Lessons for Policy Design and Implementation: Examining State and Federal Efforts to Improve Teacher Quality

Abstract

Legislative and programmatic efforts to improve teacher quality have become a major focus of state policymaking in recent years.States have employed numerous strategies in response to concerns about the preparation, quantity, and capacity of the teacher workforce. Quite often, the resulting state programs have focused on one or more of the following areas: teacher recruitment, induction, retention, certification, and compensation. These policy initiatives take various forms across states, as each state responds in the context of its specific demographic and economic circumstances.This intensified focus on teacher quality at the state level can be viewed as a predictable consequence of the standards-based reform initiatives that began in the 1980s. To date, the reform movement has progressed through three stages (Hirsch, Koppich, & Knapp, 1999). The first focused on the establishment of more rigorous learning standards for students. The second centered on improving structural features such as raising graduation requirements, increasing teacher salaries, and promoting site-based management at individual schools (Baker & Linn, 1997). The third and current stage focuses on the classroom teacher. The higher expectations for students, the statewide assessments, and the accountability programs that are part of virtually all state reform programs have prompted significant questions about whether or not teachers have the necessary knowledge, skills, and supports to accomplish the goals of education reform (Thompson & Zeuli, 1999).At the federal level, Title II of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires each state to ensure that all of its teachers in core academic subjects are "highly qualified" by the end of the 2005-06