Educator Services

Analysis of the Teacher Quality Enhancement Act

On August 20, 1998, Governor Paul Cellucci signed into law comprehensive legislation prepared by the Department of Education and supported by Massachusetts State Legislature to improve the educator force in the Commonwealth. The Teacher Quality Enhancement Act, known as the "12 to 62 Plan", serves as the impetus for a systemic reform effort which includes programs and policies designed to recruit, prepare, support, and retain highly qualified educators. To ensure funding and sustainability of the Plan, the State Legislature created a $60 million Teacher Quality Endowment Fund, the interest from which would support the Plan. The endowment fund was increased to $70 million in July 2000 and renamed the Superintendent, Principal, and Teacher Quality Endowment Fund. The increase in the endowment required the Department to spend 15% of the annual endowment interest on programs to recruit and retain school administrators.

The Massachusetts Department of Education commissioned the Center for Education Policy (CEP) at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst to evaluate and analyze the "12 to 62 Plan." During 2002, the CEP conducted research to evaluate the individual programs within the Plan and analyze the overall Plan as a public policy initiative to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers. The CEP focused its research and evaluation efforts on the programs and policies in the "12 to 62 Plan" in place during 1999 to 2001.

The majority of the programs examined in the report were designed to attract aspiring teachers, to recruit and support nontraditional candidates to the teaching profession, and to retain highly qualified teachers. Most of these programs were funded though interest earned from the endowment. In some instances, the Department supplemented endowment funds with other state or federal funds.