The most recent reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 2002 required that
states provide assurances and develop plans to "ensure that poor
and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other
children by inexperienced, unqualified, or out of field teachers"
(Section 1111 (b)(8)(C)). In 2009, American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) requirements reinforced the focus on
equitable distribution of teachers by requiring states applying for
education stimulus funds to provide updated assurances and to
publicize their most recent "equity plans." ARRA also establishes
competitive grants to help states build their pool of effective
teachers and address inequities in the distribution of teachers. In
addition to their focus on the equitable distribution of teacher
quality, federal programs also have been promoting shifts in how
teacher quality is measured, away from teacher qualifications and
toward measures of instructional practice and effectiveness at
raising student achievement. Federal programs such as the Teacher
Incentive Fund (TIF) and Race to the Top (RttT) have provided
incentives for states and districts to move in this direction,
including funds to support some of the technical aspects of
development. Federal policymakers need to know whether the policies
and programs they sponsor under these laws contribute to teacher
quality for disadvantaged students. Hence, the U.S. Department of
Education (ED) requires a study documenting the state and local
actions to (a) develop new measures of teacher quality, (b) analyze
the distribution of teacher quality, and (c) develop and implement
plans to ensure teacher quality for disadvantaged students. To
inform federal policymakers, the study will examine the
implementation of these activities with attention to implementation
challenges, the role of state and local context, and the roles of
the federal programs designed to foster these activities. The
planned data collections will serve four objectives: 1. To examine
how states and districts analyze the distribution of teacher
quality, plan actions to address inequities, and monitor progress.
2. To examine how states and districts are changing their measures
of teacher quality, and to understand their experiences in doing
so. 3. To examine state and local actions to improve teacher
quality for disadvantaged students (i.e., students in high-poverty
or high-minority schools). 4. To describe the perceived
contributions of federal programs to state and local actions aimed
at improving the quality of teachers for disadvantaged students,
and how state and local contexts mediate these contributions. To
address these objectives, our design includes telephone interviews
with state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies
(LEAs).
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Att_1875-New (4426) confid agreement Equitable Distribution of Effective Teachers_employeeagree.docx
RE OMB comments on Equitable Distribution of Effective Teacher Aid study.htm
hpPDFMay-24-2011.pdf
LEA Interviews