Title II - No Competition = No Innovation

Here is our response to Title II - the bottom line is that it forces states and districts to partner with higher ed and national board which will limit competition and innovation.

 

Dear Chairman Miller, Rep. McKeon, Chairman Kildee, and Rep. Castle:

On behalf of the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE), I am writing to provide comments on the Title II Discussion Draft of your No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Reauthorization legislation.

ABCTE has two programs that work to accomplish the goals of improving teacher quality, teacher retention, and that address the teacher shortage, specifically in math and science. The first is an initial teacher credential that prepares and certifies career changers for the classroom. The American Board's Passport to Teaching^SM program has certified more than 625 teachers and is prepared to deliver significantly more, as more than 4,500 candidates have enrolled in the program. This program attracts candidates with much-needed diversity and life experience into teaching. ABCTE candidates' average age is 38, 32 percent are male, and 18 percent are minorities.

The second program is an advanced credential, Distinguished Teacher, currently being pilot-tested. It is designed for teachers with more than three years experience who demonstrate student success. The program will utilize four criteria to award certification:

• Three classroom observations administered by trained teacher-observers to determine sound, research-based teaching practice
• Principal recommendation testifying to his or her ability to demonstrate practical (as well as data-driven) instructional and classroom-management skills
• Distinguished scoring on subject-matter examination to demonstrate content mastery
• Above-average student achievement demonstrated through value-added analysis

The American Board is extremely pleased that you have incorporated alternative routes to teacher certification into the following sections: Parts A Sec 2216 (E), Sec 2223 and Parts D Sec 2511- 2, Sec 2513, Sec 2513 D (ii), Sec 2513 g (i). By allowing multiple pathways into the teaching profession, we can maximize the ability to recruit and retain teachers who are highly proficient in subject area and pedagogy.

However, I write today to draw your attention to a few provisions in Parts A, B, C, E, and G of the ESEA/NCLB Reauthorization draft. In the draft, there are specific programs and entities named that would limit local control to decide what is best for its students. In addition, providing grants to a few existing programs stifles the potential for future innovation. Not naming specific programs and opening up competition will yield better solutions for today's education issues.

I urge the Committee to consider the following concerns:

1. Advanced Credentialing
   Of the more than 3.6 million teachers in American schools, only 55,000 are certified by the National Board (National Board 2007). If the pending legislation were to benefit these teachers alone, this national directive could only reach 1.5percent of the current teaching workforce. Research (Harris and Sass 2007) continues to show that no characteristic of National Board certification establishes its teachers as significantly more qualified than their non-certified peers. It is in the best interest of the United States (both our education and economy) to maximize the means by which new teachers can be recruited, trained, and recognized.
   
   
2. Teacher Recruitment, Preparation, and Certification
   In an era besieged by teacher shortages and educator retention issues, institutions of higher learning and traditional certification methods simply are not producing enough teachers. One-third of teachers trained in higher education never teach (NCEI 2005) and 50percent leave within the first five years (Ingersoll, Smith 2003). This reality is exacerbated by growing retirements affecting the base of our teacher workforce.
   
   NCES reports that the supply of teachers from higher education has gone down in recent decades. In 1972, 21percent of bachelor's degrees awarded were in education. By 2006, that number had fallen to 7percent (NCES 2006). College Board reported that in 2006, only two academic majors had lower SAT scores than teaching - home economics and public relations (College Board 2006). These programs are not attracting the numbers or the quality of educators we need in our schools today. By including alternative certification programs within Title II legislation and allowing for the recruitment, preparation, and certification of mid-career professionals with more diverse backgrounds, the quality of the teaching workforce will improve.
   
   Today's society is a society of career changers. The US Department of Labor reports that individuals aged 18-41 will change jobs an average of 10 times during their working years and five of those will be career changes (2005). The teaching profession will not be immune to this societal shift, but the shift presents an opportunity. Alternative certification programs are more attractive and suitable for a professional in math and science fields and also draw more minority and male candidates (Mathematica 2006, NCES 2006). Both of these demographics are currently underrepresented in the teaching workforce.

