A More Selective Pool of Teachers

ETS released a new research report on teacher quality last week showing that the teacher pool seems to be improving, at least on academic measures. The researchers compared the 1994-1997 and 2002-2005 Praxis test takers and found that the SAT scores and GPAs of teacher candidates have increased from one cohort to the next. Why? They credit a combination of policies, both federal and state, including alternative pathways to teaching, higher standards (and standards in general) for academic qualifications, and tougher admissions and licensing requirements. The research suggests that it's a more selective process now–minimum passing scores have been raised and, as a result, Praxis passing rates are down. And the proportion of test takers with prior teaching experience has risen, suggesting a change in the traditional undergraduate education degree route to teaching.

Less rosy are the results for elementary, special education and physical education candidates. Except for special education, where there appears to be some decline, these teacher candidates have better grades and scores too. But they still lag far behind their subject-matter-certified peers for secondary education. And the typical teacher, demographically, isn't much different than a decade ago. There are still disproportionately low numbers of African American and Latino teacher candidates (with the K-12 school population now less than 60 percent white, it's a little startling to still see the teacher pool hovering near 90 percent white). And the male-female ratio hasn't budged at all- still holding at only a quarter male).

The research can't say anything about the classroom effectiveness of these teachers. That's a whole other can of worms. But the direction overall- toward a more selective and perhaps respected pool of teachers- seems positive. The next question for researchers, then, is whether there is some state or federal policy that matters most for this change, or if it is some strange combination of policies that make the difference for teacher quality.