Hamilton County Teachers to be Recognized Tonight


By Beverly Carroll
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Chattanooga Times Free Press


Hamilton County schools’ most effective teachers are like coaches who make sure students understand their work, researchers said Tuesday.

'The teachers hit every corner of the room to monitor student understanding,' said Pam Carter, coordinator of teacher quality research for the Public Education Foundation. Ms. Carter was part of a team that spent a year studying the practices of nearly 100 Hamilton County kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers. The researchers used data from standardized state tests and asked principals for nominations to identify high performing teachers, foundation President Dan Challener said.

'The response was overwhelming,' Mr. Challener said. 'Every school had at least one high performing teacher.'

The 98 teachers will be recognized tonight when the study results are formally released during a program at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Wendy Puriefoy, president of the national PEF network, will be the keynote speaker.

The researchers interviewed, surveyed and observed teachers in their classrooms. They also videotaped each teacher and added a voiceover of teachers explaining their methods.

'It’s a chance for teachers to learn from teachers,' Mr. Challener said.

Researchers still are analyzing the data but preliminary results are contained on a dozen 45-minute videos of teachers demonstrating best practices across grade levels and subjects. 'This will be an invaluable tool for recruiting and for parents and principals,' Mr. Challener said.

Superintendent Jesse Register said the study will be a valuable part of the district’s continuing effort to provide training for teachers. 'What is of value is that teachers can learn from good teachers,' Dr. Register said. '(The research) provides the opportunity to observe and see good practices and learn from teachers in our system.'

Other hallmarks of effective teachers included using student work as examples of high standards, encouraging individual effort, displaying student work throughout the classroom, moving constantly around the classroom, and relating well to students.

Mr. Challener said research suggests that the PEF study is one of the first to document teacher quality using educators selected by test scores. The data came from the TVAAS, a state test that measures student academic progress and teacher effectiveness.

'We had calls from around the country as people have heard about our research,' Mr. Challener said. 'The definition of an effective teacher is a big issue now.'

The focus on defining an effective teacher has received more emphasis recently as a result of federal laws that require all schools that receive federal funds to have certified, qualified teachers.

Marcy O’Neill, coordinator of PEF’s critical friends group, said the teachers were willing to share their practices. 'They didn’t do a dog and pony show just for us,' Ms. O’Neill said. 'They told us, ‘This is what we would have done if you weren’t here.’'