Closing the Teacher Quality Gap in Philadelphia: New Hope and Old Hurdles

Autor/inn/en	Useem, Elizabeth; Offenberg, Robert; Farley, Elizabeth
Institution	Research for Action, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
Titel	Closing the Teacher Quality Gap in Philadelphia: New Hope and Old Hurdles
Quelle	(2007), (57 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Economically Disadvantaged; Credentials; Minority Group Children; Students; Teacher Persistence; Teacher Effectiveness; Academic Achievement; Faculty Mobility; School Districts; Minority Group Teachers; Teacher Selection; Teacher Recruitment; Teacher Qualifications; Employment Experience; Disproportionate Representation; Beginning Teachers; Pennsylvania + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Studienbuch; Student; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Effectiveness of teaching; Instructional effectiveness; Lehrerleistung; Unterrichtserfolg; Schulleistung; School district; Schulbezirk; Lehrerrekrutierung; Lehrqualifikation; Occupational experience; Job experience; Work experience; Berufserfahrung; Junior teacher; Junglehrer
Abstract	In this report, three specific questions guide the analyses that follow: (1) To what degree has the School District of Philadelphia upgraded the teaching credentials of its teachers? (2) How well has the district succeeded in reducing teacher attrition and increasing the experience level of its workforce? (3) Have district efforts since the state takeover of the system and the passage of NCLB had the effect of reducing the "teacher quality gap" between schools with the highest percentages of poor and minority students and others in the district? This study of teacher staffing issues in the School District of Philadelphia, the third in a series, outlines the degree to which the district has succeeded in upgrading teachers' professional credentials, recruiting and retaining them, and equitably distributing experienced and credentialed teachers across all types of schools. Since the passage of NCLB and the state's takeover of the district in 2001, the district has succeeded in improving the certification rates of its teachers, especially new teachers, and in drastically cutting the number of emergency-certified teachers and classroom vacancies. It has also improved new teacher retention and has modernized and decentralized its hiring process. Despite significant progress in some areas, persistent hurdles remain. The district has not been able to change the pattern of having the least qualified teachers in schools serving the highest percentages of poor and minority students nor its poor long-term rate of teacher retention. The pool of qualified candidates in certain areas, particularly special education, continues to be inadequate. The district is also challenged to speed up and simplify its hiring and school placement process and to hire more minority teachers. (Author).
Anmerkungen	Research for Action. 3701 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Tel: 215-823-2500; Fax: 215-823-2510; e-mail: info@researchforaction.org; Web site: http://www.researchforaction.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10