up when we saw attention paid to the...

State of the States 2015: Evaluating Teaching, Leading and Learning
https://www.nctq.org/publications/State-of-the-States-2015:-Evaluating-Teaching,-Leading-and-Learning
This report presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date policy trends on how states are evaluating teachers. It also breaks new ground by providing a look at the policy landscape on...

Curriculum: The Great Divide among Ed Reformers
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Curriculum:-The-Great-Divide-among-Ed-Reformers
A few weeks ago Whitney Tilson, writing in his alwaysentertaining blog, gave a nice nodto an op-edby Dan Willingham in the New York Times,addressing the sorry state of American teacher...

Nation's Top 25 'Best Value' Colleges of Education Announced by National Council on Teacher Quality
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Nations--Top-25-Best-Value-Colleges-of-Education-Announced-by-National-Council-on-Teacher-Quality
Today, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released its 'Best Value'ratings of colleges of education across the U.S.—the first time that a national education policy organizationhas conducted a comprehensive...

First Ever Consumer Guide to Colleges of Education Launched by the National Council on Teacher Quality
https://www.nctq.org/publications/First-Ever-Consumer-Guide-to-Colleges-of-Education-Launched-by-the-National-Council-on-Teacher-Quality
The National Council on Teacher Quality today launched a new free searchtool, Path to Teach, allowing any member of the public to quickly find meaningful, reliableinformation about the quality of...

Can student teaching be the driver for teacher quality?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Can-student-teaching-be-the-driver-for-teacher-quality-
I can be a slow learner.My colleagues at NCTQ and I have been working together on teacher quality for well over a decade. For a long time, we sorted issues...

End double—and lower—standards for special education teachers
https://www.nctq.org/blog/End-doubleand-lowerstandards-for-special-education-teachers
Almost 6.4 million students—about 13% of students overall—receive special education services. Meanwhile, nearly the same percentage of the teacher workforce works in special education classrooms. Considering the need for these...

Is it better to look like a good idea than be one?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Is-it-better-to-look-like-a-good-idea-than-be-one-
Studentteaching is intended to be the culminating experience of a teacher'spreparation. It's typically a fall or spring semester commitment. Over the lastfew years, there's been a steady drum beat for...

Student-Centered Instruction to Boost Mathematics Achievement?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Student--Centered-Instruction-to-Boost-Mathematics-Achievement
Want toincrease mathematics achievement for all first grade students? Focus onteacher-directed instruction.

TeachLivE offers a new twist on practice teaching
https://www.nctq.org/blog/TeachLivE-offers-a-new-twist-on-practice-teaching
Imagine that you're trying toteach a lesson on cell division, and one student will not pay attention. Evenworse, she keeps talking back to you. The interaction is starting to distractother...

Think we know what’s behind teachers’ job choices? Think again.
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Think-we-know-whats-behind-teachers-job-choices--Think-again.
As a group, teachers tend to defy the old adage "you can't go home again," usually taking jobs within 50 miles of where they went to high school and making...

North Carolina Study Finds That Graduates Of Teacher Prep Programs With Higher NCTQ Ratings Are More Effective
https://www.nctq.org/publications/North-Carolina-Study-Finds-That-Graduates-Of-Teacher-Prep-Programs-With-Higher-NCTQ-Ratings-Are-More-Effective-
A new study by the Education Policy Initiative at Carolina (EPIC) examining the connection between the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ) Teacher Prep Review standards and actual teacher performance...

Don't judge these teacher ed journals by their titles!
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Dont-judge-these-teacher-ed-journals-by-their-titles!
Doteacher education journals seek to help teacher educators do a better job? It seemslike a fairly silly question. Nevertheless, we reviewed 10 prominent teacher edjournals and learned that, for the...

When it comes to teachers understanding fractions, it is a small world after all
https://www.nctq.org/blog/When-it-comes-to-teachers-understanding-fractions,-it-is-a-small-world-after-all-
As scarce asinternational studies on teaching generally are, we were glad to see two newstudies looking at what it takes to be a successful math teacher. Both providemore evidence that...

The Good Behavior Game
https://www.nctq.org/blog/The-Good-Behavior-Game
As Ithink about my career plans for next year when I will begin work as a first-yearhigh school math teacher, I am both excited and nervous about taking onteaching's many...

Know any aspiring teachers? Send them a copy of this book ASAP
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Know-any-aspiring-teachers-Send-them-a-copy-of-this-book-ASAP
When I was in college, several of my coursesrequired the purchase of what the professors indicated were canonical texts.Calculus required Apostol's Calculus Volumes1 and 2.Electricity and magnetism used Jackson's ClassicalElectrodynamics....

