Identifying Effective Teachers Policy
Providing comprehensive reporting may be the state's most important role for ensuring the equitable distribution of teachers among schools. Washington reports little school-level data that can help support the equitable distribution of teacher talent.
Washington 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. Washington also does not report on teacher absenteeism or turnover rates.
Washington does report on the percentage of teachers on emergency credentials, the average years of teaching experience and the percentage of highly qualified teachers. Commendably, these data are reported for each school, rather than aggregated by district. The state is also commended for comparing the percentage of highly qualified teachers at high- and low-poverty schools.
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. Washington
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.
Washington
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.
As Washington does with highly qualified
teachers, the state should provide comparative data for schools with similar poverty
and minority populations. This would yield a more comprehensive
picture of gaps in the equitable distribution of teachers.
Washington recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.