hools in particular, high teacher turnover rates often result in inexperienced teachers or short-term substitutes (NCTAF, 2003, p. 14). The report notes one study in Tennessee schools that demonstrated the students with the ôleast effectiveö teachers three years in a row demonstrated gains in academic achievement that were 54 percent lower than those demonstrated by students who had the most effective teachers three years in a row (NCTAF, 2003, p. 14).
In essence, the NCTAF argues that the crisis in teacher retention can only be solved by adequate teacher preparation, selection and support. In particular, the report argues that there should be coordination at local, state and federal levels regarding teacher accreditation standards (2003, p. 22). However, a 2001 study by the New York State United Teachers association (NYSUT) highlights the perils of focusing exclusively on accreditation standards. In that study, the NYSUT noted that New York had the most rigorous teacher preparation standards in the country. For example, NYSUT pointed out the teacher candidates in New York were required to earn an undergraduate degree, pass state teacher tests, take a course on identifying child abuse, complete at least two years of teaching in the field and eventually earn a masterÆs degree. But a simultaneous research project conducted at the State University of New York and Stanford University reported that fewer than 40 percent of new teachers in New York in 1993 still remained in their original schools in 1998. Significantly, the teachers who left the profession tended to be the better qualified candidates (NYUST, 2001).
Thus, the NCTAF points out the problem and the NYSUT study demonstrates the inefficacy of too narrow a solution. Yet another study, however, offers insight into the need for a broader, more comprehensive solution that nonetheless focuses on the heart of the solution: how best to ensure job satisfaction for teachers. In 199...