Identifying Effective Teachers Policy
Providing comprehensive reporting may be the state's most important role for ensuring the equitable distribution of teachers among schools. Massachusetts reports little school-level data that can help support the equitable distribution of teacher talent.
Massachusetts does not collect or publicly report most of the data recommended by NCTQ. The state does not provide a school-level teacher quality index that demonstrates the academic backgrounds of a school's teachers and the ratio of new to veteran teachers. Massachusetts also does not report teacher absenteeism or turnover rates.
Massachusetts does report on the percentage of highly qualified teachers. Commendably, these data are reported for each school, rather than aggregated by district. Massachusetts Highly Qualified Teacher Plan, published in 2006, compares the percentage of highly qualified teachers in high- and low-poverty schools, and these data have been updated through the 2008-2009 school year.
Use a teacher quality index to report publicly about each school.
A teacher quality index, such as the one
developed by the Illinois Education Research Council, with data
including teachers' average SAT or ACT scores, the percentage of
teachers failing basic skills licensure tests at least once, the
selectivity of teachers' undergraduate colleges and the percentage of
new teachers, can shine a light on how equitably teachers are
distributed both across and within districts. Massachusetts
should ensure that individual school report cards include such data
in a manner that translates these factors into something easily
understood by the public, such as a color-coded matrix indicating a school's
high or low score.
Publish other data that facilitate comparisons across schools.
Massachusetts should
collect and report other school-level data that reflect the stability
of a school's faculty, including
the rates of teacher absenteeism and turnover.
Provide comparative data based on school demographics.
Massachusetts noted that it is preparing a comprehensive status-of-teaching report that will include data on equitable distribution as they become available.