Early childhood teachers are rightly concerned with implementing a system that was, at least in the initial stages, designed with a different set of teachers in mind--teachers of older students who have standardized achievement data. In most states, policy, practices, and guidance for early childhood teachers are just now being developed or…

The 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" provided a comprehensive review of states' policies that impact the teaching profession. As a companion to last year's comprehensive state-by-state analysis, the 2010 edition provides each state with an individualized "Blueprint for Change," building off last year's "Yearbook"…

This article describes the work Colorado has done to meet the "highly qualified teaching" requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Colorado's standard is devoid of the loopholes that have drawn criticism to other states' policies, many of which, observers have suggested, fall short of both the letter and the spirit of the…

Factors that influence the design of state teacher policies and the impact of these policies on issues of coordination, equity, and teacher supply are examined. The structure and operation of policies in effect in four states--California, Colorado, Georgia, and Oklahoma--are described, and the factors that influence the design of these state…

This report presents the Colorado edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook." The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these goals…

For five years running, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has tracked states' teacher policies, preparing a detailed and thorough compendium of teacher policy in the United States on topics related to teacher preparation, licensure, evaluation, career advancement, tenure, compensation, pensions and dismissal. The "2011 State…

Investigated the concurrent validity of various PLACE (Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators) tests, noting how they fared on judgments of more contemporary notions of validity. Analysis of seven iterations of PLACE tests from five Colorado institutions supported the construct validity of the PLACE. This paper reports the…

A competency inventory was used to determine those Adult Basic Education (ABE) teacher competencies which should be used as a basis for determining ABE Teacher Certification Standards for the State of Colorado. The survey instrument consisted of 170 previously established and validated statements of teacher competency. A sample of 36 ABE teachers…

The Colorado edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…

The 2+2 Project in Colorado focused on nine areas. In each of the areas, the emphasis was to identify and to pilot the most promising alternative or alternatives to recommend to local school boards, the State Board of Education, and, when appropriate, the state legislature. Topics addressed were: (1) student assessment options; (2) assessment…

In Colorado, pre-service teachers in the larger teacher preparation programs are required to prepare portfolios to document the ways they will meet state licensure requirement standards. In the process, they learn the self-assessment skills and techniques necessary to prepare the renewal of licensure dossier required by the state. In addition, the…

A survey was conducted of 687 teachers and 768 administrators on the implementation and perceptions of Colorado's mandated certificated personnel performance evaluation system, which requires that all school districts adopt performance standards for certificated personnel and that all administrators receive training in personnel evaluation skills.…

The "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" examines what is arguably the single most powerful authority over the teaching profession: state government. This Colorado edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the first of what will be an annual look at the status of state policies…