Report: State teacher evaluations need overhaul

A new public school teacher in North Dakota works for a year on probation before getting job security. For a teacher in Missouri, it’s five years.

It’s just one example of how policies affecting the teaching profession vary from state to state, according to a report http://www.nctq.org/stpy/ by the National Council on Teacher Quality http://www.nctq.org/nctq/index.jsp , a private group in Washington.

Full Story: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-06-27-teacher-qualifications_N.htm

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Montana’s teacher policies lag

Montana lags behind most states in teacher evaluation, licensing and other educator-related policies, according to a national report that was released Wednesday and disputed by the state’s top education official.

The 131-page report by the nonpartisan National Council on Teacher Quality gave Montana mostly failing marks in all six areas studied, criticizing most harshly the state’s alternate teacher certification and special-education training.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch said the report favors a cookie-cutter approach to education and ignores Montana’s high test scores and other student achievements.

By Sarah Cooke, Associated Press Writer

Full Story: http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2007/06/27/state_top/20070627_state_top.txt