Testimony  of Karen Butterfield, Ed.D., 
Deputy Associate Superintendent
Arizona Department of Education

Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness
Committee on Education and the Workforce

Field Hearing On 
Highly Qualified Teachers and Raising Student Achievement

May 27, 2004

Good morning, Chairman Boehner and Education and The Workforce committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the need for NCLB highly qualified teacher requirements, and provide you with a "picture" as to how Arizona is ensuring teachers have adequate subject matter knowledge for the subjects they teach.

As a former teacher for 22 years, a charter founder and administrator for 5 years, and currently in a leadership role with the Arizona Department of Education overseeing innovative and exemplary programs, I can first testify on the imperativeness of the need to have highly qualified teachers in our classrooms. Throughout my professional career, as well as continuing to serve in the critical role as parent, the same theme keeps reoccurring: Teacher expertise is a determining factor in enhancing improved student achievement and overall school success. Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, is a strong advocate regarding the need for quality teaching and learning in our classrooms through his new initiatives, which foster: "Better Teachers, Better Curriculum, Better Schools". In his presentation at a Board of Regents meeting, he is on record as stating,

Throughout this testimony, the important element of "conditions needed" is interwoven, as implementing many of these goals involve the complexities and challenges of fostering systemic change in our schools.

I would like to highlight the accomplishments of our state in the highly qualified teacher arena, focusing on five major initiatives that are ensuring we have highly qualified teachers in our state’s public schools.

• Arizona’s Highly Qualified Teacher Requirements, reflective of NCLB

• Two Recommendations from the Arizona Department of Education’s Certification Task Force

• Possible Implementation of a State-wide Teacher Induction and Mentoring Program

• Arizona’s Commitment to Teacher Professional Growth and Development:

• Arizona’s Commitment to Develop Data Elements: tied to tracking teacher quality and student achievement

1) Arizona’s Highly Qualified Teacher Requirements, reflective of NCLB:

Through the leadership of ADE’s Deputy Associate Superintendent of Highly Qualified Teachers, Kathy Wiebke, Arizona teachers have been provided the checklist for Arizona Highly Qualified Teachers (Attachment A), as mandated by P.L.107-110/NCLB). This document outlines the requirements as of follows:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree

AND

• Hold a valid state certificate (charters are exempt from this requirement)

• Currently teach, and have passed a rigorous content State academic subject matter test (AEPA Professional Knowledge Test and the Subject Knowledge Test in the content area currently teaching, OR hold an advanced degree in one’s content area, OR hold National Board Certification in the area in which one is currently teaching, or for Middle/High School levels only: 24 hours in content area).

If a teacher checks 1,2, and 3, h/she is considered highly qualified. If items under "3" were not marked, then the HOUSSE rubric must be completed to verify that existing qualifications meet the NCLB requirements (Reference Attachment B).

This rubric was developed through a task force comprised of stakeholders from across the state, based upon Superintendent Horne’s request: that this task force work with schools and districts to meet the federal guidelines, while simultaneously, making the process as inclusive as possible. The rubric has been instrumental in not only promoting teacher self-reflection, but also serving as a tool for our rural teachers, who are also grateful for having extended time to demonstrate competence in additional subjects they teach, through the new flexible policy recently established by the U.S. Department of Education. As referenced in Ms. Wiebke’s 5/17/04 letter to LEAs (Attachment C ):

The Arizona Department of Education continues to work closely with our state’s regent universities and colleges of education in the spirit of the aforementioned text. Research conducted by Wilson, Floden and Ferrini-Mundy conclude, for example, that in addition to subject matter knowledge and communication skills - enthusiasm, flexibility, perseverance and rapport with students – create the overall formula for teacher effectiveness in addition to the vital combination of state licensure process, teachers’ professional knowledge and experience.

2) Two Recommendations of the Arizona Department of Education’s Certification Task Force:

The Arizona Department of Education’s Certification Task Force, comprised of 71 members from across the state, has also been addressing a variety of issues tied to teacher quality and certification. It needs to be emphasized in today’s testimony that these are strictly drafted recommendations, and have yet to be approved by our state board of education. Two issues currently being reviewed include certificate renewal and reciprocity .

