Education Trust Report: Working Conditions in High-Poverty Schools Important for Supporting Effective Teaching

In a study recently released by the Education Trust, authors Sarah Almy, director of teacher quality, and Melissa Tooley, a teacher quality data and policy analyst, have determined that conditions for teaching and learning are critical to teacher satisfaction, especially in struggling schools.

In this report, “Building and Sustaining Talent: Creating Conditions in High-Poverty Schools That Support Effective Teaching and Learning,” the authors report that, when it comes to teacher satisfaction at high-poverty, low-performing schools, the conditions for teaching and learning supersede all other factors, including student and salary issues. The report urges school districts to pair efforts to improve outdated, inadequate teacher evaluation systems with policy and culture changes that accompany them. The report also includes strategies some school districts employ to help schools most in need of talented teachers attract, nurture, and keep them once they are identified.

Media report:

Huffington Post: Education Trust Report Emphasizes Need For Culture, Policy Changes In High-Poverty, Low-Performing Public Schools (28 JUN 12)

To access a copy of the complete report, please visit:

Education Trust: Building and Sustaining Talent: Creating Conditions in High-Poverty Schools That Support Effective Teaching and Learning (June 2012)

Background information:

Education Trust