Copyright 1999 Federal News Service, Inc.
Federal News Service
APRIL 29, 1999, THURSDAY
SECTION: IN THE NEWS
LENGTH:
3113 words
HEADLINE: PREPARED STATEMENT OF
DENISE
ROCKWELL (WOODS)
ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
BEFORE
THE HOUSE EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE COMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, TRAINING AND LIFE-LONG
LEARNING
SUBJECT - TEACHER QUALITY AND CLASS SIZE REDUCTION
BODY:
Chairman McKeon and Members of the
Subcommittee:
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the
National Education Association (NEA). My name is Denise Rockwell (Woods) and I
am a computer teacher at Palms Middle School in Los Angeles, California. ( have
served on the NEA Executive Committee since 1994.
NEA represents 2.4 million
teachers and other education employees in America's public elementary,
secondary, vocational, and postsecondary schools. We appreciate this opportunity
to present our views on two areas directly connected to improved student
learning and achievement: ensuring a qualified teacher in every classroom, and
reducing class size. These two goals are clearly interrelated - as schools
reduce class size, the need to recruit and train high quality teachers
increases. These goals are a top priority of the NEA, and we believe that the
106th Congress should take specific steps to address the challenges in these
arenas.
TEACHER QUALITY
NEA has joined with the National Commission on
Teaching, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education
(NCATE), the National Board for Professional Teaching Standard, the Interstate
New Teacher Assessment Consortium (INTASC), the Independent Standards Boards,
and Holmes Partners, in using the Teacher Development Continuum, a framework for
defining teacher quality. The key continuum points are'
- Teacher
Recruitment and Education; - Licensure and Professional Standards; - National
Certification; and - Continuing Professional Development.
While significant
responsibility for teacher quality lies at the state level, the federal
government plays a critical role in providing resources to reinforce efforts at
each point along the continuum. The reauthorization of ESEA
offers a critical opportunity for this Congress to take concrete steps to help
states and localities advance in each of these goals. Teacher development should
be an integral part of each ESEA program.
THE NEED FOR
TEACHER RECRUITMENT
NEA believes that recruiting and educating high quality
teachers is essential if we are to meet the changing needs of our students.
Teachers and students face new demands in light of increasing standards and
expectations. Today, all students are expected to master the basics and new
technologies. While in the recent past, our economy and workplace needs required
that only 20 percent of students go on to higher education, current economic
conditions call for all students to be capable of going on to the postsecondary
level and to be prepared for careers of the future. We must recruit and train
teachers to meet these new challenges.
At the same time that teachers are
facing these increased demands, demographic trends and class size reduction
efforts are driving an urgent need for teacher recruitment. Record
enrollments---projected to peak in 2006 -- and the projected retirement of
thousands of veteran teachers will lead to dramatic shortages of qualified
teachers in the near future.
Education Secretary Riley has stated that
America's schools will need to hire at least 2 million new teachers over the
next 10 years. Yet, teacher recruitment has become difficult as society has
downplayed the profession of teaching as compared to other high-skill
professions, such as medicine or law.
To enhance teacher quality, NEA
promotes the recruitment of candidates for teaching who meet high standards and
represent the diversity of our nation. Recruitment programs should be targeted
toward the high school level, encouraging college-bound students to pursue the
teaching profession.
In addition, as discussed later in this testimony,
critical efforts to reduce class size increase the need to recruit and train
high quality teachers.
LICENSURE AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
The
heightened national focus by parents, lawmakers, and others on public education
reform has ratcheted up academic and skill requirements for teachers in many
states and localities. Yet the United States is one of the few industrialized
countries that does not uniformly require teachers to pass a test for
certification. The number of new teachers with emergency or temporary teaching
certificates in also troubling. Only 64 percent of teachers with three or fewer
years of experience have full state certification; the corresponding figure for
teachers with 10 or more years experience is 99 percent.
In addition, as
states and districts enact higher standards for student promotion and
graduation, it is critical that teachers have degrees in the subjects they
teach. The U.S. Department of Education reports, however, that nearly 28 percent
of teachers have neither an undergraduate major nor a minor in their primary
assignment field. This figure is highest in elementary schools, high-poverty
schools, and schools with large minority student enrollments.
