SDP Previews Findings on Delaware Teaching Force

Findings released by researchers at Harvard University have policy and practice implications for Delaware public school staffing. Preliminary results from a two-year research engagement include:

• Newest teachers are more likely to be assigned to the least prepared students
• There is significant variation in Delaware teachers’ impact on student test scores
• Teachers’ impact on student test scores increases most in the first few years of teaching
• A significant share of new teachers leave teaching in Delaware within four years
• High poverty schools in Delaware have higher rates of teacher turnover

The Delaware Department of Education today hosted a presentation by the Strategic Data Project, based at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, to share this and more information with policymakers, education leaders and other key partners. Governor Jack Markell also joined to discuss the results and how the data informs new work underway to strengthen teacher preparation in the state.

For more, please read the Delaware Department of Education press release.