This study sought to determine whether a significant difference exists in the efficacy of teachers who received a traditional licensure versus those who received alternative licensure in their first three years of teaching. Additionally, the research aimed to determine if there was a significant difference in student growth based upon teacher…

Career Technical Education (CTE) teacher recruitment is a challenge that has dogged state CTE leaders for decades. According to a recent survey of State CTE Directors, 98 percent said that increasing access to industry experts is a high priority in their state. And 20.4 percent of rural districts with CTE teacher vacancies report that CTE…

Recruit, train, reward, retain. These actions sound like the core competencies of a human resources manager or the buzzwords for economic development initiatives aiming to attract Fortune 500 companies. The same principles apply to finding, preparing and retaining effective educators. All 16 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states have…

Alternative teacher licensing programs have become very popular; however, very little research has been conducted on the efficacy of the programs. Alternative licensing programs (ALPs) have evolved and multiplied rapidly over the last few decades. The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) is attempting to determine…

Improving teacher preparation is critical to long-term improvement in teacher quality. More than 200,000 new teachers enter classrooms each year. Increasing student enrollment, the retirement of baby boom generation teachers, and high attrition in their first five years (between 40 and 50 percent of new teachers leave the profession) have…

This causal-comparative, mixed-methods study examined the role of prior experience in the mentoring needs of first-year teachers from alternative certification programs in three Tennessee counties. Teachers examined were: teachers from traditional teacher education programs, teachers with no prior teacher education experience, teachers with prior…

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…

This report presents the Tennessee 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…

This Tennessee 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…

This report presents data on Tennessee's teaching workforce. There has been a recent increase in the percentage of new, inexperienced teachers hired in Tennessee. While there was no change in teacher turnover in recent years, the loss of new teachers became more serious throughout the 1990s. Lack of teacher and administrator diversity remained a…

Several tests from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) have been used or are candidates for use by the Tennessee State Department of Education as initial licensure endorsement area tests. Memphis State University conducted a study in 1991 to recommend minimum qualifying scores for endorsement area applicants who would take the applicable tests.…

In 1988 a study was conducted to determine the validity of candidate teacher licensure examinations for use in Tennessee under the 1984 Comprehensive Education Reform Act. The Department of Education conducted a study to determine the validity of 11 previously unvalidated or extensively revised tests for certification and to make recommendations…

This publication focuses on the teaching quality goals and priorities of nine Southeastern U.S. states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), reviewing each state's Title II proposals. The report highlights seven priority areas of focus for regional alliances: constructing…

In October 1986, the Tennessee State Board of Education adopted nine principles setting forth a framework for the design of an improved teacher education system in Tennessee and identifying major areas of responsibility for higher education institutions, local school systems, and the state. The principles include: (1) liberal arts preparation; (2)…

The licensure of public school personnel in Tennessee is a function of the State Department of Education (SDE). Additional requirements for this certification function were added by the Comprehensive Education Reform Act (Senate Bill Number 1) of the 1984 Tennessee General Assembly. The Act mandated that the SDE use tests to assess the competence…