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The Importance of Effective Teachers

A recent study, by the Hoover Institution, of New York teachers found differences in teacher quality accounted for sizable differences in student test scores. A three-year study of Tennessee teachers concluded that students of effective teachers scored 50 percentage points higher on state tests than students of less effective teachers. Education Trust found that low-achieving students taught by effective teachers for three years were able to nearly close the achievement gap with their peers.

Most states struggle with two competing challenges with respect to their teaching force: (1) attracting effective teachers in high numbers, and (2) retaining them. In Illinois, the quality of the teaching force has been improving in recent years, according to new studies by The Illinois Education Research Council(other cites). The average academic background of new teachers (measured by degrees earned, ACT scores and other metrics) has been increasing, and the number of non-certified and emergency-certified teachers has been declining.

At the same time, teacher attrition in the state remains a critical issue. In Illinois, nearly 40% of public school teachers leave within the first five years. ACORN reports that in schools serving more at-risk students, attrition can swell to 70%.

And while Illinois works to attract and keep effective teachers, it is also making strides toward a more equitable distribution of its high-quality teachers. Recent studies indicate that more certified teachers with strong academic backgrounds are reaching Illinios' neediest schools. These schools have responded with higher scores on state tests.

Despite these gains, however, the distribution of effective teachers in Illinois based on student demographics and performance remains troublesomely inequitable.

Illinois' Distribution of Teacher Quality, by School Poverty

TQI = teacher quality index, FRL = free and reduced lunch

The Critical Role of Principals

Any number of studies and common sense tell us that effective teachers do not remain at schools with ineffective leadership. Weak administrative support is one of the most frequently cited factors underlying teacher attrition (Richard Ingersoll and others), and teacher satisfaction is directly contingent upon strong administrative support.

In addition, it is instructive to consider the many studies that have been done over the years of high-performing schools, and of schools that have achieved strong academic growth despite challenging demographics or circumstances. The common denominator of these successful schools: focused, effective leadership.

What Impacts Human Capital?

Legislation, state agencies, colleges and universities, school districts and professional organizations all play a role in preparing, supporting, compensating, and framing the working conditions of teachers and principals. Accordingly, each of these elements impacts who comes into the profession, how prepared they are for the complex work at hand, and whether and how long they remain.

Illinois has undertaken a number of varied strategies in recent years in an effort to impact who is working in the state's public schools. Illinois provides financial incentives for Illinois teachers to earn National Board certification, and is one of only 10 states to offer further incentives for National Board Certified teachers to work in low-performing schools. Studies have shown that teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards are more effective in the classroom and can even raise the effectiveness of teachers around them.

More broadly, there are any number of ways in which a state might explore strengthening the pipeline of effective teachers.  At the front end, the state has an enormous amount of influence over who is allowed to certify new teachers, the requirements and expectations in place at teacher training programs, and the standards to which we hold new teachers.  In addition, the state has an important role to play in teacher evaluation, compensation and the rules around tenure.  In short, any state that is serious about raising the overall level of the teaching profession, has a wide array of tools available to it.

For principals, Illinois recently began the Illinois New Principal Mentoring Program, which aims to provide intense, one-on-one mentoring for every new principal during their first year. In addition, new programs such as the Urban Education Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and New Leaders for New Schools are preparing what they hope will be a new breed of school leader, prepared for the challenges of high-need student populations.

In addition, The Illinois School Leader Task Force recently presented its report to the General Assembly outlining a number of steps it recommends be taken to improve the consistency and quality of school leadership throughout the state. The recommendations include changes to state policies, new partnerships between districts and principal preparation programs, and a retooling of existing principal preparation programs, including more rigorous admissions criteria, extended residencies, stronger assessments of candidates and ongoing mentoring of new principals.