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Full-Text Articles in Education Policy
Education Week’S Report On Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter
Education Week’S Report On Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
As schools open their doors for the spring 2005 semester, many legislatures around the nation are meeting to discuss accountability standards, equity and adequacy issues, and the link between money and student performance. While the education issues of 2005 are not unique, in that they have been discussed for years, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) deadline for schools to begin performing at higher standards increases the urgency. In addition to the increased standards, state policymakers are facing difficult legal challenges to their school funding systems. In an attempt to gauge the status of the nation and each state, Education …
Alternative Certification, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter
Alternative Certification, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
The term “alternative certification” has been utilized to describe programs ranging from immediate issuance of emergency certification to well-developed, highly professional training programs designed to bring new people into the profession. Because of the mandate to place highly qualified teachers in every classroom, the issue of alternative certification has become even more prominent and there is now more consistency in the academic rigor of alternative certification program across the nation. In this state, TeachArkansas serves as a clearinghouse for the various programs that enable an individual who did not out to be a teacher to become certified (see www.teacharkansas.org).
Teacher Quality And Preparation, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter
Teacher Quality And Preparation, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act mandates that states require all teachers to earn full certification and demonstrate competency in the subject area in which they teach. But do these requirements really produce effective teachers— teachers who actually improve student learning and achievement? The existing research base is decidedly mixed, highly politicized, and often just plain confusing. Some experts maintain that teachers’ pedagogical knowledge shows even stronger relationships to teaching effectiveness than their subject matter knowledge (Darling-Hammond, 1997; Darling-Hammond & Youngs, 2002); others insist that teachers’ expertise in their content area is a far better predictor of student achievement …