Teacher Quality
Featured Publications
December 10, 2009
Tracking and Detracking: High Achievers in Massachusetts Middle Schools
What are the implications of "tracking," or grouping students into separate classes based on their achievement? In this Thomas B. Fordham Institute report, Brookings scholar Tom Loveless examines tracking and detracking in Massachusetts middle schools, with particular focus on changes that have occurred over time and their implications for high-achieving students. Among the report's key findings: detracked schools have fewer advanced students in mathematics than tracked schools. The report also finds that detracking is more popular in schools serving disadvantaged populations.
February 14, 2008
The Leadership Limbo
In the era of No Child Left Behind, principals are increasingly held accountable for student performance. But are teacher labor agreements giving them enough flexibility to manage effectively? The Leadership Limbo: Teacher Labor Agreements in America's Fifty Largest School Districts, answers this question and others.
September 18, 2007
Alternative Certification Isn't Alternative
At first glance, the explosive growth of "alternative" teacher certification--which is supposed to allow able individuals to teach in public schools without first passing through a college of education--appears to be one of the great success stories of modern education reform. But, as this report reveals, alternative certification programs have so far failed to provide a real alternative to traditional education schools. In fact, they represent a significant setback for education reform advocates.
June 7, 2007
Golden Peaks and Perilous Cliffs: Rethinking Ohio's Teacher Pension System
Despite its long history and prodigious size, all is not well with Ohio's teacher pension system. In this Fordham Institute report, nationally renowned economists Robert Costrell and Mike Podgursky illuminate some of the serious challenges facing STRS.
April 11, 2007
The Autonomy Gap
Though most public school principals believe that effective leadership of their schools requires authority over personnel decisions (e.g., staff selection, deployment, dismissal), they report having little such authority in practice. Based on a series of interviews with a small sample of district and charter-school principals, the report shows that most district principals encounter a sizable gap between the extent and kinds of authority that leaders need to be effective and the authority that they actually have.
More Publications on Teacher Quality
Recent Gadfly Articles
Female teachers' math anxiety affects girls' math achievement
February 4, 2010 Edition, Short Reviews
Sian L. Beilock, Elizabeth A Gunderson, Gerardo Ramirez, and Susan C. Levine
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
January 2010
Reevaluating the meaning of teacher commitment
January 27, 2010 Edition, Flypaper's Finest -- the best from Flypaper, Fordham's blog
Yesterday Terry responded on Flypaper to remarks made by the president of the Dayton Education Association (DEA) as to why the union turned down up to $5 million in federal Race to the ... More
Deloitte 2009 Education Survey Overview: Redefining High School as a Launch Pad
January 27, 2010 Edition, Reviews
Deloitte LLPNovember 2009 This national report assessed, from the perspectives of students, teachers, and parents, the purpose of high school. To some of us, the answer appears manifest: ... More
Bringing School Reform to Scale: Five Award-Winning Urban Districts
January 21, 2010 Edition, Short Reviews
Heather Zavadsky
Harvard Education Press
2009
Randi's political prowess
January 14, 2010 Edition, Recommended Reading
In her Tuesday speech at the Press Club, AFT President Randi Weingarten attempted to take the teacher-policy steering wheel back from Arne Duncan, who’s been driving since the Race ... More
More Education Gadfly Articles on Teacher Quality
Featured Links & Resources
Broad Center for Superintendents
The Center's mission is to make a positive difference in the educational achievement of children in urban communities by identifying, preparing and supporting outstanding leaders to become successful urban school superintendents.
Teach for America
Places outstanding college graduates in teaching positions in low-income communitites across the country.
National Council on Teacher Quality
Billed as "America's leading source of common sense on teacher quality," the NCTQ provides the latest news and research on boosting teacher quality
KIPP: Knowledge is Power Program
KIPP is a network of free open-enrollment college-preparatory public schools in under-resourced communities throughout the United States. One of the premier school programs in the country.
Milken Family Foundation
A charitable foundation that aims "to discover and advance inventive and effective ways of helping people help themselves and those around them lead productive and satisfying lives," with a focus on education and medical research.
Also see the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, which grew from MFF's Teacher Advancement Program.