Report Round-Up: March 9, 2012

After a brief hiatus, the Alliance is pleased to once again offer you the latest reports in education. Here are a couple of education-related reports that were issued this week. Feel free to add links to reports we missed in the comments section below.

Survey of the American Teacher MetLife Foundation

This report based on a survey of  teachers, parents, and students found that teachers’ job satisfaction has decreased by 15 points since the survey first assessed the issue in 2009. Forty-four percent of teachers reported they were very satisfied, the lowest rate MetLife has seen in 20 years. The “MetLife Survey of the American Teacher” is a long-running survey of educators.

Civil Rights Data Collection U.S. Department of Education

This report finds that Black and Hispanic students are more likely to be suspended than white students. Released by the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights, the report found that overall, black students were three and a half times as likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers.

Certification Requirements and Teacher Quality National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research

The report finds that a variety of Florida alternative-certification programs attracted a group of teachers candidates who are more qualified on paper compared to traditionally certified teachers. However, this alternative-certification programs varied in how effective graduates were in the classroom.