Teacher quality has produced voluminous studies that line many a research library. Discussion on what it is, how it is developed, and its connection to student achievement have become the hallmark of educational jargon in the 21st century. This narrative seeks to look at teacher quality in a way in which it brings the elements to life: as a means 1) to review how the terms excellence and quality are shaped by policy, specifically, the No Child Left Behind law 2) to identify how educators perceive teaching quality, and 3) to review how quality is cultivated in teachers. Within this scope, I will be reviewing ways in which the terms quality and excellence are defined. I will also review how the term quality teaching is created from a social construct, how this social construct interplays with the No Child Left Behind mandates, administrators' perceptions, and teachers' intrinsic motivation to aspire to be a quality teacher. I have chosen a narrative interpretive approach as the means to share this information with the reader. In-depth interviews will constitute the data portion of the study with attention given to the literary nature of teacher quality. In looking at how educators perceive teacher quality, I have chosen two school districts that are mirror opposites of each other in minority population, socioeconomic status, and tax base. One district is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania with a Free and Reduced Lunch ratio of less than 1%. It has consistently received high ranking on the state assessment tests for the past four years. The second district is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania with a Free and Reduced Lunch ratio of more than 90%. This district has been on the state warning list and improvement list. The social contrasts between the two schools are striking; the richness of their backgrounds is remarkable.
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