Lawmakers will target teacher qualifications

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 1998 | 10:05 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Until now, the focus in education has been on getting Nevada students to achieve higher standards.

But now a legislative committee has turned its attention on whether Nevada teachers are equipped to help students move up the academic ladder.

"Obviously students learn more when teachers know more," says Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, a leader in the move to reform the state educational system. But he said one-fourth of new teachers nationally fail to meet minimum standards.

He told his legislative education committee Monday he wasn't out to bash teachers. But he made it clear they will have to be ready to teach to the new standards being developed for students.

Those teachers that don't have the skills must be identified and given help, he said. While lacking teaching skills isn't a badge of dishonor, school districts must identify where their deficiencies are.

Nevada's educational system has been given a C by national publications and many have labeled it as mediocre.

But Nevada teachers are a lot better prepared than in many other states, according to test results. For instance in Virginia, which is held up as a model in pushing higher student standards, one-third of the would-be teachers seeking jobs fail a national test of basic reading, writing and mathematics.

And many other states are in similar positions. Keith Rheault, deputy state superintendent of public instruction, said 77 percent of those who took the admittance examination in 1997 to teach in Nevada passed on the first attempt in the three basic subjects. In 1996, 86 percent of those who took the test passed.

Rheault said 92 percent of the beginners passed the professional knowledge test which measures teaching skills such as classroom management. And 94 percent passed on the tests designed to examine the specialized knowledge of an individual such as math, science or English.

"We get bashed on our teacher standards," Rheault said. "We've got as strong (teachers) as anywhere in the country. That doesn't mean things don't need to change, but on initial licensing (of teachers) we require as much or more (than other states)."

The committee was told by John Snyder, director of teacher education at the University of California at Santa Barbara, that the qualification of a teacher accounts for 43 percent of a student achievement. He said 49 percent is attributed to home and family factors and 8 percent to the size of the class.

"Teachers make the most profound difference in student achievement," Snyder said. "Poor students and those of color are far more likely to have less qualified teachers. When poor students and those of color have qualified teachers, then the achievement gap closes dramatically."

Snyder said Nevada faces a double whammy in getting qualified teachers in the classroom. In 1994, 25 percent of the state's teachers were older than 50 and, because Nevada is the fastest growing state in the nation, it requires big recruitment programs.

"Kids are learning more than ever before, you can't deny that," Snyder said. "But they are not learning nearly enough to live and compete in the world."