Teacher prep from one teacher candidate's perspective
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teacher-prep-from-one-teacher-candidates-perspective
After interning at theNational Council on Teacher Quality for a mere two weeks, I became acutelyaware of how little I knew about teacher preparation. As someone who wants tobe a...

By our powers combined…
https://www.nctq.org/blog/By-our-powers-combined
Sometimes therejust aren'tenough great teachers to go around. Placing two, eventhree student teachers in a single classroom is one way that teacher prepprograms are working around shortages of qualified cooperating...

Incoherent By Design
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Incoherent-By-Design
To understand the different approaches taken by prep programs housed on the same university campus, we examined 13 institutions that offer both a grad and undergrad program preparing new elementary...

Incoherent by design
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Incoherent-by-design
When wefirst began analyzing teacher prep programs for the Teacher Prep Review, we were surprised to find some really bigdifferences in how well programs housed on the same campus did...

Harder work, higher earnings?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Harder-work,-higher-earnings
An NCTQ follower on Twitter, @mescamilla1980, recently challenged our take on what'sbehind the disproportionately high grades earned by teacher candidates,suggesting that only those majors which will lead to highly paid...

Incoherent by design: What you should know about differences between undergraduate and graduate training of elementary teachers
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Incoherent-by-design:-What-you-should-know-about-differences-between-undergraduate-and--graduate-training-of-elementary-teachers

NCTQ v. University of Missouri
https://www.nctq.org/blog/NCTQ-v.-University-of-Missouri
Earlier this month, the MissouriSupreme Court declined to hear NCTQ's appeal of a lower courtdecision, whichblocked our request that the University of Missouri turn over coursesyllabi to us ...

Transforming recruitment and hiring in Dallas
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Transforming-recruitment-and-hiring-in-Dallas
Dallas IndependentSchool Districthires approximately 2,000 new teachers each year. It is transforming the wayits human capital team works, adopting data-driven strategies for recruitment,selection and hiring. One of the many sources...

Hash it out: Contradictory findings on teacher prep and persistence
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Hash-it-out:-Contradictory-findings-on-teacher-prep-and-persistence
Districtsoften ask NCTQ to identify the preparation programs that produce teachers whowill stay in the classroom through thick and thin. So we eagerly dove into tworecent articles, one by RichardIngersoll...

Ready or not: New teachers and the transition to higher standards
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Ready-or-not:-New-teachers-and-the-transition-to-higher-standards
In the fiveyears since most states adopted Common Core State Standards or their ownversion of college- and career-readiness standards, about one million newteachers have graduated from teacher preparation programs in...

Finally! Good old-fashioned investigative journalism on teacher prep
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Finally!-Good-old--fashioned-investigative-journalism-on-teacher-prep
A top-notch,three-part series (here, here and here) running inthis week's Education Week sheds new light on one of the mostnon-transparent of states' regulatory functions: their approval of teacherpreparation programs. Journalist...

Following the path from teacher prep to student achievement
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Following-the-path-from-teacher-prep-to-student-achievement
Over theyears, there have been a gazillion studies examining the relative merit ofdifferent pathways into the teaching profession. Almost all come up short,often because the studies do not clearly define...

Why and how we looked behind the Easy A's
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Why-and-how-we-looked-behind-the-Easy-As
For nearly a decade, NCTQ has been trying to figure out how toevaluate teacher prep coursework for its rigor. It's an endeavor to which bothof us brought no small measure...

Take note STEM enthusiasts! Teachers’ science classes need more science
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Take-note-STEM-enthusiasts!--Teachers-science-classes-need-more-science
It's no secret that some elementary teacherswould rather walk across hot lava than teach a science lesson and that meansless science gets taught. A new studyshows that improving teachers'...

Training Our Future Teachers: Easy A's and What's Behind Them
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Training-Our-Future-Teachers:-Easy-As-and-Whats-Behind-Them
Using evidence from more than 500 colleges and universities producing nearly half of the nation's new teachers annually, this report answers two questions that go to the heart of whether...

A call to higher educators: Let's have an honest debate about teacher prep
https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-call-to-higher-educators:--Lets-have-an-honest-debate-about-teacher-prep
Most people who tookthe time to read NYT Motoko Rich's article about the training methods used by Aspirecharter schools in its teacher residency probably reacted with a"makes-sense-to-me" shrug of their...

