Resolving the Math Teacher Credentials Debate

No doubt I write enough about the teacher education versus alternative certification debate -- so here I go again. The recent report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, as discussed in a recent edition of Education Week, adds more fuel to the fire by concluding that 'good teachers matter,' but the qualities of an effective mathematics teacher remain 'frustratingly elusive.'

Scouring a slew of studies, the Math Panel found little to no differences among preservice, professional-development, or alternative certification programs in producing teachers who in turn produced higher achieving math students. But the Panel did conclude that teachers needed to have "a solid grasp of ‘mathematics for teaching’— or an in-depth knowledge of the specific math needed for their classes and how to make it understandable to students.” This means that future efforts need to focus on improving teacher education and professional development – not continuing to short-change it with many of the alternative certification programs touted by a number of inside-the-Beltway think tanks — including the National Council for Teacher Quality.

However, Panel member Deborah Ball, nationally renowned math education researcher, noted that schools of education needed to partner with mathematics faculty to offer “instructionally relevant content knowledge for teacher-candidates, rather than just focusing on more generic math content.” She also called for better assessments that can capture the skills teachers need to help students achieve.

However, better coursework, assessments, and research may not be enough. As one math teacher, responded in an on-line commentary:

“Are there other factors that are on the margin of teacher influence? Parent support? Content and style mandates in large districts? Embedded disruptive students? My continuing education courses show me yet another way to present the distributive property or use problem-based learning, but quite avoid the issues that most challenge me and other teachers.”

None of the studies reviewed by the panel seemed to take a hard look at how teacher working conditions affect the teaching of mathematics and how teacher training and qualifications are mediated by a host of powerful contextual factors. The Math Panel findings and its recommendations are important and profound, but do not go far enough in fully understanding the effects of teacher education and certification on student achievement.