Sifter

The Teacher Quality Index (TQI), created by CSU, Sacramento professor Ken Futernick, is a Web site (www.edfordemocracy.opg/tqi) that collects state data on teacher credentialing to measure school districts’ and individual schools’ levels of teacher qualification. Teachers are considered underqualified if they are using an emergency credential or are pre-interns. A rating also suffers if more than 20 percent of a school’s or district’s teachers are just beginning (first or second year)—not the case in any Butte County district. Below is a sampling of Butte County school districts, graded on a scale of 10, with 10 being the highest score.

District No. of schools Enrollment Avg. TQI

Bangor Union Elem. 1 152 10

Biggs Unified 4 853 8.2

Chico Unified 25 13947 9.9

Durham Unified 4 1230 10

Gridley Unified 5 1823 8.8

Oroville City Elem. 7 3367 10

Oroville Union High 5 2927 8.4

Palermo Union Elem. 5 1303 9.8

Paradise Unified 13 5295 8.2

Thermalito Union Elem. 3 1556 9