Re-Examining the Role of Teacher Quality In the Educational Production Function

This study uses administrative data linking students and teachers at the classroom level to estimate teacher value-added to student test scores. We find that variation in teacher quality is an important contributor to student achievement more important than has been implied by previous work. This result is attributable, at least in part, to the lack of a ceiling effect in the testing instrument used to measure teacher quality. We also show that teacher qualifications are almost entirely unable to predict value-added. Motivated by this result, we consider whether it is feasible to incorporate value-added into evaluation or merit pay programs.teacher quality, educational production, teacher value-added, value-added, test-score ceiling effects, teacher evaluation, teacher accountability, elementary school

Padrões de Avaliação nos Departamentos de Educação nas Universidades

Students who take classes in education departments at universities receive significantly higher grades than students who take classes in other academic departments. The higher grades awarded by education departments cannot be explained by differences in student quality or by structural differences across departments (i.e., differences in class sizes). The remaining explanation is that the higher grades are the result of lower grading standards. This paper formally documents the grading-standards problem in education departments using administrative grade data from the 2007-2008 academic year. Because a large fraction of the teachers in K-12 schools receive training in education departments, I briefly discuss several possible consequences of the low grading standards for teacher quality in K-12 schools.Los estudiantes que estudian en los departamentos dela educacin en las universidades reciben valoraciones muysuperiores a los estudiantes que estudian en otrosdepartamentos.Las calificaciones ms altas dadas pordepartamentos de educacin no se pueden explicarpor las diferenciasde calidad de los estudiantes o de las diferencias estructuralesentre los departamentos (diferencias en el tamao declases, por ejemplo).En este artculo se investigaformalmente el problema de los estndares de evaluacin endepartamentos de la educacin mediante el uso de los datos de evaluacin acadmica en el perodo 2007-2008.Comomuchos profesores de educacin bsica (K-12) son formados endepartamentos de formacindocente, tambin se discuten las consecuencias de el bajo nivel de evaluacin sobre la calidad de los maestros en educacin bsica (K-12)Os alunos que estudam nos departamentos de educao nas universidades recebem avaliaes muito mais altas do que os alunos que estudam em outros departamentos. As avaliaes maiores dadas pelos departamentos de educao no podem ser explicadas pelas diferenas de qualidade do aluno ou pelas diferenas estruturais entre departamentos (diferenas de tamanho das classes, por exemplo). Este artigo investiga formalmente o problema de padres de avaliao nos departamentos de educao usando dados de avaliao administrativa no perodo acadmico 2007-2008. Como grande parte dos professores nas escolas K-12 recebem treinamento nos departamentos de educao, discuto tambm vrias consequncias possveis dos baixos padres de avaliao para a qualidade do professor nas escolas K-12

Teacher Quality and Dropout Outcomes in a Large, Urban School District

Recent research shows that variation in teacher quality has large effects on student performance. However, this research is based entirely on student test scores. This paper evaluates teacher quality in terms of another educational outcome of great interest graduation. Using a unique instrumental variables approach to identify teacher effects, I find that differences in teacher quality have large effects on graduation outcomes. Because teacher effects on graduation outcomes will be more pronounced for students who are on the graduation margin, the results imply an avenue through which high-quality teachers are more productive with disadvantaged students.Teacher Quality, Teacher Evaluation, Dropouts, Graduation Outcomes, Multiple Endogenous Treatments

Lessons in Reading Reform: Finding What Works

Evaluates elements of reforms designed to improve reading scores among students identified as lagging behind, including extended-length English classes and school years. Considers the role of teachers' experience, lessons learned, and policy implications

Antecipando e incorporando a informação dos interessados no desenvolvimento de modelos de valor agregado.

State and local education agencies across the United States are increasingly adopting rigorous teacher evaluation systems. Most systems formally incorporate teacher performance as measured by student test-score growth, sometimes by state mandate. An important consideration that will influence the long-term persistence and efficacy of these systems is stakeholder buy-in, including buy-in from teachers. In this study we document common questions from teachers about value-added measures and provide research-based responses to these questions. The questions come from teachers in Baltimore City Public Schools, who are evaluated using a combined measure of which value-added is one component. We focus on teacher questions about value-added because value-added generates the most concern from teachers. We also connect teacher concerns about value-added to other components of the evaluation system, such as classroom observations, although at present these other components have not garnered as much attention from teachers. Agencias de educación estatales y locales en los Estados Unidos están adoptando cada vez más sistemas rigurosos de evaluación docente. La mayoría de los sistemas incorporan formalmente el desempeño docente, medida por el crecimiento de las resultados de prueba estandarizadas de los estudiantes, a veces por mandato estatal. Una consideración importante que influirá en la persistencia a largo plazo y la eficacia de estos sistemas es la aceptación de los interesados, incluida la aceptación por parte de los profesores. En este estudio documentamos preguntas comunes de los profesores acerca de las medidas de valor añadido y proporcionamos respuestas basadas en la investigación a estas preguntas. Las preguntas vienen de los maestros en Baltimore City Public Schools, que se evalúan mediante una medida combinada de los cuales un componente es el valor agregado. Nos centramos en las preguntas de los docentes sobre el valor añadido debido que es la que genera la mayor preocupación de los docentes. También relacionamos preocupaciones de los maestros sobre el valor añadido a otros componentes del sistema de evaluación, tales como observaciones en el aula, aunque en la actualidad estos otros componentes no han generado tanta atención.As agências educacionais estatais e locais nos Estados Unidos estão adotando cada vez mais sistemas de avaliação mais rigorosos dos docentes. A maioria dos sistemas incorporam formalmente o desempenho dos docentes medidas pela evolução dos resultados dos alunos em testes padronizados, às vezes por mandato estadual. Uma consideração importante que irá influenciar a persistência a longo prazo a eficácia destes sistemas é a aceitação das partes interessadas, incluindo a aceitação por parte dos professores. Neste estudo documentamos perguntas comuns de professores sobre medidas de valor agregado e fornecemos respostas baseadas em pesquisas sobre essas perguntas. As perguntas vêm de professores das Escolas Públicas da cidade de Baltimore, que são avaliados por uma medida combinada onde um dos componentes e uma medida de valor agregado. Nós nos concentramos sobre as questões dos professores sobre o valor agregado, porque geraram a maior preocupação entre os docentes. Preocupações também relacionavam o valor agregado dos professores com outros componentes do sistema de avaliação, tais como observações em sala de aula, embora estes outros componentes não têm gerado muita atenção

Pension-Induced Rigidities in the Labor Market for School Leaders

Educators in public schools in the United States are typically enrolled in defined-benefit pension plans, which penalize across-plan mobility. We use administrative data from Missouri to examine how the mobility penalties affect the labor market for school leaders. We show that pension borders greatly affect leadership flows across schools – for two groups of schools separated by a pension border, our estimates indicate that removing the border will increase leadership mobility between them by 97 to 163 percent. We consider the implications of the pension-induced rigidities in the leadership labor market for schools near pension borders in Missouri. Our findings are of general interest given that thousands of public schools operate near pension boundaries nationwide.Educator pensions, backloaded compensation, principal quality, leadership quality, compensation in education