NCLB's emphasis on seeing to it that all classrooms are staffed by highly qualified teachers is commendable. Teacher competence is the most important factor in student learning. The ability to define that competence had been gradually emerging from research and policy making before NCLB, but the law, unfortunately, is loosening its grasp on a…

If the No Child Left Behind law's prescription for "highly qualified" teachers had worked out the way it appears on paper, states would have gotten a good look at how far they had to go as far back as 2003. Then, as envisioned by Congress' 2001 overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, they would have marched steadily…

In this article, the author discusses the nightmare educators face due to the No Child Left Behind Act meaning of "highly qualified" teachers. But for NCLB, highly qualified doesn't necessarily mean good, for them it means the teacher took the right number of subject-area courses in college and is teaching only those subjects. And that,…

Arguably the most important educational resource is teachers. Teachers and teaching quality are a central feature of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) which requires a "highly qualified teacher" in every core academic classroom. Many states and large districts also have policies in place to attract qualified teachers to…

The No Child Left Behind Act's emphasis on universal standards of academic performance, defined as proficiency in grade-level core curriculum and state academic assessments, challenges general education program personnel to higher standards of professional practice. Because schools must report student achievement by subgroups, including students…

In June 2006, the State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Steven Paine, convened the Task Force comprised of county superintendents, RESA executive directors, county school boards, county and RESA specialists in staff development, finance, and technology, staff from West Virginia Senate and House Education Committees, the State Auditor's Office, and…

In this report, three specific questions guide the analyses that follow: (1) To what degree has the School District of Philadelphia upgraded the teaching credentials of its teachers? (2) How well has the district succeeded in reducing teacher attrition and increasing the experience level of its workforce? (3) Have district efforts since the state…

Purpose: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) brought attention to the need for states to upgrade the criteria used to certify teachers for entry into the profession. This study focuses on collective teacher qualifications mandated by NCLB and the role they play in explaining differences in school achievement and growth rates. Research Methods: The study…

Effective school leadership, in the form of a dedicated, skilled principal, is a key element in creating and maintaining high quality schools. Improving school leadership is particularly important for poorly performing schools. The passage of the federal "No Child Left Behind" legislation and Michigan's Education YES! School…

This article describes four myths about teacher quality commonly associated with the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. Myth 1 explores the hypothesis that generating an endless supply of new teachers to solve the teacher shortage is the best way to alleviate any real teacher shortage. Myth 2 tackles the assertion that academic ability…

When President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) into law in January 2002, it was generally described as the most sweeping national education reform that had been enacted in decades. Amending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 made significant changes in the major…

The authors of this report, education researchers and reformers, value both the promise and possibilities of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), with its mandate that states ensure a "highly qualified" teacher for every child in every core academic class. Reports by the Education Trust, the Center for Education Policy, and the Center…

This report on the state's early education system offers a dark assessment, but not a fatalistic one, especially if leaders can seize and build on reform efforts that have already started in patches throughout the state. There's much more that policymakers, advocates and the state can--and should--be doing to work toward a day when all California…

This article explores middle school teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching and the relationship between such knowledge and teachers' subject matter preparation, certification type, teaching experience, and their students' poverty status. The author administered multiple-choice measures to a nationally representative sample of teachers and…

Business is about productivity and maintaining a competitive advantage. To do this, business needs qualified workers. Hiring people with disabilities adds value to a business and will attract new customers. Disability is not inability. President Bush's position is that he "will not be satisfied until every American who wants to work can find…