This report describes a problem based learning project focusing on superintendents’ knowledge of the characteristics of high quality teachers. Current research findings offer evidence teacher quality is an important school variable related to student achievement. School district leaders are faced with the problem of identifying the characteristics of high quality teachers and recruiting those teachers with the characteristics. This project sought to determine if superintendents possessed knowledge of the characteristics of high quality teachers and utilized those characteristics in the teacher recruitment process of the school district.

The project team identified eight characteristics through a review of the literature. They are: content area knowledge, knowledge of student development, planning, knowledge of instructional strategies, classroom management, assessment and evaluation, collaboration, and reflective practice. The definition for each characteristic was grounded in the literature and reviewed by an expert panel, which resulted in the definitions used in the project. The team developed an interview protocol used to gather information from superintendents or Human Resource designees to elicit a representation of the district administrators’ knowledge of the characteristics of high quality teachers.

The project team’s analysis of the district administrator interviews determined that, although each district administrator identified some of the indicators of the characteristics of high quality teachers, none identified all. In addition, other factors were identified that appeared to influence superintendents’ recruitment of high quality teachers. Recommendations were made to superintendents, institutions of higher learning, state departments of education, and state legislators to improve superintendents’ knowledge and use of the characteristics of high quality teachers during the teacher recruitment process.