State Teacher Policy Yearbook: Progress on Teacher Quality, 2007. Louisiana State Summary

National Council on Teacher Quality. 1420 New York Avenue NW Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-393-0020; Fax: 202-393-0095; Web site: http://www.nctq.org

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Joyce Foundation
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Koret Foundation
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
Martha Holden Jennings Foundation
Milken Family Foundation
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation

Policymakers

Teaching (Occupation); Teacher Effectiveness; Yearbooks; State Standards; State Government; Special Education Teachers; Special Education; Educational Policy; Policy Analysis; Government Role; Teacher Education; Teacher Certification; Compensation (Remuneration); Annual Reports; Elementary Secondary Education; Objectives; Program Evaluation; Teacher Evaluation; Schools of Education; Accreditation (Institutions); Program Effectiveness; Accountability; Program Improvement; Teacher Recruitment; Federal Legislation; Guidelines

The "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" examines what is arguably the single most powerful authority over the teaching profession: state government. This Louisiana 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 impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers could make improvements to benefit both students and teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into six areas that include a total of 27 goals. Broadly, these goals examine the impact of state policy on the preparation, certification, licensure, compensation and effectiveness of teachers across the elementary, secondary and special education spectra. Louisiana's progress toward meeting these goals is summarized. Overall, Louisiana has done a good job in meeting some of NCTQ's goals, but there is significant room for improvement in several areas. Louisiana completely missed seven goals, met a small portion of six, partially met four, nearly met six and fully met four. Louisiana stands out for providing a flexible and practical alternative certification route. The state, however, should articulate its standards regarding the professional knowledge of teaching and learning more clearly, including that of special education teachers. The body of the report provides a more detailed breakdown of the state's strengths and weaknesses in each area. Detailed rationale and "Food for Thought" for each area and corresponding goal are appended. (Contains 72 figures.) [Additional funding for this first edition of the "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" was provided by the Achelis Foundation, Bodman Foundation, Daniel's Fund, Fisher Family Foundation, Gleason Foundation, and The Teaching Commission. This state report is part of NCTQ's State Teacher Policy Yearbook series. For the national summary, see ED506661.]

ERIC

2009

ED506678