States Making Some Gains in Teacher Quality, Study Says

States have been making some progress over the past three years in improving teacher quality to meet the demands of the No Child Left Behind Act, says a new federal report. But many states, it says, still have work to do to smooth paths to certifi cation, raise academic-content standards for teachers, and get more highly qualified teachers into the hardest-to-staff schools.

The U.S. Department of Education quietly released the secretary's third annual report to Congress on teacher quality last week while the Bush administration was lauding its education accomplishments at the Republican National Convention in New York City. ( "Bush to Seek Accountability in High School," this issue.)

The document highlights model initiatives for improving teacher quality and outlines the expanded services the agency has been offering to states to help them meet the...