What does rigorous clinical practice look like?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/What-does-rigorous-clinical-practice-look-like
Everyone says practice matters; butthe Match Teacher Residency provides a shining example of a rigorous, practice-permeatedapproach to training designed to ensure that new teachers will hit the groundrunning. It may...

Teacher prep
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Teacher-prep

Review of Elizabeth Green's Building A Better Teacher: How Teaching Works (and How to Teach It to Everyone)
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Review-of-Elizabeth-Greens-Building-A-Better-Teacher:-How-Teaching-Works-(and-How-to-Teach-It-to-Everyone)
Along with Tom Loveless, Robert Pondiscio and David Steiner, count me among those who are less than enchanted by Elizabeth Green's new book. The journalist—who did such a fine...

Is NCTQ litigious?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Is-NCTQ-litigious
Americans increasingly agree that the gateway into teaching ought to be a whole lot tougher. Findings released this week from Gallup/ PDK's annual education poll indicate that six in ten...

Which teachers stick around?
https://www.nctq.org/blog/Which-teachers-stick-around
While the recent landmark Vergara v. California court case focused on teachers who are or should be dismissed, the greatest portion of teachers are still those who don't stick around...

Teacher Prep Review 2014 Report
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-Prep-Review-2014-Report
Teacher Prep Review 2014 is the second edition of NCTQ's biennial assessment of the nation's 2,400 teacher prep programs. The Review uncovers early evidence that teacher prep programs are beginning...

Press Release: Training our future teachers: Classroom management
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Press-Release:-Training-our-future-teachers:-Classroom-management
America's teacher preparation programs are not providing future teachers with the knowledge and practice in effective classroom management strategies necessary to deal with disruptive student behavior, according to a new...

Training Our Future Teachers: Classroom Management
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Training-Our-Future-Teachers:-Classroom-Management
This report examines traditional teacher preparation in classroom management, which is a struggle for many teachers, especially new ones. It studies over 100 programs, both elementary and secondary, graduate and...

NCTQ and SearchSoft Provide Important New Tool for School Districts to Recruit Best Trained New Teachers
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-and-SearchSoft-Provide-Important-New-Tool-for-School-Districts-to-Recruit-Best-Trained-New-Teachers
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), which recently released the first edition of the Teacher Prep Review, an annual study rating the quality of teacher prep programs, and SearchSoft,...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - National
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----National
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States are not providing adequate training to aspiring...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Alabama
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Alabama
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in Alabama, are not providing...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Alaska
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Alaska
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Alaska, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Arizona
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Arizona
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in Arizona, are not providing...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Arkansas
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Arkansas
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Arkansas, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - California
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----California
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States are not providing adequate training to aspiring...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Colorado
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Colorado
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in Colorado, are not providing...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Connecticut
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Connecticut
– Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Connecticut, are not providing adequate...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - District of Columbia
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----District-of-Columbia
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in the District of Columbia, are not...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Delaware
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Delaware
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Delaware, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Florida
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Florida
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Florida, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Georgia
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Georgia
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Georgia, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Hawaii
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Hawaii
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Hawaii, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Idaho
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Idaho
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Idaho, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Illinois
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Illinois
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Illinois, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Indiana
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Indiana
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Indiana, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Iowa
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Iowa
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in Iowa, are not providing...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Kansas
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Kansas
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Kansas, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - North Carolina
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----North-Carolina
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in North Carolina, are not providing adequate...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - New York
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----New-York
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in New York, are not providing adequate...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - New Mexico
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----New-Mexico
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in New Mexico, are not providing adequate...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - New Jersey
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----New-Jersey
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in New Jersey, are not...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - New Hampshire
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----New-Hampshire
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in New Hampshire, are not providing adequate...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Nevada
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Nevada
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Nevada, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Nebraska
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Nebraska
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Nebraska, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Montana
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Montana
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Montana, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Missouri
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Missouri
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Missouri, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Mississippi
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Mississippi
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Mississippi, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Minnesota
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Minnesota
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Minnesota, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Michigan
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Michigan
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Michigan, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Massachusetts
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Massachusetts
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in Massachusetts, are not providing...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Maryland
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Maryland
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Maryland, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Maine
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Maine
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in Maine, are not providing...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Louisiana
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Louisiana
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in Louisiana, are not providing...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Kentucky
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Kentucky
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Kentucky, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - North Dakota
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----North-Dakota
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in North Dakota, are not providing adequate...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Ohio
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Ohio
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Ohio, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Oklahoma
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Oklahoma
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Oklahoma, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Oregon
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Oregon
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Oregon, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Pennsylvania
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Pennsylvania
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in Pennsylvania, are not providing...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Rhode Island
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Rhode-Island
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Rhode Island, are not providing adequate...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - South Carolina
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----South-Carolina
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in South Carolina, are not...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - South Dakota
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----South-Dakota
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in South Dakota, are not providing adequate...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Tennessee
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Tennessee
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in Tennessee, are not providing...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Texas
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Texas
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Texas, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Utah
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Utah
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Utah, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Vermont
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Vermont
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Vermont, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Virginia
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Virginia
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including programs in Virginia, are not providing...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Washington
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Washington
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Washington, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - West Virginia
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----West-Virginia
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in West Virginia, are not providing adequate...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Wisconsin
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Wisconsin
Dismal new findings from the National Council on TeacherQuality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States,including programs in Wisconsin, are not providing adequate training...

