Selection
Selecting teacher candidates that who are a strong match for teaching positions impacts the quality of schools. It increases the caliber of instruction, reduces the high rates and cost of turnover, and allays serious consequences associated with hiring unsuitable candidates. Effective selection starts with identifying evidence-based teaching skills. Next, the school principal and the school district human resources office (HR) should identify which preparation programs teaching these skills. Resources such as National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) Teacher Prep Review can help identify these programs. HR should assess candidates to weed out those who do not meet standards, which include technical competencies, personal competencies, credentialing, experience, reference checks, work samples, and incidental interactions with candidates. Unfortunately, interviews often fail to gauge critical skills and spotlight a candidate’s verbal skills while omitting critical performance assessment. Research supports the use of behavior reference interview questions. These questions require candidates to discuss past performance and avoid hypothetical questions, which are proven less effective in judging a candidate. Interviews should involve HR, the principal, and/or teachers trained in selecting candidates