Public School Teaching requirements (Praxis, assessment, superintendent, curriculum)

[NYMD67]

I saw a thread that was a little older...

Just wondering which states (in your opinions or factually) have higher requirements for their teachers?
Do you feel that it is in direct correlation with how well the schools perform?

MD's public school system was rated the best this year (at least from what we have read) but yet it doesn't seem that their requirements are as stringent as others..
I am not a teacher though so I could be mis-understanding things.

[TuborgP]

Originally Posted by NYMD67

I saw a thread that was a little older...

Just wondering which states (in your opinions or factually) have higher requirements for their teachers?
Do you feel that it is in direct correlation with how well the schools perform?

MD's public school system was rated the best this year (at least from what we have read) but yet it doesn't seem that their requirements are as stringent as others..
I am not a teacher though so I could be mis-understanding things.

States in the North East and Mid Atlantic have the toughest requirements. New York and Mass are probably near the top. What you have to look at is the required score to pass the Praxis for each state. There is a big range between states. Maryland is fairly high compared to most states and along with Virginia and Delaware have the Mid Atlantic states well represented.

What you are seeing in Maryland is a historic shortage of teachers that has a number of counties feeding at the bottom and in many cases hiring teachers who aren't certified. Until this year it has been to easy to get a job in many Maryland districts with a provisional certificate in some subject areas. Certification standards can be high and hiring standards not.

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/m...0022f95190RCRD

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/m...0022f95190RCRD

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/m...0022f95190RCRD

http://www.etsliteracy.net/portal/si...0022f95190RCRD

http://www.etsliteracy.com/portal/si...0022f95190RCRD

If you like data I have linked the passing scores for Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama for you to compare.

Maryland/Virginia has some of the top districts in the country and some not so not so not so. That may put the state at the top but not every district is contributing to that ranking. Remember Maryland was ranked top based on student performance and not teacher quality. Maryland is also ranked the state with the highest average income so that academic success may be reflecting the quality of students in certain counties and not the teachers throughout the state. Why does Maryland need Thornton funding if the quality of education is so great statewide?

[North Beach Person]

Also remember a compnent of those high rankings are due to the High School Assessment tests coming on-line this year. The rankers looked at the testing regimen, not necessarily how good the tests are.

[TuborgP]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Also remember a compnent of those high rankings are due to the High School Assessment tests coming on-line this year. The rankers looked at the testing regimen, not necessarily how good the tests are.

MARYLAND̢۪S STATE EDUCATION SYSTEM RANKS NUMBER ONE OVERALL
Education Week, the nation’s leading education newspaper, looked at data in six critical categories over the past two years, and found that Maryland’s state education system is at the very top of national rankings.

Maryland placed at the top of the list in Education Week’s tally, just ahead of Massachusetts. Other high-scoring systems include New York and Virginia.

Maryland’s ranking is based on student performance and State education policies that reflect more than a decade of work on a preK-12 curriculum; state accountability and standards; and work on school readiness, high school reform, and preparation for college and the workplace.

“School reform doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a long-term commitment to high standards and collaboration, always keeping in mind the students and the families we serve,” said State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick. “The ‘Quality Counts’ report reaffirms Maryland’s status as one of the nation’s most desirable places to live, work, and raise a family.”

As I was saying the cream of the crop is in the North East and Mid Atlantic States.