Providing teachers with data-driven feedback, aligned professional development and opportunities for advancement may help limit attrition, contribute to more effective teaching, and improve student learning. However, research shows that much of the professional development teachers currently receive does not improve either teacher or student…

This resource was prepared in response to a request for information about the innovations and lessons learned as the result of the investments States have made in transforming their workforce using their Race to the Top -- Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grants. These strategies and accomplishments will be helpful to other States as they…

Committed to being a charter school with a professional learning community that empowers teachers, New Mexico's South Valley Academy (SVA) staff transformed its state evaluation process into a practitioner action research process (Anderson, Herr, & Nihlen, 2007). While teachers self-diagnose growth needs and play active roles in improving…

Full-release mentoring programs draw successful mid-career teachers away from classrooms, with the inherent risk that they will decide not to return to classroom teaching, thus eliminating the opportunity for future students to benefit directly from their expertise. This might be enough for some districts, particularly those struggling to retain…

Building a stronger teacher workforce requires the thoughtful orchestration of multiple processes working together in a human capital system. This white paper presents a framework that can be used to take stock of current efforts to enhance the teacher workforce in school districts or educational organizations, as well as their underlying theories…

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 study investigates the present state of sabbatical leave policies and practices in 4-year colleges and universities in New Mexico. A questionnaire was mailed to the Academic Affairs Dean or Academic Vice-President of nine New Mexico institutions. Follow-up letters were sent and responses were received from eight of the nine institutions.…

Describes the Technology Leadership Academy (University of Texas at Austin) whose mission is to develop a learning community among teacher preparation programs to improve technology integration. Explains the academy's development, which was part of a grant from the Department of Education's Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers To Use Technology…

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 Teacher…

This brief booklet describes the formation of New Mexico's revised system for licensing public school teachers. The need to improve educator preparation and licensure is noted as the first priority. Volunteers representing teachers, administrators, colleges of education and arts and science, business/industry, parents, and community leaders were…

This guide provides assistance to New Mexico school districts in implementing a state-sponsored teacher performance evaluation plan (Provision III of the New Mexico Staff Accountability Plan, adopted by the State Board of Education). This plan involves five basic procedures: (1) determine specific definitions of the six essential teaching…

A New Mexico study interviewed 1 special education teacher and 1 administrator from each of 17 small rural school districts, via a 65-item interview guide related to staff development needs. Lack of staff development activities was identified as a critical problem for special educators. Training in instructional technology was the most frequently…

Teacher evaluation procedures appear to focus on organizational maintenance aspects more heavily than on helping teachers improve their teaching performance. This conclusion was reached after a content analysis of teacher evaluation instruments used in New Mexico schools. Items focusing on the instructional role constituted only 28% of the items…

Provided are hearings related to perfecting the goals/objectives of S. 248, the Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education Act of 1983. Various issues related to the current crisis in science/mathematics education and to improving the quality of education in these areas in the United States (with particular emphasis on New Mexico) are…

Levels of achievement and participation in both school mathematics and school science remain unacceptable throughout most of the nation. Addressing these concerns has unique and specific ramifications for small rural schools, particularly with respect to the economic aspects of providing the materials and manipulatives necessary for hands-on…