The cheeseheads are doing something right; Wisconsin has been rated the #1 state in terms of teacher quality. Of course, this is self-reported, but with 99% of core classes reported as having "top teachers," either they're indeed very good, or Wisconsin is brazenly fudging the numbers.
This Olympian article has much more information, which not only suggests that Wisconsin teachers probably are pretty good - but teachers in other states might be really bad:
Most U.S. public school teachers -- even those at schools with large numbers of poor students -- are qualified to do their jobs, according to information that all states submitted to the federal government. But each state defined teacher qualifications differently. And experts say some state definitions are so broad that virtually all classroom teachers would meet the requirements.
That has the potential to mask one of the most troubling problems in American schooling: assigning students to educators who don't fully grasp the subjects they teach, education experts say...
There is a powerful incentive for states to show high numbers of qualified teachers. Despite tremendous shortages of science and math teachers, the law requires that all teachers of key academic courses be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-06 school year.
Three states -- Alaska, Alabama and California -- reported that fewer than half their classes met the requirements. Wisconsin reported that nearly all of its classes -- 98.6 percent -- were taught by strong teachers...
No Child Left Behind requires states, for the first time, to publicly report figures on teacher quality in key subjects like English, math and science. The law defines "highly qualified" teachers as those who have earned a bachelor's degree, hold a state teaching license and demonstrate mastery of the subjects they teach.
But state definitions vary widely regarding how teachers demonstrate that knowledge.
Some states demand that teachers majored in their subject in college. Others require them to pass a test. And others give veteran teachers at least partial credit for time they've spent teaching a subject -- even if they didn't study the topic in college.
To teach high school chemistry in Wisconsin, a teacher must have at least a college minor in chemistry and a bachelor's degree in science. In Florida, the teacher must pass a state test in the subject, according to state officials.
Therefore, if I read this correctly, if you live in Wisconsin, your child will learn chemistry from someone who at least minored in chemistry in college. If you live in Florida, your child will learn chemistry from someone who got a bachelor's degree, most likely in education, and then passed a chemistry test. I'd guess Florida is more likely to suffer from the ill consequences of "assigning students to educators who don't fully grasp the subjects they teach."
Here's CNN's story on the topic:
Several states indicated problems in coming up with the figures in the way the department wanted: percentage of classes taught by highly qualified teachers, not the percentage of top teachers themselves. The distinction is meant to expose situations in which teachers qualified in one subject are assigned to teach classes outside the field they know.
The top education official in Wisconsin, state superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster, said it's no surprise her state reports having a highly qualified teacher in almost every class. A mix of factors -- high standards set for teaching certification, strong schools of education, active professional teaching groups -- have long boosted teacher quality, she said.
Posted by kswygert at October 22, 2003 10:59 AM