Boosting the Supply and Effectiveness of Washington Math and Science Teachers

Low student achievement in STEM subjects will persist unless Washington implements a comprehensive strategy to maximize teacher effectiveness.

In the spring of 2009, the Partnership for Learning (PFL) asked The New Teacher Project (TNTP) to analyze challenges Washington faces in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction and to make recommendations to overcome these challenges as part of a new STEM initiative. This initiative aims to dramatically raise student achievement in STEM subjects and close the achievement gap in math and science—ensuring that all Washington students graduate from high school college- and career-ready.

Research has shown that teachers have a greater impact on student success than any other school factor, which means that teachers are a critical part of any solution to Washington’s STEM challenges. With this in mind, TNTP drew on its experience studying human capital challenges in education to identify the policies and practices that prevent Washington’s STEM teachers from performing at the highest possible level.

TNTP worked with the Spokane, Renton and Nooksack Valley school districts, three districts with the leadership and determination necessary to improve STEM instruction. TNTP’s researchers surveyed nearly 1,500 current teachers, more than 1,000 prospective and former teachers, and more than 100 school administrators in the three districts. Researchers also reviewed relevant laws and collective bargaining agreements and analyzed district data on teacher hiring, evaluation and performance.

Key findings include: 

• Low achievement and a widening achievement gap in math and science
• Too few STEM teacher candidates and low-quality STEM instruction
• Least effective STEM instruction in the highest-need schools
• Ineffective teacher evaluation and support

The report recommends that the state work towards five goals to ensure that every child learns from excellent STEM teachers:

Increase the supply of effective STEM teachers: Enact policies that will raise the number of graduates from both traditional and alternative preparation programs, and hold programs accountable for the effectiveness of the teachers they produce.

Boost the effectiveness of all teachers through rigorous evaluation and targeted professional development: Amend state law to require annual evaluations for all teachers based primarily on their contribution to student academic growth. Provide funding for and require districts to give customized professional development to teachers based on their evaluations. Help districts hold administrators accountable for differentiating the effectiveness of their teachers, providing personalized professional development and career growth opportunities, improving or removing poor performers and retaining top performers.

Retain and reward the most effective teachers and ensure that they teach the highest-need students: Fund programs that give recognition and bonuses to effective teachers in shortage-area subjects, including math and science. Set goals for districts to increase retention of effective STEM teachers and decrease retention of ineffective teachers who do not improve, especially in schools with high-need students.

Improve or remove persistently less effective teachers, and replace them with more effective teachers: Require that non-provisional status be awarded only to teachers who demonstrate and ability to promote student achievement.

Boosting the Supply and Effectiveness of Washington's STEM Teachers

To learn more, read The New Teacher Project’s full analysis:

• Full Analysis (PDF 1334K)
• Executive Summary (PDF 233K)
• Advisory Panel Comments (PDF 115K)