Teacher Quality
Strengthening Teacher Quality
Research indicates that no other school-related factor has a greater impact on student achievement than the ability of the student’s teacher, which has led to an increased focus on this issue by Congress.
Why Is This Important To Your School District?
Teacher quality is inextricably linked to improving student achievement, and school districts nationwide face challenges involving teacher recruitment and retention, particularly in high-need subjects and hard-to-staff schools. Although hiring decisions are the responsibility of local school districts, Congress can assist districts and states in recruiting, supporting and retaining qualified and effective teachers.
NSBA's Position: Congress should support efforts to help districts strengthen teacher quality.
- Assist districts and states in recruiting and retaining qualified and effective teachers through federal incentives and grants, with a specific focus on hard-to-staff schools and high-need subjects.
- Improve the Highly Qualified Teacher requirements in NCLB by streamlining existing requirements and incorporating practical flexibility, especially for teachers of multiple core subjects, special education and in rural schools.
- Assist districts and states in strengthening professional development by redirecting a portion of NCLB's sanctions toward professional development programs.
- Support alternative certification programs to broaden the pool of new and effective teacher candidates.
- Strengthen teacher preparation programs and ensure alignment with NCLB requirements.
- Facilitate and disseminate quality research and best practices on effective teaching.
Visit our Legislative Action Center to find out what's happening in Congress now.
Resources
- Issue Brief: Teacher and Principal Effectiveness
[PDF 127,851kb] - Analysis of Select Teacher/Principal Legislation in the 111th Congress [PDF 193,321kb]
A summary/analysis of several bills that have been introduced in this Congress.
- NSBA's Letter in Support of TEACH Grants in HR 2669 Conference Report: September 5, 2007
[HTML 2,501kb]
Letter to the Conference Committee in support of TEACH grants.
- NSBA Letter in Support of TEACH Grants: July 11, 2007 [HTML 2,210kb]
NSBA's letter to the U.S. House of Representatives in support of TEACH Grants
- NSBA's Letter for the Record on NCLB Hearing on Teacher Quality: May 10, 2007 [HTML 8,622kb]
Letter for the Record on NCLB Hearing - "Boosting Quality in the Teaching Profession"
- NSBA's Letter to U.S. House of Representatives: April 24, 2007 [HTML 3,409kb]
H.R. 362 – 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act
- NSBA's Letter for the Record on NCLB Hearing on High Quality Educators: March 5, 2007 [HTML 8,664kb]
Letter for the Record on NCLB Hearing – “Strategies for Attracting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Educators”
- NSBA Survey on Highly Qualified Teachers (August 2006) [PDF 152,858kb]
Summary of survey to local school board members conducted in August 2006.
- Center for Public Education
For more information and resources on teacher quality, visit the Center for Public Education.