Support for Teachers
Research shows that teacher quality is one of the most, if not the most, important factors in determining student achievement. High-quality teachers can have a greater influence on achievement than a student's background, including socio-economic status, language background, and race/ethnicity.
Supporting teachers
To help students make academic gains, teachers need support. This support includes competitive wages, professional development, and time for planning and collaboration. For the 2005-06 school year, the average teacher salary (not including supplemental pay) in Washington was $45,724. This average is $3,300 below the national average, almost $14,000 below the national leader (Connecticut), and below most states in the region.
*NOTE: Figure does not include supplemental pay, including TRI pay, which varies from district to district.
As many teachers can attest, it is not necessarily the amount of professional development that matters, but rather the quality. To grow as educators and professionals, teachers need ongoing development to stay current on educational and instructional issues and keep their skills sharp. This requires professional development led by qualified leaders and designed to help teachers continually improve their instructional practice and raise student achievement. This necessitates teachers have additional time to plan and develop curriculum and lessons, as well as work collaboratively with other teachers.
Efforts to improve teacher quality
There were 56,339 classroom teachers serving over 1 million students in Washington in 2005-06. Unfortunately, while we can begin to track individual student's scores, much work needs to be done on an effective teacher data system. Teacher and student data are not linked, nor is it clear exactly how many teachers are teaching out of their endorsement. The Professional Educator Standards Board asks districts to self-report out of endorsement numbers, and while most districts comply, nine districts did not for 2005-06. A comprehensive data system would provide a more accurate picture of our teaching force, along with the impact of that force on student achievement.
Along with an improved data system, Washington's teacher education programs and schools need to attract top talent. This includes maintaining rigorous entrance requirements into teacher education programs and providing a balanced curriculum in theory and instructional practice. Teacher certification and endorsement standards should also hold the bar high to ensure every teacher in every classroom is of the highest quality.
Resources
Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession
- Creating a Comprehensive Teacher Data System
- Who's Teaching Washington's Children? A 2006 Update, January 2007
- Teachers' Views: Professional Development that Improves Teaching and Learning, January 2007
LEV: Comparison of Six Pay for Performance Models
National Education Association
- Student Programs-State by State
- Rankings & Estimates: Rankings of the States 2006 and Estimates of School Statistics 2007, December 2007
National Center on Performance Incentives
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
