Expert Teachers

No Child Left Behind

There are two major components of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation that dominate current discussions related to K–12 education. The first is the closing of the achievement gap between groups of students, by focusing on standardized achievement tests of student knowledge and skills each year to provide an index of adequate yearly progress (AYP) for students in U.S. schools. The repercussions of failure to make AYP are severe and have dramatically changed curricula and teaching practices as teachers and administrators focus on preparing students to succeed in the local testing setting that varies state to state.

In 2001, President George W. Bush enacted NCLB legislation, which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. These reforms were intended to increase accountability for states, school districts, and schools; provide greater choice for parents and students; give more flexibility to states and local educational agencies in the use of federal education dollars; and put forth a greater emphasis on evidence-based teaching methods that increase student academic achievement (Executive Summary). To meet many of these intents, NCLB calls for an increase in the number of highly qualified teachers in the classroom (Section 2101). Whereas much debate in the literature exists about the definition of highly qualified teachers (also referred to as excellent teachers, effective teachers, and expert teachers), according to the NCLB legislation, a highly qualified teacher

• holds a bachelor's degree;
• is certified or licensed in his or her state;
• has demonstrated subject matter competence, as defined by the state in each of the core academic subjects he or she teaches; or
• does not have certification or licensure requirements [because they were] waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis (Section 1901).

Defining Expert Teachers

Aside from the NCLB definition of expert teachers, many researchers have attempted to define the qualities of excellent teaching. In addition to determining the attributes of excellent teachers, researchers have examined the extent to which preparation helps teachers become excellent teachers as measured by student achievement. For instance, researchers have found that content preparation is positively related to student achievement in a curvilinear manner in which a threshold exists beyond which preparation is not significant in predicting student achievement. However, other research has indicated that for higher-level courses (usually in high schools), the amount of content training a teacher has had becomes very important. Although teachers often are required to be tested by their state to indicate competency, studies have reported more frequently that course-taking is a better indicator of teacher excellence than are teachers' test scores alone. This is probably because teacher assessments have not been adequately designed to accurately gather authentic measures of critical thinking, problem representation, pedagogy, and actual teaching practices.

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