Low teacher-progress rating disputed

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Education Writer

The Hawai'i Teacher Standards Board has challenged the findings of an Education Week report card that gave the state a D+ for improving teacher quality.

The national weekly newspaper, in its annual "Quality Counts" survey of public education, claimed that Hawai'i does not require new teachers to complete a minimum amount of student teaching or coursework in subjects they plan to teach, one of several factors listed by the paper in explaining its low grade.

But Sharon Mahoe, executive director of the state board, said Hawai'i requires a minimum of nine weeks of student teaching and expects teachers to either major or have equivalent academic experience in the subjects they teach. "I think it's unfair," Mahoe said. "I'm not saying we're perfect, but I think we should have gotten at least a B."

The D+ on improving teacher quality was the lowest grade Hawai'i received. The state earned a C- in the same category the previous year, when Education Week claimed that Hawai'i requires 10 weeks of student teaching and, for high school teachers, a major in the subject they intend to teach.

"We don't know how they got inaccurate information," Mahoe said.

Melissa McCabe, a research associate for Education Week who worked on the Hawai'i portion of the report, said she took a tougher look at teacher quality this time and determined that the state's standards "simply don't meet our criteria."

Education Week sent a survey to the state Department of Education, and McCabe said she presented DOE and state board officials with follow-up questions. "States can disagree," McCabe said. "But I feel confident."

Ron Skinner, research director for Education Week, based in Bethesda, Md., said it is possible there was some miscommunication between the paper and the state. But he said the ultimate responsibility rests with states to provide correct information.

Mahoe said she would take her complaints to Education Week. "We're going to follow up," she said. "The end result should be a higher grade."

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.