NCTQ Releases the First Teacher Prep Review - Wyoming
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQ-Releases-the-First-Teacher-Prep-Review----Wyoming
Dismal new findings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) show that the majority of teacher preparation programs in the United States, including one program in Wyoming, are not...

Teacher Prep Review 2013 Report
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-Prep-Review-2013-Report
The first edition of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Review is an unprecedented evaluation of more than 1,100 colleges anduniversities that prepare elementary and secondary teachers. As a consumer tool, it...

NCTQ's National Review of Teacher Preparation Programs Receives Endorsement From Council of the Great City Schools
https://www.nctq.org/publications/NCTQs-National-Review-of-Teacher-Preparation-Programs-Receives-Endorsement-From-Council-of-the-Great-City-Schools
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) announced today that the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), an organization that represents sixty- five superintendents from urban public schools, has...

New Study: Teacher Preparation Programs Fail to Ensure that Student Teaching, the Most Formative Experience of a Teacher's Preparation, Lives Up to Its Billing
https://www.nctq.org/publications/New-Study:-Teacher-Preparation-Programs-Fail-to-Ensure-that-Student-Teaching,-the-Most-Formative-Experience-of-a-Teachers-Preparation,-Lives-Up-to-Its-Billing
Today, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a nonpartisan research and advocacy group, released a national study that provides the most comprehensive review of student teaching arrangements ever done,...

U.S. News & World Report and National Council on Teacher Quality Launch Comprehensive Review of Nation's Teacher Preparation Programs
https://www.nctq.org/publications/U.S.-News--World-Report-and-National-Council-on-Teacher-Quality-Launch-Comprehensive-Review-of-Nations-Teacher-Preparation-Programs

Ed School Essentials: A Review Of Illinois Teacher Preparation; NCTQ Finds Big Gaps In The Preparation Education Schools Provide
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Ed-School-Essentials:-A-Review-Of-Illinois-Teacher-Preparation;-NCTQ-Finds-Big-Gaps-In-The-Preparation-Education-Schools-Provide

The All-Purpose Science Teacher: Why Far Too Many States Are Allowing High School Science Teachers To Teach Subjects They May Know Very Little About
https://www.nctq.org/publications/The-All--Purpose-Science-Teacher:-Why-Far-Too-Many-States-Are-Allowing-High-School-Science-Teachers-To-Teach-Subjects-They-May-Know-Very-Little-About

National Council on Teacher Quality Releases First Report Evaluating All Education Schools in Texas, Finds Major Patterns of Weakness
https://www.nctq.org/publications/National-Council-on-Teacher-Quality-Releases-First-Report-Evaluating-All-Education-Schools-in-Texas,-Finds-Major-Patterns-of-Weakness

New Report: Education Schools Are Failing To Prepare Elementary Teachers In Math
https://www.nctq.org/publications/New-Report:-Education-Schools-Are-Failing-To-Prepare-Elementary-Teachers-In-Math

Teacher preparation program student performance data models: Six core design principles
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-preparation-program-student-performance-data-models:-Six-core-design-principles
At the intersection of policy pushes to assess teacher effectiveness and to improve accountability systems for teacher preparation programs lie state efforts to connect student achievement data to preparation programs....

2012 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: Improving Teacher Preparation National Summary
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2012-State-Teacher-Policy-Yearbook:-Improving-Teacher-Preparation-National-Summary
The State Teacher Policy Yearbook provides detailed analysis of any and every state policy that impacts the teaching profession. The Yearbook is a 52-volume encyclopedia (51 state reports including the...

