9th graders taught by least experienced

In the recent article in Ed Week, Study Finds Philadelphia 9th Graders Taught by Least-Experienced Teachers by Debra Viadero, a staggering report on the number of freshman being taught by inexperienced and uncertified teachers was revealed.

Researchers found that over the 1999-2000 school year in Philadelphia high schools, 29% of all 9th graders' courses were taught by new or uncredentialed teachers. While it is hard to say exactly what impact such teacher-assignment patterns have on students' academic growth, the researchers found that having a less-qualified teacher may have a detrimental effect on students' attendance. 9th grade is a vulnerable year- the make or break year for many students on the path to dropping out- and missing two more days (the number determined by researchers) than peers with more qualified teachers could be a breaking point.

"The freshman courses, where students are most likely to fall behind, are oftentimes the ones with the highest enrollments and the ones that are ascribed the least status," said Ross Weiner, a spokesman for the Education Trust. "It's a prime example of the way in which public education is organized around adult preferences rather than student needs," he continued.

Have you looked at teacher assignment patterns in your school and district?

To read the article in full please go to Ed Week online Vol. 27, Issue 39
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/06/04/39ninth.h27.html?qs=Philadelphia+9th+graders