Knowing how schools, districts, states, professional groups, and institutions enable high-quality teaching and learning is critical to the welfare of the nation's education system and the young people it serves. To this end, the Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy studies efforts to improve the quality of teachers, teaching, and learning, as it is enacted in various contexts and at multiple levels of the system. The goal of the Center's research is to identify ways that leaders, policymakers, teacher developers, and the reform community can support teachers' work and careers and, ultimately, the quality of young people's learning opportunities, in U.S. elementary and secondary schools.

High School Teachers in the Workforce: Examining Teacher Retention, Mobility, School Characteristics and School Reform Efforts This report provides descriptive information about high schools and high school teachers in Washington state and examines teacher retention and mobility patterns compared to all teachers statewide. Additionally, we examine whether differences exist among staff at high schools that have focused on specific reform strategies. OLS and HLM statistical analyses are employed to further explore relationships between teacher retention and student characteristics in these schools. Taken together these findings provide a baseline for understanding the high school workforce in Washington state. Teaching Math in Washington's High Schools: Insights from a Survey of Teachers in High Performing or Improving Schools This study is based on a survey administered in spring 2007 to mathematics teachers in 90 Washington high schools that have demonstrated strong or improving performance on state mathematics assessments over time. The report provides information regarding what mathematics teachers can tell us about effective classroom practices and the areas in which they believe additional support and training may be needed. The discussion also includes connections between subject matter preparation, experience and teachers' confidence in their knowledge and skills, as well as the key factors teachers attribute to their school's success. Please visit our Washington State Reports Page to access these reports.