Enhanced opportunities for teachers and administrators to engage in reflection on their own professional development is one possible recommendation of this task force under certification renewal. Instead of requiring the current 180 hours of disparate and unconnected activity, one’s professional development plan would be more "job-embedded", with the professional development plan possibly designated by the educator’s LEA or ADE. This suggested plan, which would still include the 180 required hours, would focus on:

In order to help remove barriers of highly qualified teachers who move here from out-of-state to teach, it is critical to address issues of reciprocity under the large certification process umbrella.

Reciprocity recommendations for certified out-of-state teacher applicants would vary, depending on candidates who have less than 3 years of teaching experience and those who have 3 or more years regarding whether or not the subject knowledge test would be waived. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, valid fingerprint clearance card and current out-of-state teaching certificate at the equivalent level would remain required, including passing the AZ/US Constitution tests.

Arizona is working very hard to improve teacher quality; our teachers are dedicated to their roles in our classrooms and to their profession, and the Arizona Department of Education is strongly committed to serving them. We are making great strides in Arizona regarding strengthening teacher quality, but, we still have much work to do in addressing challenges unique to our state. Two such challenges are as follows:

1) The migration of teachers leaving this state to seek higher pay: According to the AFT, Arizona ranks 33^rd for average teacher salaries ($38,510). This is one condition that must change if we are to recruit, reward and retain our most qualified and successful teachers.

2)  The reality of "revolving doors", reflective of both administrators and teachers, in our most rural – and, in most cases, also in our underperforming schools. We are taking steps to address this specific challenge on several fronts. One example is researching the possibility of developing a teacher induction and mentor program.

3) Development of a State-wide Teacher Induction and Mentor Program:

In order to provide a support system for teachers as they begin their careers, a statewide mentoring and induction program is currently under consideration, recommended by the Certification Task Force, as we work to build capacity for a program of support for our new teachers. It is critical to first, recruit, and then retain, outstanding teachers. A recent Morrison report projects that Arizona can expect close to 7,130 new K-12 teachers to be trained to enter classrooms each year through 2005, and 6930 from 2006-2010. Therefore, we have much work to do!

Currently, a team of stakeholders is working together to establish induction standards that will provide the foundation for all induction programs. It is our desire to create a system that will support teachers in our urban schools, as well as those teaching in very remote, rural areas of the state.

Children cannot succeed and make gains without consistent, strong, visionary instructional leadership. Children CAN thrive and make significant gains with highly qualified teachers who are expertise in their content area, and who are effectively trained on how to implement best practices. These teachers also need the support and resources of strong school, district and governance leadership. We cannot ignore the conditions that need to be in place in order to provide them with the culture and climate conducive for both teacher and student success.

One condition needed for successful implementation of research best practices in the classroom is providing high quality staff development/training that is systematic, and systemic – fostering school change. This leads me to share with you, two examples that are fostering strong staff development implementation and strategies that are producing RESULTS. These are based upon the Arizona Department of Education’s commitment to servicing our constituents with ongoing professional development, including training in effective teaching strategies that work.

4) Our Commitment to Teacher Professional Growth and Development:

In order to lay the foundation for implementation of quality staff development, the Arizona Department of Education established the Arizona Professional Development Leadership Academy (PDLA) in 1999. It is a true grassroots effort on behalf of district and charter schools, which are supported through the state’s county superintendents’ offices.

The PDLA provides support to both teachers and administrators in learning new professional strategic practices to ensure student success that is systematic and systemic. Funded through ADE’s Academic Achievement Divsion, the AZ PDLA is recognized as one of the best staff development programs in the nation. 24 teams, representing over 300 educators, have become active participants in the AZ PDLA, and these numbers continue to increase each year.

One of the major goals of the Academy is to help our schools develop capacity for effective professional development by assisting teachers, principals, central office staff and superintendents in understanding three major components of effective professional development:

This academic year, the PDLA has provided extensive, rigorous training in the professional development standards, data analysis, models of professional development, accountability systems, effective evaluation, creating professional development, and more. Next month, PDLA teams from around the state will convene in Phoenix for a PDLA Summit, which will focus on understanding and implementing professional development and school improvement change: conditions necessary to be in place in order to strengthen highly qualified teaching in our state. (Attachment D)

Another example of providing service to teachers with staff development is the implementation of the Reading First Initiative, a highly successful program that trains existing teachers to teach reading through effective teaching strategies. Professional development is based upon scientific research and its implications for instructional practice.

