The Center for American Progress just released a report (May 2011) titled- Slow Off the Mark: Elementary Teachers and the Crisis in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education. The report makes the following recommendations:

• Increase the selectivity of programs that prepare teachers for elementary grades

• Implement teacher compensation policies, including performance-based pay, that make elementary teaching more attractive to college graduates and career changes with strong STEM backgrounds

• Include more mathematics and science content and pedagogy in schools of education

• Require candidates to pass the mathematics and science subsections of licensure exams

• Explore innovative staffing models that extend the reach of elementary level teachers with an affinity for mathematics and science and demonstrated effectiveness in teaching them.

Click HERE to see an overview of the report and to access different versions of the report.

I’m interested to hear what others think of these recommendations. I’m somewhat concerned that the idea of professional development for current elementary teachers did not make the list.