The National Council for Teacher Quality recently released its state-by-state report card on teaching effectiveness. Barnett Berry of Advancing the Teaching Profession says that while the NCTQ report card raises valid points about the condition of teaching in the United States, it suffers from a narrow viewpoint and a narrow agenda.
NCTQ, from its myopic position inside the beltway, also offers up some poorly focused analyses, eyeing state teacher quality policies with a pronounced ideological squint.
Berry expected a lot more from NCTQ report and grades it accordingly.
NCTQ surfaces important information that policymakers and practitioners should consider. However, its flimsy evidentiary base and narrow-eyed assessments leave us with an incomplete story in the current narrative on teacher quality. I would give NCTQ a grade of D+ — recalling this comment from a long-ago teacher of my own: “We both know you can do better.”