FINDERS KEEPERS:FINDERS KEEPERS: recruiting, preparing, and retaining the best teachers for NYC schoolsthe best teachers for NYC schools

Pam Grossman and Susanna LoebLeading MattersLeading Matters

November 14, 2009

T h M ttTeachers Matter• Teachers represent the most

important factor in raising student achievement

• Enduring policy question:• Enduring policy question:how do we recruit, prepare, and retain excellent teachers for all children?excellent teachers for all children?

O i f T lkOverview of Talk• Recruiting, preparing, and retaining

effective teachers for New York City schools

• Measuring and improving the quality• Measuring and improving the quality of instruction

Unequal Distributiont h tt ib t b t d t t tteacher attributes by student test scores

(New York State, in 2000)

Little Enforcement of State PolicyLittle Enforcement of State Policy

Littl R it tLittle Recruitment• Teacher education programs• Teacher education programs

• little outreach• rarely selective

• Difficult-to-staff districts• Difficult-to-staff districts • recruited certified teachers

littl h l l l t l• little school-level control• late hiring (July and August)• often relied on waivers

Di t R it tDirect RecruitmentT h f A i 1990• Teach for America - 1990

• The New Teacher Project 1997• The New Teacher Project – 1997

• UTeachUTeach

• The Boston Residency ProgramThe Boston Residency Program

Ch i A t bilitChange in AccountabilityState req irements no longer based solel• State requirements no longer based solely

on compliance (inputs)

• Standardized tests used for accountability instead of just to inform parents or for

t d t t iti ( NY t )student opportunities (e.g NY regents)

• Started in the states but moved to FederalStarted in the states but moved to Federal with NCLB – increased emphasis on subgroups (and teacher quality).

Highly Qualified TeacherHighly Qualified Teacher• Intent - all students have a good teachers

d it i t h litand equity in teacher quality

• State flexibility

• Weak research base for defining HQ – use professional consensus & State policy processprofessional consensus & State policy process

• defines HQT as: (1) fully State-certified; (2) holding a bachelor’s degree; (3) demonstratingholding a bachelor s degree; (3) demonstrating competency in the core academic subject or subjects he or she teaches – multiple options

Highly Qualified TeacherHighly Qualified Teacher• All teachers have the option of passing a

t tstate exam.

• Middle and secondary teachers may complete an undergraduate or graduate degree in their field or advanced

tifi ti d ti lcertification or credential.

• All veteran teachers also have the option of completing a High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE)

Certification Exam Failure Rate of Elementary Teachers, 2000-’05

40% High-poverty

35%

40% High-poverty schools

25%

30%

of te

ache

rs

20%

Perc

ent o

10%

15%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Low-poverty schools

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Low est quartile 2nd quartile 3rd quartile Highest quartile

Certification Exam Failure Rate of Elementary Teachers, 2000-’05

40% High-poverty

35%

40% High-poverty schools

25%

30%

of te

ache

rs

20%

Perc

ent o

10%

15%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Low-poverty schools

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Low est quartile 2nd quartile 3rd quartile Highest quartile

Just New Teachers 2000-’05Just New Teachers, 2000 05 35%

High poverty

25%

30%

cher

s

High-poverty schools

20%

25%

of n

ew te

ac

10%

15%

% o

Low-poverty schools10%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Lowest quartile 2nd quartile 3rd quartile Highest quartile

schools

New Teachers by Pathway, 2000-05 y y,10,000 College Recommended Individual Evaluation

7 000

8,000

9,000 Teaching Fellow Teach For America*Temp License Other

5,000

6,000

7,000

f tea

cher

s

3,000

4,000

,

num

ber o

f

1,000

2,000

01995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04

Effect of changes in teacher characteristics on student math scores-0.04 -0.02 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08

2001

ent

2005

hMos

t Affl

u

25% decrease inchange

2001

25% decrease in the predicted gap

2005

Poo

rest

change

Changes in Grades 4th & 5th Math S D t T h Q lifi ti

15

Scores Due to Teacher Qualifications10ac

hers

5porti

on o

f Tea

0Pr

op0

-.15 -.1 -.05 0 .05 .1 .15 .2Average Impact on Students in Standard Deviations

Rich 2001 Poor 2001Rich 2005 Poor 2005Rich 2005 Poor 2005

ImplicationsImplications• A dramatic change in who teaches

• A small but meaningful change in student outcomes

• Point to the Importance of direct recruitment, selection, and reasonable qualificationsselection, and reasonable qualifications

