Few analyses have been conducted on past state efforts to overhaul teacher-tenure policies, concludes a report that recommends ways states, districts, and unions might approach the issue of tenure reform in the future.
The report, issued last month by the Center on American Progress, a Washington-based think tank, provides an overview of the tenure-granting procedure and profiles efforts in six states to change the process.
It urges the federal government to continue its push on overhauling evaluation systems to facilitate a dialogue on teacher tenure. The report also recommends that states change tenure statutes to require that retention and dismissal decisions incorporate teacher-effectiveness data, ensure that tenure changes are not overridden by local contracts, and link licensing systems to teacher-effectiveness measures.
