Report: Experienced Teachers Key to Students Beating the Odds
Experienced teachers are the common factor among 156 California school districts where black and Hispanic students, as well as white students, are beating the odds and scoring higher than expected on tests that measure higher-level critical thinking skills, according to new research from the Stanford University-based Learning Policy Institute (LPI).
“The research finds that providing students with qualified, fully prepared teachers is a critical component for raising student achievement,” said Anne Podolsky, lead author of “California’s Positive Outliers: Districts Beating the Odds,” who added that she believes the findings should show education policymakers “the importance of [educator] recruitment and retention.”
These findings are consistent with other research that points to the importance of a qualified, experienced teacher, and adds to the urgency around a growing U.S. teacher shortage, especially in high-poverty districts.
Like many states, California has struggled to hire highly qualified, experienced teachers for its classrooms. Last year, it issued nearly 5,000 “intern credentials” to teachers with just a few weeks of preparation, plus nearly 6,000 “short-term staff permits” that require no teacher training. The problem is particularly acute in high-poverty districts. In 2017, LPI found that two-thirds of the state’s principals in high- CONTINUE READING: Report: Experienced Teachers Key to Students Beating the Odds