Retaining Effective Teachers Policy
Link to Evidence of Effectiveness: Kansas has eliminated tenure for all teachers. The state repealed the law that gave teachers who faced dismissal after three years in the classroom the right to an independent review of their cases. The state's supreme court upheld this decision in 2018.
Basis for Tenure: Not applicable
Ensure that tenure decisions are based on evidence of effectiveness.
Kansas should make cumulative evidence of effectiveness, rather than number of years in the classroom, the basis for awarding teachers the leap in professional standing that tenure represents. Although the state has effectively eliminated tenure by eliminating due process rights, this policy appears disconnected from teacher effectiveness.
Kansas did not respond to NCTQ's request to review this analysis for accuracy.
9B: Tenure
Tenure should be a significant and consequential milestone in a teacher's career. The decision to give teachers tenure (or permanent status) is usually made automatically, with little thought, deliberation or consideration of actual performance.[1] State policy should reflect the fact that initial certification is temporary and probationary, and that tenure is intended to be a significant reward for teachers who have consistently shown effectiveness and commitment.[2] Tenure and advanced certification are not rights implied by the conferring of an initial teaching certificate. No other profession, including higher education, offers practitioners tenure after only a few years of working in the field.[3]
States should also ensure that evidence of effectiveness is the preponderant (but not the only) criterion for making tenure decisions.[4] Most states confer tenure at a point that is too early for the collection of sufficient and adequate data that reflect teacher performance. Ideally, states would accumulate such data for four to five years. This robust data set would prevent effective teachers from being unfairly denied tenure based on too little data and ineffective teachers from being granted tenure.