What's the Best Way to Make Teachers?
A new federal study on teacher quality has found that teachers who enter teaching through an alternative route have roughly the same impact on student achievement as teachers who come from regular teacher education programs. The results of the study, commissioned by the federal Department of Education, could spur more states to consider changes to teacher training and hiring practices.
For years, a debate has raged over the effectiveness of teachers who come from programs that prepare noneducation majors for the classroom. These alternative programs allow recent college graduates or midcareer professionals to teach—in many cases at the most challenging schools—while taking classes to obtain a teaching certificate. The most well-known alternative certification programs are Teach for America and New York City Teaching Fellows. (This study measured the quality of teachers from less selective programs.)
Some education leaders argue that teachers from alternative certification programs are less effective and less likely to stick around because they walk into a classroom with little, if any, preparation. Teachers from traditional certification programs are fully certified by the time they start teaching. (Read more about the teacher quality debate.)
But the new study by researchers from Mathematica Policy Research found that students of teachers who chose to enter the profession through an alternative route performed the same on tests as students of teachers who chose a traditional route to teaching. It made no significant difference whether traditionally certified teachers had taken more coursework or received more training than teachers with alternative certification.
Researchers analyzed the math and reading test scores of 2,600 students in 63 schools in six states. They compared students from the same schools who were randomly assigned to teachers from alternative certification programs or regular teacher education programs.
How much do you know about the credentials of your child's teacher? Did he or she enter teaching through an alternative or traditional route? Do you think it makes a difference?
Tags: teachers | education | K-12 education
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Stick to the task at hand
The best schools in America do not have credentialed teachers. They have teachers with high-level training in their subject matter. The mediocrity of the modern teaching profession is a direct product of the "mainstream" credentialing track, which produces the inoffensive, status-quo-supporting teachers we see in our public schools. I propose that the credentialing system be eliminated altogether in favor of higher subject-matter qualifications, where a master's degree in the field taught substitutes for the teaching credential.
Teachers should be able to teach concepts of subject
I am truly amazed at the lack of accoutability for the teachers to pass children from kindrgarden,first grade, etc. with the children not learning any of the concepts of subjects to be learned. Namely reading,(not sight reading, reading with comprehension have been gained) Arithmatic, concepts learned, and under stood, English, basic sounds, combinations of letters, and what they mean when they are combined properly.
Reading,if these preceeding subjects have been taught understood, than Reading would pose no problem.
The schools are fully aware of this being done, I might add, not in the child's best interest. To promote
children lacking these necessary components of basic learning is deplorable. So now you have graduated people , that cannot read, understand math, and write proficiently.
Education has to wake up, or, is it profitable to have more prisons,drop outs, which you attribute to these so called participants not showing any interest in learning.
The truth be it known, is that educators are all at fault for this to be happening for this many years. Spend the money as you have previousely done, and still ponder the question, How can we improve education?Teachers know a good thing when they see it, at least they are able to earn a living and not get blamed for this sham that has been pulled on the public.This money that is being allowed to happen for education. Is it just another false pretense to still have individuals being denied a chance to progress in their lives. How is it You all sleep so well at night?
Wake up America and see if anyone will have a chance to really get an education.
content knowledge,common sense, and work ethic
After 26 years of high school teaching, I still haven't seen many teaching programs that prepare anyone for the profession as well as a good long internship under the careful watch of an experienced teacher. The student teachers/interns who succeed are the ones who are knowledgeable about their subject matter, willing to work their butts off, honest with themselves about what worked and what didn't, ask lots of questions about how to get it right, and who have great people skills, including a genuine affinity with the kids. A sense of humor and ability to laugh at yourself are also essential. Most of this is character-driven rather than the result of training.
Invariably, the ones who think this is an easy job and are in it for the summers off are overwhelmed and disillusioned---they generally don't make it through the internship period!
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