The
independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan National Board was created to establish high
standards for teacher knowledge, develop assessments to determine knowledge and
skills, and certify teachers who meet these measurements. Federal funds are
essential to develop the assessments and underwrite the rigorous assessment
process. Sustained or increased support for the Board is a crucial part of any
federal agenda to promote quality teaching. In addition, federal funds are
essential to support and sustain states efforts in partnership with INTASC to
strengthen teacher licensing standards.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Improving the quality of public schools is not possible without an
investment in professional development for teachers and school staff. In the
1980's, American business restructured to build ongoing professional learning
into the workplace. It is time to match this effort in our public
schools.On-going, high quality professional development is critical to student
success. Continuous professional development should include up-to-date content
and pedagogical knowledge. It should help teachers and school staffs meet the
different needs of an increasingly diverse student population, provide time for
substantive give-and-take with colleagues, help teachers incorporate educational
technology into the classroom, and invite teachers to share in decisions about
school improvement. Professional development opportunities should be local and
generated by teachers in partnership with colleagues and with colleges and
universities providing teacher education. The federal government should support
states, districts, school sites, and higher education institutions in creating
meaningful professional development tailored to local needs.
Our nation
currently spends too little money on teachers' professional development.
The U.S. Department of Education reports that while top-flight private
companies spend as much as 10 percent of their budgets to ensure that their
employees have quality training and keep current in their work, most school
districts spend less than three percent of their budgets on professional
development.
Research from abroad highlights the components of quality
professional development. Asian and European nations regularly invest in
opportunities for teachers to upgrade their skills, observe exemplary teaching,
plan lessons, and work collegially. In Japan, roughly 40 percent of a teacher's
workday is spent on professional development and work with colleagues, compared
with only 14 percent for their American counterparts.
Induction and
Mentoring for New Teachers
A structured, sustained, school-based,
teacher-to-teacher induction process for teachers newly entering schools is of
vital importance. Teacher induction programs enable new teachers tO learn,
enhance, and become a part of a school's vision for students and approach to
meeting student needs. This kind of "learning the ropes" is often neglected.
Instead, in many cases new teachers are simply assigned classes and are expected
to learn school processes on their own.
NEA supports a comprehensive system
of induction and mentoring for new teachers. Some districts have implemented
good induction and teacher reentering programs by assigning experienced teachers
to mentor new teachers on such issues as instructional techniques, discipline
strategies, school system operations, and professional development exercises.
Such systems not only constitute professional development for beginning
teachers, but also provide significant professional development for mentors, who
must articulate and reflect on their own practice in the course of guiding new
teachers. According to a 1999 study by the U.S. Department of Education, 70
percent of teachers who were mentored at least once a week reported that it
improved their teaching "a lot."
Ideally, mentoring programs should occur at
the individual school and the responsibility should rest with each school's
staff. Nineteen states currently have legislation requiring support for new
teachers. The federal government, however, plays a critical role in sustaining
the initiative of these states and providing incentives for other states to
follow this lead. Congress must provide sufficient resources for districts to
establish induction and mentoring initiatives.
Effective Training in Use of
Technology
The use of information and multimedia technologies can accelerate
changes in the teachers' role and in student learning. Studies have confirmed
that the effective use of educational technologies can increase student
achievement. In addition to building skills, technology can motivate students
and help them become successful problem solvers.
Yet, most teachers report
that they have not received adequate professional development to integrate
technology into their classroom activities. A survey conducted by the National
Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE) found that teachers of all
ages and levels of experience are eager for professional development in
technology. With the constant innovations in technology, professional
development must be up-to-date, on going, and must continue at a high level of
intensity for all teachers. Most existing training, however, occurs in workshops
outside of classrooms and is limited to operational aspects of hardware,
software, or networking.
The Federal Role in Professional Development
Over the years, the federal government has played a critical role in
providing professional development to teachers. In 1994, Congress made
significant changes to the major elementary and secondary education programs --
such as Title I, the Eisenhower Professional Development Program, and the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) -- to align professional
development with higher standards and new assessments. The 106th Congress must
build on this success, providing adequate funding for these critical programs.
The 1994 reauthorization of Title I made important improvements in teacher
training and student achievement. Teacher-to-teacher training has been enhanced
as more schools operate schoolwide Title I programs, and standards for Title I
students, have increased to match the high standards for all students. Teachers
report that this colleague-to- colleague exchange is one of the best methods of
professional development.
The successful, flexible, Eisenhower Professional
Development Program has provided important aid to states and school districts
with a focus on math and science. The state of Kansas uses Eisenhower resources
to align teacher preparation, education, and professional development to the
state's standards, assessments, and licensure requirements. Maryland uses
Eisenhower funds to form a network between school districts, five universities,
and the state education agency.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act includes an enhanced professional development program for both general and
special education teachers and related service personnel. Today, roughly three
quarters of the 5.8 million students with disabilities spend all or part of the
school day in regular education classrooms. The IDEA professional development
program recognizes that general and special education teachers can no longer
train in isolation from each other.
