Guiding donors to improve teacher quality (Penn Current)
For years, educators, parents, researchers and policy makers have discussed and debated ways to improve student achievement in America’s schools.
They’ve focused on class size, achievement testing, state funding and teacher quality. But rarely has the discussion focused on what specific area of improvement philanthropists and non-profits may want to pay particular attention to at this time.
A report issued this month by Penn’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy (CHIP) in the School of Social Policy and Practice says improving teacher quality, especially among those who work with high-need students in grades 6-12, “represents a great opportunity for private philanthropy to make a difference, bridging the gap left by public investments and offering donors a chance to leverage investments in the earlier grades and sustain their impact.”
Authored by Kate Barrett, lead analyst on teaching quality for CHIP; independent consultant Katherine Hovde; Zehua Li Hahn, CHIP’s senior research assistant in education; and Katherina Rosqueta, the founding executive director of CHIP, the comprehensive report includes findings and insights about teacher quality reform provided by Penn’s Graduate School of Education as well as other leading policy, education and social research organizations. Funding for the report came from the Ford Foundation, which Rosqueta says also served as a partner in development of the final document.
Read the full article by the Penn Current: http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/features/021711-2.html