A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n
Riley Calls for Fundamental Changes to Improve American Education; Announces Steps to Address Accountability and Teacher Quality
[ The Sixth Annual State of American Education Speech ]
[ Updating Teacher Licensure and Compensation ]
[ Webcast of the Secretary's speech ]
In his sixth annual State of American Education Address today, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley called on colleges, school districts and states to address teacher quality and make improvements in the recruitment, preparation and training of classroom teachers. Over the next ten years the nation will need to hire more than 2.2 million teachers, most new to the profession, and it is imperative that they be well trained for the challenges of the modern classroom. To help in this effort, Riley outlined a new approach for states to consider in reforming teacher licensure and compensation (attached) and announced that the U.S. Department of Education will take the following steps to address this issue:
National Job Bank and Clearinghouse for Teacher Recruitment
The United States lacks a coordinated infrastructure to help school districts find high-quality teachers and to help prospective teachers learn how to pursue teaching careers and inform them of job opportunities and certification requirements in various communities. The Department will help create a National Job Bank to provide teachers with information on teaching vacancies in states and school districts nationwide and link prospective employers to a pool of potential new hires. A clearinghouse will be established to provide teacher candidates with a searchable database on financial aid, teacher education programs, state certification requirements and local contacts. In addition, a help-line will offer potential teachers individual career counseling services to answer questions about education programs, certification requirements, alternative paths to teaching and related issues.
National Conference on Teacher Quality
The Department, working with the American Council on Education's Task Force on Teacher Education, will sponsor a National Conference on Teacher Quality in Washington, DC, bringing together college and university presidents, teachers and state education leaders to discuss ways that higher education institutions can use their resources to improve teacher education and help states and communities meet their demands for well-qualified classroom teachers. This conference will help inform the Task Force's efforts to develop a report later this year recommending steps to improve teacher preparation.
National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century
The Clinton Administration will establish a commission, chaired by former Senator and Astronaut John Glenn, to focus attention on math and science teacher recruitment, preparation, retention and professional growth opportunities. The Commission will review the current state of K-12 math and science education and recommend specific action steps to be taken at the federal, state and local level.
National Academy of Sciences Study
Currently 44 states administer some form of teacher tests that range from testing basic skills to assessing teacher performance. However, cut-off scores for passage or failure are often very low, and are not based on mastery of a body of knowledge and skills, but on candidates' performance in relation to other candidates. As state and national leaders explore better ways to evaluate new teachers, they need more information about the strengths and weaknesses of current tests. Therefore, the Department will support a study by the National Academy of Sciences that will analyze the current state of teacher testing, recommend ways to improve existing tests, and suggest viable alternatives.
In addition to these efforts, Riley called for stronger accountability measures, an end to social promotion, turning around failing schools, and phasing out emergency teacher certification. He urged Congress to enact President Clinton's education agenda and FY2000 budget proposal, which provide federal resources to help local communities address critical education needs including school construction, class size reduction, after-school programs and efforts to prepare students early to go to college. The President's initiatives that specifically address teacher quality include: 1) a second installment on class size reduction, which increases funding by $200 million to $1.4 billion and enables local schools to hire an additional 8000 teachers nationwide; 2) $35 million in funding for scholarships to 7,000 outstanding students who commit to teach in high-poverty public schools; 3) $18 million to extend the Troops to Teachers Program to train and place more than 3000 retired military personnel and other mid-career professionals as teachers in public schools; and 4) $10 million to begin recruiting and training 1000 Native American teachers who commit to teach in schools with high concentrations on Native American students.
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[ The Sixth Annual State of American Education Speech ]
[ Updating Teacher Licensure and Compensation ]
[ Webcast of the Secretary's speech ]
Last Updated -- February 16, 1999, (pjk)