CLASS SIZE REDUCTION
NEA strongly
supports efforts to reduce class size. We urge Congress to fully fund the hiring
of 100,000 new teachers to meet class size reduction needs. Studies have clearly
demonstrated the positive impact of class size reduction on teaching and
learning. As class size is reduced, children receive more individualized
attention and instruction; students with disabilities are identified earlier and
their needs addressed without costly special education; teachers are better able
to handle classroom discipline, and parents and teachers work more closely
together to support children's education.
The Tennessee STAR study, which
will be discussed on today's panel by former NEA President Helen Bain, found
that students in the Tennessee class size reduction program performed
significantly better than students in larger classes in reading and math at all
grade levels. Specifically, the STAR study found that:
- Students in small
classes are more likely to pursue college. Reduced class size has a particular
impact on the number of black students taking college entrance exams. Attendance
in small classes was found to have cut by more than half the black-white gap in
the probability of taking a college-entrance exam,
- Small classes lead to
higher graduation rates. Students in small classes were found to be more likely
to graduate on schedule, less likely to dropout of school, and more likely to
graduate in the top 25 percent of their classes.
- Students in small classes
achieve at higher levels. STAR students attending small classes in graded K-3
were found to be between 6 and 13 months ahead of their regular-class peers in
math, reading, and science.
As Tennessee's class size reduction success is
publicized, more states are moving toward replicating this success. Currently,
about 20 states, including Wisconsin, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Texas, and
California have moved toward smaller classes.
Impact of Class Size Reduction
on Teacher Recruitment and Training
NEA believes that class size reduction,
coupled with efforts to recruit quality teachers, is an essential element of
promoting quality public education. Efforts to improve student achievement
through class size reduction increase the need to recruit high quality teachers.
California has recently implemented a much-needed class size reduction
program. Legislation enacted in 1996 authorized formation of smaller classes in
kindergarten through third grade, and provided funding for those schools
choosing to do so.
Critics of class size reduction have charged that efforts
to reduce class size result in the hiring of unqualified teachers. Such critics
often point to the California experience as evidence of this problem.
California's class size reduction program resulted in the need for approximately
20,000 new teachers to accommodate the smaller classes.
To help meet
this increased need, Governor Wilson signed legislation relaxing teacher
certification requirements, thereby raising concerns about teacher quality.The
federal class size reduction program proposed by President Clinton and passed
in-part by Congress last year recognizes the critical link between class size
reduction and teacher quality. The federal legislation incorporates lessons
learned from the California experience and makes teacher training and
professional development an integral part of class size reduction.
The
federal class size reduction program specifically phases-in class size reduction
over seven years, to avoid the need to recruit large numbers of qualified
teachers in just a few years. The primary goal of the federal program is to
improve educational achievement by reducing class size in the early grades and
hiring highly qualified teachers to fill these smaller classrooms. Teachers
hired under the class size reduction program must be certified to teach in the
classroom to which she or he will be assigned. To this end, the federal program
allows school districts to use up to 15 percent of class size reduction funds
for testing new teachers for academic content knowledge and state certification
requirements and ror providing professional development to all teachers. Local
districts that have already reduced class size in early grades must develop and
implement a plan to ensure that all teachers in those grades become fully
certified within the shortest possible time period.
In addition, school
districts may use class size reduction funds to train teachers who are already
employed and to fund recruitment activities. Permissible activities include
paying college tuition for prospective teachers who contract to teach in the
local schools, paying for new teachers to go through the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards certification process, paying for mentoring
programs for new teachers, and assisting new teachers to obtain higher-level
degrees.
NEA strongly supports the federal class size reduction program. We
urge Congress to build on last year's downpayment by fully funding the hiring of
100,000 new teachers over seven years.
RECOMMENDATIONS
NEA urges the
106th Congress to take concrete steps to help states and localities advance the
important goals of teacher quality and class size reduction. Congress should: -
Target teacher recruitment efforts toward the high school level, encouraging
college-bound students to pursue the teaching profession;
- Provide
resources for districts to establish initiatives to support new teachers, such
as programs in which master teachers mentor beginning teachers;
- Provide
funds to encourage states to establish and maintain high standards for teacher
licensing;
- Provide adequate resources for professional development in
Title I, Eisenhower Professional Development, IDEA, and vocational education
programs;
- Provide training opportunities to facilitate collaboration
between special education and general education teachers who teach students with
disabilities in the regular classroom;
- Ensure the necessary resources to
enable teachers to access continuous, local professional development in proven
research-based programs and practices, content area, and educational
technologies;
- Fully fund the hiring of 100,000 highly qualified new
teachers to meet class size reduction needs; and
- Reinforce class size
reduction programs with enhanced efforts to recruit high quality teachers, and
additional resources for professional development of new teachers
END
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