The Challenge of Ensuring Teacher Quality and Supply

2. The Challenge of Ensuring Teacher Quality and Supply Nancy A. Doorey Presented to: Pennsylvania Conference on Teacher Quality and Supply Issues September 26, 2002

3. Sanders & Rivers, 1996

6. Teacher Quality in PA • New policies enacted: • Higher basic verbal and math skills (PRAXIS)

7. Ferguson & Brown, 1998

8. Teacher Quality in PA, cont’d • Increased content knowledge for secondary teachers • 1 year induction • On-going professional development

9. Teacher Supply in PA • PA has annual surplus of teachers • 10,500 new graduates • 4,000 vacancies • Shortages by geographic location and certification area

10. Emergency Permits in PA, 2001-2002 (Type 01- vacancy) Elementary Educ. 1,994 Mentally/Phys. Handicapped 961 Mathematics 190 Spanish 171 English 100 Early childhood 94 Chemistry 89 PA Dept. of Education, August 2002

11. Emergency Permits Increasing in PA PA DOE, August 2002

12. Impact on Urban Children • Philadelphia: every 7th classroom • York: every 10th classroom • Harrisburg: every 10th classroom has a teacher on emergency permit. PA DOE, August, 2002

13. Unequal Access to Effective Teachers • 31% of schools in PA are high-poverty schools • These schools enroll 25% of PA students • 11% of teachers in these schools are first-year teachers, and 39% have five years of experience or less PA DOE 2002 profiles

14. Teacher transfers increase problem of equity

15. Challenges Ahead in PA • High school enrollment projected to increase by 17,000 students over 5 years in PA, and by 114,000 in contiguous states • Teacher graduates down by 15.9% over past five years, and increased standards may reduce supply further • Roughly half of PA students do not meet state standards in reading and math • 256 schools in PA and 1,714 in contiguous states were listed as “in School Improvement” under NCLB

16. The Regional Context Increased HS enrollment Number schools in NCLB School Improvement % secondary students meeting state standards +34,000 529 52% +17,000 256 48% +52,000 27412% +18,000 76012% +1,000 20 45% -1,000 13 +10,000 118 56% NCES, Oct. 2002 US DOE July 1, 2002 State Web sites, gr. 8-11 mid-range %

18. How will schools and districts respond to increased pressure to raise achievement?

19. Questions for Policymakers • How can each state improve teacher quality while ensuring adequate supply? • Are states better off pursuing teacher quality competitively or cooperatively? • In which areas would regional collaboration add value?

20. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Teacher ProjectMARTP Priorities • Create full regional reciprocity, especially for experienced teachers • Raise standards for teacher licensure in coordinated fashion • Create Meritorious New Teacher certificate based on highest standards

21. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Teacher ProjectMARTP Priorities • Coordinate electronic hiring halls and promote use • Collaborate on data collection, labor market tracking, and evaluation of strategies

22. Our shared goal: A high quality teacher for every classroom, every child.