R.I. ranked No. 2 for teacher policies

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s policies for teachers ranked No. 2 in the nation, according to a report released Wednesday.

The biennial report, issued by the National Council on Teacher Quality, measures states’ progress according to 36 policy goals.

Rhode Island was lauded for policies identifying effective teachers and exiting ineffective teachers. Its ratings were low on retaining effective teachers and delivering well-prepared teachers.

“The report acknowledges all of the hard work people across the state have been doing, and it gives us some helpful recommendations for our next steps,” said Deborah A. Gist, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, in a news release. “The report notes, for example, that we don’t hold teacher-preparation programs accountable for the classroom effectiveness of their graduates, but that is something we’ll be doing soon.”

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Rhode Island earned an overall grade of B-, second only to Florida, which earned a B. Rhode Island also ranked 5th among the state for progress made since the 2009 report.

“This report recognizes the importance of our new system for educator evaluation, which will provide all teachers with feedback and support to improve teaching and learning in our state. The report also recognizes our new certification system, which bases certification renewal on teacher effectiveness. Both of these new initiatives focus our education policies on what’s in the best interest of our students,” Gist said.

Nationally, the overall grade was D+; Massachusetts earned a C.

The breakdown for the Ocean State is as follows:

  • Delivering well-prepared teachers, D+
  • Expanding the pool of teachers, B-
  • Identifying effective teachers, A-
  • Retaining effective teachers, D
  • Exiting ineffective teachers, B+

For the full 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook, click here.

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