State of the States 2012: Building a Better Alternate Route - Area 2: Expanding the Pool of Teachers; NCTQ State Teacher Policy Yearbook Brief
https://www.nctq.org/publications/State-of-the-States-2012:-Building-a-Better-Alternate-Route----Area-2:-Expanding-the-Pool-of-Teachers;-NCTQ-State-Teacher-Policy-Yearbook-Brief
Interim editions of the Yearbook provide shorter briefs for each state that include a state-specific action plan, updating states' progress on Yearbook goals and giving advice on how to prioritize...

State of the States 2012: All Quiet on the Preparation Front - Area 1: Delivering Well-Prepared Teachers; NCTQ State Teacher Policy Yearbook Brief
https://www.nctq.org/publications/State-of-the-States-2012:-All-Quiet-on-the-Preparation-Front----Area-1:-Delivering-Well--Prepared-Teachers;-NCTQ-State-Teacher-Policy-Yearbook-Brief
Interim editions of the Yearbook provide shorter briefs for each state that include a state-specific action plan, updating states' progress on Yearbook goals and giving advice on how to prioritize...

What Teacher Preparation Programs Teach about K-12 Assessment: A review
https://www.nctq.org/publications/What-Teacher-Preparation-Programs-Teach-about-K--12-Assessment:-A-review
This report provides information on the preparation provided to teacher candidates from teacher training programs so that they can fully use assessment data to improve classroom instruction.

2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: National Summary
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2011-State-Teacher-Policy-Yearbook:-National-Summary
The State Teacher Policy Yearbook provides detailed analysis of any and every state policy that impacts the teaching profession. The Yearbook is a 52-volume encyclopedia (51 state reports including the...

Student Teaching in the United States
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Student-Teaching-in-the-United-States
Student teaching serves as a capstone experience for nearly 200,000 teacher candidates each year. In an effort to understand how to get student teaching "right," NCTQ embarked on an ambitious...

2010 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: Blueprint for Change National Summary
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2010-State-Teacher-Policy-Yearbook:-Blueprint-for-Change-National-Summary
As a companion to last year's comprehensive state-by-state analysis, the 2010 edition provides each state with an individualized Blueprint for Change, building off last year's Yearbook goals and recommendations.

The All-Purpose Science Teacher: An Analysis of Loopholes in State Requirements for High School Science Teachers
https://www.nctq.org/publications/The-All--Purpose-Science-Teacher:-An-Analysis-of-Loopholes-in-State-Requirements-for-High-School-Science-Teachers
NCTQ's analysis of science-teacher licensure policies in every state of the union reveals that most offer loopholes allowing high school teachers to teach specific subjects without adequate preparation. Eleven states...

Ed School Essentials: A Review of Illinois Teacher Preparation
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Ed-School-Essentials:-A-Review-of-Illinois-Teacher-Preparation
The Prairie State is the latest focus of NCTQ's ongoing study of teacher-preparation programs across the country. This time around, we evaluate 113 undergraduate and graduate programs at 53 ed...

Ed School Essentials: Evaluating the Fundamentals of Teacher Training Programs in Texas
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Ed-School-Essentials:-Evaluating-the-Fundamentals-of-Teacher-Training-Programs-in-Texas
Traditional education schools are under fire for failing to prepare new teachers for the challenges of today's classrooms. With that in mind, NCTQ releases its largest ed school study to...

2009 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: National Summary
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2009-State-Teacher-Policy-Yearbook:-National-Summary
The State Teacher Policy Yearbook provides detailed analysis of any and every state policy that impacts the teaching profession. The Yearbook is a 52-volume encyclopedia (51 state reports including the...

Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers: Are Colorado's education school graduates ready to teach reading and mathematics in elementary classrooms?
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Preparing-Tomorrows-Teachers:-Are-Colorados-education-school-graduates-ready-to-teach-reading-and-mathematics-in-elementary-classrooms
As a follow up to NCTQ's national studies of how well elementary teachers are prepared to teach reading and mathematics, NCTQ looks at preparation in both subjects in all undergraduate...

Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers: Are Utah's education school graduates ready to teach reading and mathematics in elementary classrooms?
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Preparing-Tomorrows-Teachers:-Are-Utahs-education-school-graduates-ready-to-teach-reading-and-mathematics-in-elementary-classrooms
As a follow up to NCTQ's national studies of how well elementary teachers are prepared to teach reading and mathematics, NCTQ looks at preparation in both subjects in all undergraduate...

Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers: Are Wyoming's education school graduates ready to teach reading and mathematics in elementary classrooms?
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Preparing-Tomorrows-Teachers:-Are-Wyomings-education-school-graduates-ready-to-teach-reading-and-mathematics-in-elementary-classrooms
As a follow up to NCTQ's national studies of how well elementary teachers are prepared to teach reading and mathematics, NCTQ looks at preparation in both subjects in all undergraduate...

Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers: Are New Mexico's education school graduates ready to teach reading and mathematics in elementary classrooms?
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Preparing-Tomorrows-Teachers:-Are-New-Mexicos-education-school-graduates-ready-to-teach-reading-and-mathematics-in-elementary-classrooms
As a follow up to NCTQ's national studies of how well elementary teachers are prepared to teach reading and mathematics, NCTQ looks at preparation in both subjects in all undergraduate...

Race to the Top: Colorado may be used to high altitudes, but can it compete in Race to the Top?
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Race-to-the-Top:-Colorado-may-be-used-to-high-altitudes,-but-can-it-compete-in-Race-to-the-Top
NCTQ's advice to states on what they can do to improve their shot at getting a portion of the $4.35 billion in Race to the Top funds.

Tackling the STEM crisis: Five steps your state can take to improve the quality and quantity of its K-12 math and science teachers
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Tackling-the-STEM-crisis:-Five-steps-your-state-can-take-to-improve-the-quality-and-quantity-of-its-K--12-math-and-science-teachers
State laws and regulations can either help or hinder the ability of school districts to hire effective teachers for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. State officials wanting to...

What Indiana's Education Schools Aren't Teaching About Reading
https://www.nctq.org/publications/What-Indianas-Education-Schools-Arent-Teaching-About-Reading
NCTQ Releases Study of Reading Preparation in Indiana Education Schools: As a follow up to NCTQ's national study on how well elementary teachers are prepared to teach reading, NCTQ looks...

2008 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: What States Can Do To Retain Effective New Teachers - National Summary
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2008-State-Teacher-Policy-Yearbook:-What-States-Can-Do-To-Retain-Effective-New-Teachers----National-Summary
The 2008 edition of the State Teacher Policy Yearbook provides an in-depth analysis of a critical piece of the teacher quality puzzle: the retention of effective new teachers.

A Race to the Top Scorecard
https://www.nctq.org/publications/A-Race-to-the-Top-Scorecard
States may no longer be working on their Race to the Top applications, but NCTQ's scorecard is a great way to assess states' human capital policies. Covering areas like pathways...

No Common Denominator: The Preparation of Elementary Teachers in Mathematics by America's Education Schools
https://www.nctq.org/publications/No-Common-Denominator:-The-Preparation-of-Elementary-Teachers-in-Mathematics-by-Americas-Education-Schools
American students' chronically poor performance in mathematics on international tests may begin in the earliest grades, handicapped by the weak knowledge of mathematics of their own elementary teachers. NCTQ looks...

2007 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: National Summary
https://www.nctq.org/publications/2007-State-Teacher-Policy-Yearbook:-National-Summary
The State Teacher Policy Yearbook provides detailed analysis of any and every state policy that impacts the teaching profession. The Yearbook is a 52-volume encyclopedia (51 state reports including the...

If Wishes Were Horses: The Reality behind Teacher Quality Findings
https://www.nctq.org/publications/If-Wishes-Were-Horses:-The-Reality-behind-Teacher-Quality-Findings
An exciting proposition is making the rounds of the education policy circuit. Generated by recent findings on the importance of teacher quality, it suggests assigning great teachers five years in...

Alternative Certification Isn't Alternative
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Alternative-Certification-Isnt-Alternative
As this study shows, most alternate route teachers have had to jump through many of the same hoops, meeting the same "traditional" academic requirements and undergoing much the same training...

What Education Schools Aren't Teaching About Reading--and What Elementary Teachers Aren't Learning
https://www.nctq.org/publications/What-Education-Schools-Arent-Teaching-About-Reading----and-What-Elementary-Teachers-Arent-Learning
In this groundbreaking report, NCTQ studied a large representative sampling of ed schools to find out what future elementary teachers are and are not learning about reading instruction. The report,...

Fwd: Arresting Insights in Education Subject: Teacher Education: Coming Up Empty
https://www.nctq.org/publications/Fwd:-Arresting-Insights-in-Education-Subject:-Teacher-Education:-Coming-Up-Empty
The nation's leading teacher educators have produced an exhaustive review of the impact that formal teacher education has on teachers. Studying Teacher Education - a voluminous report of the American...