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August 27, 2010 - Problems with the use of student test scores to evaluate teachers - While there are good reasons for concern about the current system of teacher evaluation, there are also good reasons to be concerned about claims that measuring teachers’ effectiveness largely by student test scores will lead to improved student achievement, Economic Policy Institute (Press Release).
August 26, 2010 - More Details Emerge from Teacher Education Program - The Bush Foundation is on an interesting tack to improve beginning teacher quality. In December, it announced a $40 million commitment to help recruit, prepare, place and support new teachers in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota during the next decade, Minnesota 2020.
March 2010 - Teacher Quality Trends - An overview of trends in Minnesota and the U.S. in teacher quality and assessment, including teacher training, evaluation and compensation, Parents United for Public Schools.
Teacher Quality Issues in Minnesota:
- Projected Shortages
- Meeting NCLB Requirements
- NCLB Sanctions
- Supply and Demand: Raising Expectations While Lowering Standards
>> Science Teacher Qualifications
Projected Shortages
January 2009 - Teacher Supply And Demand: FY 2008 Report To the Legislature - Perceived teacher shortage areas: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Emotional Behavioral Disorders (EBD), Science 5-8, Mathematics 5-8, Special Education Early Childhood, Earth and Space Science, Spanish and Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Surplus areas: Physical Education, Social Studies, Health, Vocal and Instrumental Music, Visual Arts and Communication Arts and Literature, Minnesota Department of Education.
May 2008 - Teacher Cuts Decimate State Education - Budget cuts are forcing school districts statewide to lay off up to 15 percent of their teachers, Minnesota 2020.
October 2007 - Growing Gap: Minnesota’s Teacher Recruitment & Retention Crises - A muscular teacher recruitment and retention program will reduce costs, assemble better faculties and produce the smartest, most adaptable and most capable generation of students in Minnesota’s history, Minnesota 2020.
Science Licensure Rulemaking Update: Effective October 15, 2007, a Minnesota teacher licensed in Chemistry, Physics, Life Science, or Earth and Space Science (grades 9-12 or grades 7-12) who has taught science for at least three years may take the content knowledge test (Praxis II) in another area of science licensure (grades 9-12 only) to eligible to apply for a teaching license in that licensure field.
July 2007 - Help Wanted: Finding Qualified Teachers in Rural Minnesota - Who teaches science if science teachers can’t be found? Minnesota 2020.
January 2007 - Teacher Supply And Demand: FY 2006 Report To the Legislature - Comprehensive data on teacher recruitment, retention and licensure waivers, 2002 - 2006, Minnesota Department of Education.
Fall 1999 - The Need is Now: Dealing with Minnesota's teacher shortages, Center for Rural Policy and Development.
Meeting NCLB Requirements
NCLB on Teacher Quality - A summary of NCLB Highly Qualified Teacher Requirements posted to Parents United from January 2004 - Charting the Course: States Decide Major Provisions Under No Child Left Behind, U.S. Department of Education.
January 2008 - Quality Counts 2008 - Minnesota gets a "D+" on state support for highly qualified teachers, (Minnesota State Profile), Education Week. (Related Star Tribune article.)
June 2007 - Minnesota State Summary 2007: State Teacher Policy Yearbook - Minnesota Gets Failing Marks For Teacher Policies - Labeled ‘Last In Class’, National Council on Teacher Quality (Press Release).
September 29, 2006 (Revised) - State Plan for Meeting The Highly Qualified Teacher Goal: Minnesota, U.S. Department of Education (Updates posted to Revised State Plans).
October 2004 - Education Department Announces 96% of Minnesota Teachers Are “Highly Qualified” - Minnesota easily meets NCLB requirement that teachers teach in their field of study, Minnesota Department of Education.
NCLB Sanctions
In May 2006, the U.S Department of Education determined Minnesota had not shown good-faith effort in meeting the NCLB Highly Qualified Teacher goal.
Despite specific NCLB language prohibiting the Federal Government from withholding funds, the U.S. DOE threatened to withhold Title II, Part A grant funds, as well as "additional steps or corrective actions, such as a compliance agreement or withholding of funds, that may be necessary to ensure that your State will meet all of the requirements of the law."
The MDE quickly submitted data showing 97.2 percent of the State’s elementary school classes and 94.8 percent of the secondary school classes were taught by highly qualified teachers in the 2005-06 school year. The US DOE letter acknowledging receipt of the new data provisionally approved MDE Highly Qualified Teacher efforts and removed the initial threat of sanctions; however, the letter concluded with a barely veiled threat of future sanctions.
May 2006 - Letters to Chief State School Officers Regarding States' Good-Faith Efforts in Meeting the Highly Qualified Teachers Goal, U.S. Department of Education.
Supply and Demand: Raising Expectations While Lowering Standards
>> Science Teacher Qualifications
February 2008 - How Do We Best License Science Teachers in Additional Fields to Guarantee Quality Learning for Minnesota Students? - The Minnesota Board of Teaching has established the use of the PRAXIS II test as the means of granting additional licensure to teachers who have taught at least 3 years and are licensed in another discipline of science. The SciMathMN Board of Directors has opposed using the passing of a PRAXIS II discipline science exam as the SOLE measure of content knowledge for granting licensure in other areas of science at the 7‐12 grade levels, SciMathMN.
January 2008 - Science Licensure: The Quest for Excellence - Minnesota education faces a supply and demand problem: As the state's demand for science teachers grows, the supply of new science teachers can't keep up. The Minnesota Board of Teaching (BOT) has eased licensing rules for science teachers, and the Minnesota Science Teachers Association is not happy about it, Minnesota 2020.
Science Licensure Rulemaking Update: Effective October 15, 2007 - A Minnesota teacher licensed in Chemistry, Physics, Life Science, or Earth and Space Science (grades 9-12 or grades 7-12) who has taught science for at least three years may take the content knowledge test (Praxis II) in another area of science licensure (grades 9-12 only) to eligible to apply for a teaching license in that licensure field.
May 2007 - Adoption of Praxis II Passing Scores for Teacher Licensure - Minnesota Department of Education.
Spring 2007 Science Hearing - Testimony by Bruce Munson, University of Minnesota-Duluth, opposing the proposed rule to permit meeting the qualifications for science teacher licensure by examination on the basis of passing a required Praxis II test, Minnesota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
April 19, 2006 - Position on Science Teacher Licenses by Praxis Testing with particular reference to HF 2689, SF 3326 and the House Omnibus Education Bill - We oppose any attempt to reduce the qualifications of science teachers by providing licenses based only on the Praxis test, Minnesota Science Teachers Association, Inc.
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