• Still large variation across teachers from the same pathway or with the same test score insame pathway or with the same test score in effectiveness

Assuming variation in effectiveness of entrants

• Quality of teacher preparation and support

• Impact of specific features of teacher education

• Quality of clinical experiences

• Opportunities to learn the work of teaching

St t i R t ti• Strategic Retention

• Aim to retain more effective teachers

Teacher RetentionVaries meaningfully across schoolsVaries meaningfully across schoolsWho leaves?

teachers with stronger pre-serviceteachers with stronger pre service qualifications less effective teachers as measured by value-addedadded

Who do schools hire?teachers with stronger pre-serviceteachers with stronger pre service qualifications more effective teachers as measured by value-addedadded

Why do teachers leave?

40 00%

50.00%College Recommended (N=156)Teaching Fellows (N=36)Other (N=114)

30.00%

40.00%

10 00%

20.00%

0.00%

10.00%

Important Role of LeadershipImportant Role of Leadership50.00%

C ll R d d (N 150)

35 00%

40.00%

45.00%College Recommended (N=150)Teaching Fellows (N=35)Other (N=112)

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

Eff ti P i i lEffective PrincipalsD t il h l• Do not necessarily have lower

turnover

• Keep the most effective teachers

E th l t ff ti• Encourage the least effective teachers to leave

• Also support teachers for improvement…p

Identifying the components ofIdentifying the components of highly effective teaching

• What do effective teachers know?• What goes on in the classrooms of• What goes on in the classrooms of

effective teachers?U thi k l d b th t• Use this knowledge both to prepare

and support teachers

How has each student come up with this answer? What is the logic underlying the mistake?

Student A49

Student B49

Student C4949

x 25405

49x 25225

49x 251250405

108 1485

225100325

1250

251485 325 251275

What do effective teachers know?

• Teachers as connoisseurs of error

• Measures of teacher knowledge

• Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT)(MKT)

Invest in development of pedagogical g gskill

• Identify practices of highly effective teachers

• Study of instruction in middle school classrooms in New York cityy

• 12 teachers in the 4th quartile• 12 teachers in the 2nd quartile• 12 teachers in the 2 d quartile• Pairs of teachers in the same schools

What does good teaching look like?

How would you describe the teaching in this clip?teaching in this clip?

Using a tool to rate instruction• Provides a common technical vocabulary for y

describing instruction

P id i t t l f l ki t• Provides consistent lens for looking at instruction

• Allows for rating teachers across different components of instruction

• Allows us to compare quality of instruction across classroomsacross classrooms

PLATO (Protocol for Language Arts T hi Ob ti )Teaching Observation)

• Purpose • Explicit strategy p• Intellectual challenge• Representations of

content

p gyinstruction

• Guided practicecontent

• Connections to prior knowledge

• Classroom discourse• Text-based instruction

Accommodations for• Connections to personal/cultural experience

• Accommodations for language learning

• Classroom environment• Models/Modeling

Future of PLATO• Adopted in large-scale studies of teachingAdopted in large-scale studies of teaching

• Educational Testing Service• Teach for America• Gates-funded study

D l t f t l f hi d• Development of tools for coaching and professional development

A Quick Summary• Lots of interesting changes in the past 9Lots of interesting changes in the past 9

years• Unlike some changes, these seem to have g ,

penetrated into classrooms• Lots of current reform efforts

• Emphasis on standardized test scores as sole outcome

• More emphasis on local decision making• Need to build capacity both within and

outside the classroomoutside the classroom

FINDERS KEEPERS: recruiting, preparing, and retaining the best

teachers for NYC schools

Pam Grossman: pamg@stanford.edu Susanna Loeb:sloeb@stanford.eduSusanna Loeb:sloeb@stanford.edu

www.teacherpolicyresearch.org