I provide the following recommendations to address these issues:

Part A, SEC 2111: Premium Pay

• Section (a) - Grants - Include other advanced credentialing providers such as the American Board for teachers serving in high-needs areas
• Section (3) (C) - Include other advanced credentialing providers such as the American Board or allow the state education agency the choice of advanced credential provider, so long as they meet the criteria stipulated in the law

Please refer to number one above on Advanced Credentialing.

Part A, SEC 2112: Career Ladder

• Section (c) - Allow states and LEAs to use local rules regarding teacher pay to determine the state's ability to participate in this program

• Section (3) (A) - Allow (A) or (B) for defining "master teacher"
• Section (3) (B), (C), (E), (F) - Include other advanced credentialing providers such as the American Board or allow states flexibility to choose a national advanced credentialing provider

Some teacher groups will likely oppose any vote to adopt a career ladder that includes value- added analysis; however, it is the best way to implement this program effectively.

There is no research that indicates holding a master's degree will increase student achievement. This should not be a factor in determining a "master teacher" (Clotfelter, Ladd, and Vigdor 2007). This creates an unnecessary financial barrier for teachers working in lower-pay school districts who cannot afford to earn a Master's Degree.

To date, given the small number of teachers who have earned an advanced credential, it is essential to allow more than one provider to increase the number of "master teachers" instructing our children.

Part A, SEC 2113: Teacher Residency Programs

• Section (2) (A) (i) - Include alternative certification programs that have demonstrated efficacy in providing pedagogy instruction to potential teachers

Please refer to number two above on Teacher Recruitment, Preparation, and Certification.

Part B, SEC 2231

• Section (1) - Include partnerships with other teacher certification organizations such as nationally approved alternative certification providers.

Allow high-need LEAs flexibility to select partners other than institutions of higher education and schools of arts and sciences so that other teacher-preparation programs can participate. There are many providers of professional development independent of institutions of higher education that have proven to increase the effectiveness of teachers. Limiting the number of providers will reduce the overall quality of available programs.

Part C, SEC 2301: Purpose Definitions

• Section (a) Purpose - Include alternative certification providers
• Section (a) (5) - Include, expand, and replicate strategies that utilize alternative certification programs to attract math and science professionals into the teaching profession and provide for their state certification
• Section (a) (6) - Include and expand the use of teacher certification examinations that demand higher subject matter knowledge of math and science for elementary and secondary teachers

Please refer to number two above on Teacher Recruitment, Preparation, and Certification.

Part C, SEC 2302: Grants for Partnerships for Mathematics and Science Teacher Quality Improvement

• Section (d) Authorized Activities - Include the following sections:

• Include, expand, and replicate strategies that utilize alternative certification programs to attract math and science professionals into the teaching profession and provide for their state certification
• Include and expand the use of teacher certification examinations that demand higher subject knowledge of math and science for elementary and secondary teachers

Please refer to number two above on Teacher Recruitment, Preparation, and Certification

Part E, SEC 2506: Support of Innovative Pre-retirement Teacher Certification Programs

• Section (b) - Development, Implementation, and Demonstration - Include alternative certification providers
  

The American Board already works very closely with Troops to Teachers and Spouses to Teachers in seven states to certify military personnel and their spouses. Based on our customized curriculum, the Passport to Teaching program can be completed from anywhere in the world. Should they be deployed abroad, our troops and their spouses can complete the program prior to returning to the United States The efficiency of alternative certification programs will allow more troops to participate at a lower cost when compared to higher education programs.

Part G, SEC 2705: Function of Academies

• Section (1) (D) - Include other advanced credential providers such as the American Board

Please refer to number one above on Advanced Credentialing.

With these changes to Title II, Parts A, C, E, and G, there is the potential to raise student achievement by expanding the options for initial certification and for honoring (and thereby retaining) the thousands of distinguished teachers already in our classrooms. Increasing the organization eligibility under this legislation will fully leverage the existing programs to increase teacher quality and retention and address the math and science teacher shortages. These changes create a "level playing field" that will provide for increased innovation in education and allow states and districts to work with programs that best meet the needs of their students. ABCTE looks forward to working closely with you and your respective staffs on this important legislation.

Sincerely,

David Saba

President