Blueprint for Change in Tennessee: State Teacher Policy Yearbook, 2010
Author: National Council on Teacher Quality
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Teaching (Occupation),Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Policy,Teacher Evaluation,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Improvement,Tenure,Teacher Dismissal,State Government,State Regulation,Academic Achievement,Educational Improvement,Teacher Certification,Alternative Teacher Certification,Needs Assessment,Yearbooks,Retirement Benefits,Educational Change,Teacher Education,Special Education Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Middle School Teachers,Educational Objectives,Comparative Analysis,Public Schools

The 2009 &quot;State Teacher Policy Yearbook&quot; provided a comprehensive review of states' policies that impact the teaching profession. As a companion to last year's comprehensive state-by-state analysis, the 2010 edition provides each state with an individualized &quot;Blueprint for Change,&quot; building off last year's &quot;Yearbook&quot; goals and recommendations. State teacher policy addresses a great many areas, including teacher preparation, certification, evaluation and compensation. With so many moving parts, it may be difficult for states to find a starting point on the road to reform. To this end, this paper provides a state-specific roadmap, organized in three main sections. Section 1 identifies policy concerns that need critical attention, the areas of highest priority for state policymakers. Section 2 outlines &quot;low-hanging fruit,&quot; policy changes that can be implemented in relatively short order. Section 3 offers a short discussion of some longer-term systemic issues that states need to make sure stay on the radar. In the 2009 &quot;State Teacher Policy Yearbook&quot;, Tennessee had the following grades: (1) Delivering Well Prepared Teachers (B-); (2) Expanding the Teaching Pool (C); (3) Identifying Effective Teachers (C); (4) Retaining Effective Teachers (C); and (5) Exiting Ineffective Teachers (F). Tennessee has an overall grade of C- for 2009. In the last year, many states made significant changes to their teacher policies, spurred in many cases by the Race to the Top competition. Based on a review of state legislation, rules and regulations, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has identified the following recent policy changes in Tennessee: (1) The state now requires that all teachers be evaluated annually. Also, 50 percent of the evaluation must be based on student achievement data; (2) The state now allows all tenured teachers who receive a notice of dismissal (not just those in Nashville and Memphis) to have the right to demand a hearing on the charges before an impartial hearing officer selected by the local board; and (3) Tennessee now allows districts to submit their own proposed salary schedules for approval by the commissioner, as opposed to its former requirement that all districts use the state-formulated schedule based on training and experience factors. Individual sections contain footnotes. (Contains 5 figures.) [For the related reports, see &quot;Blueprint for Change: National Summary. State Teacher Policy Yearbook, 2010&quot; (ED515614) and &quot;State Teacher Policy Yearbook, 2009. Tennessee&quot; (ED511944).]