The Status of the Teaching Profession, 2009. Full Report
Author: Woodworth, Katrina
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teaching (Occupation),Elementary Secondary Education,High Schools,Secondary School Teachers,Alignment (Education),Credentials,School Restructuring,Educational Change,Teacher Characteristics,Poverty,Research Methodology,Teacher Supply and Demand,Professional Development

In this document, its 11th annual report on the status of the teaching profession in California, the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning focuses on current efforts to improve high school education and their implications for teachers. One overarching research question guided the study: To what extent are California high school teachers prepared for and supported in teaching in reform-oriented California high schools? This report, part of the Center's Teaching and California's Future (TCF) initiative, is intended to provide California policymakers with objective and timely data on the state's teacher workforce. Specifically the study sought to address the following seven questions by conducting a multimethod study that included a statewide survey, a review of current policies and practices, in-depth case studies, and analysis of secondary data sources. This report finds that California's teacher development system is not adequately aligned with high school reforms that seek to increase rigor, make instruction more relevant and foster more personal and supportive learning environments for students. The research further indicates that high school teacher knowledge and skills differ substantially by school poverty level. The report also includes the latest available data on demand, supply, qualifications and distribution of the state's K-12 teacher workforce. The report is organized into eight chapters, following an introduction. Chapter 2 provides basic descriptive information on trends in the overall teacher workforce, highlighting the pipeline of new credentials issued and addressing the issues of out-of-field teaching and underprepared teachers. Where possible, relevant trends for high school teachers are noted. Chapter 3 describes the nature of high school reform and redesign emerging across the state, while Chapter 4 discusses the implications of the various reform strategies for teachers' knowledge, skills, and understandings. Chapter 5 takes a look at the teacher development system and how teachers are supported (or not) in developing the necessary knowledge, skills, and understandings. Chapter 6 focuses on the central role of school leaders, including teachers, in shaping and supporting reform efforts. At the beginning of each chapter, the report highlights key findings from the research. Chapter 7 distills the lessons learned from this year's research, and Chapter 8 provides the Center's recommendations to policymakers and education leaders for future action. Appended to this report are: (1) Additional Teacher Supply, Demand, &amp; Distribution Data; (2) Research Methods; (3) Source and Technical Information for Exhibits; (4) Source and Technical Information for Survey Data. (Contains 80 exhibits and 17 footnotes.) [Additional funding for this study was provided by The S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.