Building Teacher Quality in the Kansas City, Missouri School District - Full Report

Abstract

This study looks at the policies and practices shaping teacher quality in the Kansas City, Missouri School District (KCMSD). It is part of a series of analyses by the National Council on Teacher Quality in school districts across the nation.

Framing this analysis are five policy goals for improving teacher quality:

1. Staffing. Teacher assignment is based on the mutual consent of principals and teachers, with district policies facilitating the access of schools to top teacher talent.

2. Work culture. Policies encourage a professional and collaborative culture, including a work schedule that allows for sufficient planning time.

3. Evaluations. Teachers’ performance evaluations play a critical role in advancing teacher effectiveness.

4. Tenure. Tenure is a meaningful milestone in a teacher’s career and advances the district’s goal of building a corps of effective teachers.

5. Compensation. Compensation is strategically targeted to attract and reward high quality teachers, especially those in hard-to-staff positions.

For this analysis we explored the policies (found in both the collective bargaining agreement and state law) that shape teacher quality. We collected personnel data from the district and met with teachers, principals, union leaders and district administrators to get a better understanding of how these policies play out in practice. We also compared the policies in KCMSD with those of surrounding districts and the 100-plus districts found in the NCTQ’s TR3 database. Lastly, we laid out a blueprint of suggested improvements and highlighted possible solutions that have been successful elsewhere.

This is the full version of this report. The executive summary is SSRN abstract No. 1746969 and is available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1746969/

Keywords: Teacher Quality, Evaluation, Kansas City, Missouri, School District, Compensation, Tenure, Staffing, Work Culture, Recommendation, Policy