Adjusting Strategies

Based on implementation of strategies, clarify procedures and processes that are not helpful for identifying effective teachers and leaders. If needed, revise the state or district plan to clarify the shared understanding regarding what measures will be used to determine teacher and leader effectiveness, the purposes of assessing teacher and leader effectiveness, and specific decisions that will be made using these data. 

Based on current strategies implemented and data collected, which strategies appear to have an impact on equitable access? 

This study examined population data on teachers and schools in Illinois to determine changes in the level of teacher qualifications across schools from 2001 to 2006. Researchers found that Chicago schools, especially those serving the highest percentages of students from low-income and minority families, experienced improvements in teacher qualifications; however, the results were more mixed in other Illinois districts.

Using a rich data set from North Carolina, the authors found that black seventh graders are far more likely to face a novice teacher in mathematics and English than are their white counterparts (the differences are about 54 percent in mathematics and 38 percent in English for the state as a whole). This inequitable access to experienced teachers occurs within districts, more so than between them.

This report demonstrates steps that districts can take and the challenges they face in assessing teacher effectiveness as a first step toward equitable access to great teachers. The report has three main areas of focus: identifying effective teachers, using information about teacher effectiveness in human resource policies, and using information about teacher effectiveness to ensure equity. Drawing on experiences from five districts, it provides examples for state and district policymakers considering action. 

Under Ohio’s Teacher Equity Plan, Ohio districts are required to collect and publicly report the following types of data:

• The percentage of highly qualified teachers in each content area
• The percentage of highly qualified teachers in schools not meeting adequate yearly progress
• Descriptions of teacher turnover and mobility