Reading First training in Arizona has been designed in two tiers in order to promote school change: 1) through district and school leadership as a "train the trainers" model; and 2) through teachers of reading, utilizing "teachers teaching teachers" model, with a focus on instructional practice. These tiered levels initiative reflect a statewide, systematic and systemic infrastructure for quality staff development, by: identifying highly qualified teachers of reading, who are "on loan" from ADE to school districts. These highly qualified reading teachers are housed at each of the 15 county superintendents’ offices, providing outreach and technical assistance throughout are large, diverse state. The infrastructure’s design lays the foundation in assisting us in reaching three critical goals: 1) to close the gap between research and practice, 2) to provide professional development that is consistent in quality, while, 3) making these rich opportunities locally accessible.

Our initial first round of reading test results are very, very hopeful, as they reflect significant improvements at the kindergarten level, in some of the schools with the poorest achievement records. Last August, only 9 % of students entering full-day kindergarten were up to par with their peers nationally in pre-reading skills. After taking part in scientifically based reading programs this year, more than half of these same kindergartners have reached grade level and are ready for first grade.

In addition, as we further delve into public engagement following our first successful High School Reform Summit, co-hosted with the U.S. Department of Education (April, 2004), we will recommend strengthening technical assistance and support for literacy teaching and learning in our middle/secondary schools: a need that was expressed strongly from our outstanding principal and teacher leaders during the Summit. Therefore, it will be critical that the K-3 Reading First initiative expand, with the assistance of increased federal funding, to help us provide critical training and staff development in reading in the higher grade levels.

In order to keep all children ahead – vs. behind - we must keep the continuum of improved student successes going – which is founded on providing high quality staff development, embedded in scientifically researched practices that work in our classrooms. This is a HUGE investment in advancing highly qualified teachers, and a much-needed one in advancing student achievement and successes for ALL students.

5) Arizona’s Commitment to Develop Data Elements: tied to tracking teacher quality and student achievement:

Within the process of updating Arizona’s certification system, we are investigating implementing a value-added system, by establishing individual teacher identifiers, tied to student achievement.

According to Kati Haycock, Education Trust Director, "Teacher effectiveness data systems are an essential and powerful tool in the effort to raise achievement and close the achievement gap" (The Real Value of Teachers: Using New Information about Teacher Effectiveness to Close the Achievement Gap" report by Kevin Carey). Such systems help us find out which teachers are the most effective, by matching them with the most needy students. Such data also provides critical information as to what types of professional development are the most effective, as well as which trainings and professional learning opportunities help them grow. States that are currently implementing a value-added component, tied to student achievement results, clearly demonstrate what we already know: that teachers have the biggest impact on student achievement.

This is another condition needed if we are indeed going to promote and enhance truly highly qualified teachers in our classrooms. We have yet to close the achievement gap in this state with our minority student population and with those students living in poverty. It is imperative that we take a hard look at the research that has been done in Tennessee, where students that were assigned with the most effective teachers for three consecutive years, performed 50 percentile points higher on a 100-point scale – than comparable students assigned to the least effective teachers for three consecutive years.

Overall, many teachers support measures that recognize the growth students make through their teaching. They strongly desire accountability in this important arena. Yet, systematically shifting higher performing teachers to working with students who need them the most, is no easy task in our current, complex system, both state-wide and nationally. The bottom-line is, it’s difficult to accurately measure and control the value of teachers. However, these challenges should not halt us from attempting to try implementing a value-added system. I can only imagine the quality of teachers we may "pool" because of such an effort.

We need to treat our teachers as the answer to embracing excellence in teaching and in learning: because they ARE our resource. Therefore, maybe the focus needs to shift from that of only the STUDENT, to the important, critical role to that of the TEACHER. Once this shift occurs, then I predict that the conditions will fall into place regarding "the whole highly qualified picture", which consists of: highly qualified teacher preparation, highly qualified teacher recruitment, and highly qualified teacher retention, by supporting them with high quality resources and staff development, embedded in rich, evidenced-based practice.

Then, we must celebrate our teachers’ successes by honoring their achievements and disseminating their exemplary practices. Student achievement will then soar with these conditions in place, as long as they are fostered by strong instructional/school/district and state-wide leadership.