THE CALL FOR NEW TQ DATA SYSTEMS

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Unfortunately, universities, state departments of education, higher education agencies, professional standards commissions, and retirement boards have built most of the current TQ data systems separately. Thus these systems function as discrete and isolated silos of information only to make sure teachers have met minimal licensing standards and have completed that particular state’s prescribed coursework. New policy questions and demands for accountability from students, teachers, and the institutions that prepare them require data to be gathered and housed in new ways, but most states still rely on these antiquated systems.

One common misconception is that teacher educators and teachers do not want to collect sound data on their programs and their teaching. This is simply not the case with many preparation programs and teachers. The larger problem is the lack of investment in sound TQ data systems that would allow such evaluations. Teacher preparation programs and school districts simply do not have the fiscal and human resources to collect the necessary TQ data without the existence of state TQ data systems. Fortunately, there is now impetus to change.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Education and a group of organizations are starting efforts to improve the quality of educational data and to make it easier to use. The degree to which they will focus on high quality teacher and teaching data remains to be seen. The organizations involved include National Center for Educational Accountability and the National Governors Association as well as CCSSO, Achieve Inc., Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services, the Alliance for Excellent Education, the Education Trust, the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, the School Interoperability Framework Association, and the State Higher Education Executive Officers.

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Last updated: February 21, 2006