Research and Rhetoric on Teacher Certification

Abstract

In October, 2001, the Baltimore-based Abell Foundation issued a report purporting to prove that there is "no credible research that supports the use of teacher certification as a regulatory barrier to teaching" and urging the discontinuation of certification in Maryland. The report argued that large inequities in access to certified teachers for poor and minority students are not a problem because research linking teacher education to student achievement is flawed. In July, 2002, the U.S. Secretary of Education cited the Abell Foundation paper in his Annual Report on Teacher Quality as the sole source for concluding that teacher education does not contribute to teacher effectiveness. The Secretary's report then recommended that requirements for education coursework be eliminated from certification standards, and attendance at schools of education and student teaching be made optional. This article documents the many inaccuracies in the Abell Foundation paper and describes the actual findings of many of the studies it purports to review, as well as the findings of other studies it ignores. It details misrepresentations of a number of studies, including inaccurate statements about their methods and findings, false claims about their authors' views, and distortions of their data and conclusions. The article addresses methodological issues regarding the validity and interpretation of research. Finally, the article presents data challenging the Abell Foundation's unfounded claims that uncertified teachers are as effective as certified teachers, that teacher education makes no difference to teacher effectiveness, that verbal ability is the most important determinant of teaching effectiveness, that private schools staffed by uncertified teachers are more effective than public schools, and that untrained teachers are more qualified than prepared teachers. It concludes with a discussion of the policy issues that need to be addressed if all students are to be provided with highly qualified teachers.

Using Sociocultural Theory to Understand the Relationship between Teacher Change and a Science-based Professional Education Program

“…Bourdieu reminds us that this negotiation is influenced by the possibilities for generating cultural, symbolic, and social capital. Such an analysis confirms the complexity of this field also illustrated in arguments about the nature of "a highly effective teacher" and how professional education might contribute to the development of these types of teachers (Darling-Hammond, 2002). In discipline-based professional education programs such as the one that is the focus of this study, this negotiation can be more problematic because so much cultural and symbolic capital is associated with knowing chemistry.…”

Research on Teaching and Teacher Education and Its Influences on Policy and Practice

“…While debates about the value of teachers' preparation and experience have often been conducted around technical analyses of studies on the topic (see e.g., Ballou & Podgursky, 1999;Darling-Hammond, 2000b, 2002Darling-Hammond & Youngs, 2002;Walsh, 2001), they have strong social, political, and economic implications. For example, evidence on inequities in the distribution of fully qualified teachers has been prominent in a large number of school finance lawsuits (for an overview, see Darling-Hammond, 2010), and significant costs could be associated with creating the salaries, working conditions, and other incentives needed to supply qualified teachers to all communities.…”

Influence of Motivation Theory and Supplemental Workshops on First-Time Passing Rates of HBCU Teacher Candidates

“…The suggestions seemingly reveal the conundrum facing teacher preparation, highly qualified testing certification, and highly effective implications for our nation's teacher educator workforce (Darling-Hammond, 2001;Garcia, 1986). In addition to the overall requirements for ECE teachers, special educators have additional licensure requirements to fulfill stating they must have a cognate in the subject area of instruction to meet highly qualified status.…”