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Dec 5, 2006 7:49 pm US/Pacific
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Report: Calif. Needs More Science & Math Teachers
SACRAMENTO (AP) ―
California is unlikely to meet the signature goal of the federal No Child Left Behind Act -- having all students proficient in reading and math by 2014 -- especially if the state does not act quickly to train more math and science teachers, a report to be released Wednesday concludes.
The news that California won't meet the proficiency standard in the next seven years is not shocking to the education community, but the study commissioned by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning is among the first to put the prospect for failure so bluntly.
The federal law requires all schools nationwide to make annual yearly progress toward having all students proficient. But each state sets its own standards for success, and California's academic standards are comparitively high.
Nearly half the state's new math and science teachers start out unprepared, making the first difficult years as a teacher even tougher, said Margaret Gaston, executive director of the center.
She praised state legislators for working this year to address a looming teacher shortage by boosting internship programs and making it easier for out-of-state teachers to get California credentials. A year ago, the group's annual report forecast a shortage of 100,000 teachers over the next decade, as baby boomers retire and school districts in the Inland Empire experience growth.
"We really have to give credit to the political community. In a very, very big way they changed teacher development," she said.
But Hispanic, black and poor students continue to lag behind their white, Asian and more affluent peers at nearly all grade levels and in nearly all subjects, making it unlikely they'll meet the tough academic standards, according to the study, which was conducted by SRI International on behalf of the center.
It notes that last year, about a third of schools did not meet the federal goals for yearly progress. Fewer than 40 percent of eighth graders were proficient on standardized science tests.
The least prepared teachers also are still concentrated in the lowest performing schools.
There is room for optimism, though.
Legislation negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California Teachers Association this year will funnel $2.9 billion in additional funds to the lowest performing third of schools, boosting the number of teachers and forcing districts to place good teachers at all their schools.
Legislation by Sen. Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, and approved by the legislature, also will help low performing schools by allowing principals to refuse voluntary teacher transfers -- the so-called 'Dance of the lemons' in which bad teachers are shuffled from school to school.
Scott, who is chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said he plans more legislation next year to ensure that English learners and other needy students also have good teachers.
"I'm working very hard on this matter, because it may be the key civil rights issue of the 21st Century: What are we doing to address the unequal quality of teaching?" he said Tuesday.
Teacher quality is also expected to be among the issues raised by a committee that is studying problems with California's school system. The Committee on Education Excellence is expected to give the governor its ideas about reform early next year.
Gaston said there seems to be consensus that teachers need more high-quality training so they will be prepared to help students reach the No Child Left Behind Act's goals.
"We have addressed with reasonable success the issue of quantity. Now the conversation needs to shift to the effect that all these initiatives have, ... the effect of the teacher development system on students," she said.
The report also recommends that state leaders:
-- Come up with a plan to add more science and math teachers, including recruitment, preparation, hiring and professional development.
--Closely monitor new professional development programs for teachers to ensure they are working and make changes as needed.
--Offer more incentives to teachers willing to go into special education.
--Provide more money for bilingual teacher training so teachers are equipped to handle the growing number of English learners.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)