Drug Testing Teachers: Testing Positive or Negative?

A troubling report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that individuals with a history of sexual misconduct were working in some neighborhood schools. Even more concerning, some were able to obtain new teaching or staff positions after behaving inappropriately toward children in other school districts. The report identified numerous breakdowns in hiring practices that allowed these individuals back into schools because of incomplete background checks, poor record sharing, and administrative loopholes.

More than a decade later, the issue remains an important school safety concern. While states have strengthened hiring laws and school districts have improved screening procedures, experts agree that vigilance remains essential. Schools today are expected to conduct far more comprehensive background investigations than they did when the original GAO report was released, but inconsistencies between states and districts still exist.

Parents who want to better understand educator screening practices can also read Public School Review's guide to Should Schools Conduct Background Checks on Teachers?.

The GAO Report

The original report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office examined 15 case studies involving public schools that employed individuals with troubling histories. According to the investigation, 11 of the employees had previously engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct involving children. In six of those cases, the individuals went on to abuse children again after obtaining employment in another school district.

The report was prepared in response to growing concerns about weaknesses in school hiring practices and followed earlier federal research highlighting educator sexual

Local schools and charter schools have historically clashed in many school districts. Local schools have complained that charters take away district funds and promote competition that has no place in the public school system. On the other hand, charter schools counter the fact that they typically receive less funding than other local schools, even though they are also considered public schools.

The District-Charter Collaboration Compact

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is addressing this conflict directly at its source by providing financial incentives for charter and local schools to work together for the benefit of the students they serve. The District-Charter Collaboration Compact was designed by the foundation to encourage these two groups to find new and creative ways to work together to raise the bar on the standard of education in their communities. Schools that prove they can work well together will be rewarded with grants from the foundation that will go to providing access to consultants and advisors that will help them improve the quality of education across the board.

Vicki L. Phillips, director of education, College Ready, at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said in a press release on the foundation's website, "Traditional public schools and public charter schools share a common goal of preparing all students for future success. Too often, issues not tied to academic outcomes can make it difficult for schools and teachers to have the opportunity to learn from each other and build upon successful practices,

The debate over teacher evaluations has been raging for some time, with discussion over how to rate teachers in very different communities with very different student demographics by the same basic criteria. One solution that has been effectively used across the country is value-added analysis, which pits teacher performance against specific student expectations. While many agree that value-added analysis is the best system to gauge teacher performance today accurately, another conflict has been brewing – whether to make these evaluations accessible to the general public.

What is Value-Added Analysis?

According to an article at National Public Radio, value-added analysis is "a method for calculating teacher effectiveness based on how the teacher's students perform on standardized tests." Instead of strictly looking at the scores, however, these evaluations consider the expectations for the students based on 30 factors, including the students' ethnicity and whether they are poor enough to qualify for a free lunch. This methodology more accurately compares the performance of teachers who teach to different populations of students.

In addition to value-added analysis, most teachers are evaluated by a "soft" criterion, which tends to be more subjective. This might include classroom observations by the principal, student papers, and project evaluations. The data compiled on teachers through these evaluations has been historically kept private by the school district and used strictly by administrators for developing classroom strategies and managing a teacher's personal career track. However, that changed when the Los Angeles Times published teacher

School districts across the country have fallen victim to the current economic slowdown, which has resulted in significant budget cuts and tough decisions for many schools this year. Unfortunately, the budget cuts have come at a time when dropout rates are rising. Is there a connection? We will take a closer look at the issue to answer the question.

The Dropout Dilemma in California

No state has felt the brunt of school district budget cuts more acutely than California. With many districts forced to lay off counselors, end intervention services, and reduce or eliminate arts and other extracurricular activities, there are fewer resources to keep kids interested in school than there once was. Recently released data seems to support this idea; according to a report at San Jose Mercury News, the dropout rate for California schools during the 2008-09 school year went up nearly three percent from the previous year.

During the 2008-09 academic year, the dropout rate was 21.7%. The previous year, that rate was just 18.9%. African Americans saw the most dropouts at 36.9%, and Hispanics followed with 26.9%. Both of these demographics saw a three-percent increase in dropouts in just one year. At the same time, California saw an increase in graduation rates, with a nearly two-percent increase in graduations across the board and a five-percent jump in Hispanic graduations.

Still, the dropout rate is far from acceptable, considering that a high school diploma is the first step in breaking the