TEACHER QUALITY

Studies

Prepared to Teach: Teacher Preparation and Student Achievement in Eight-Grade Mathematics
American Institutes for Research | Elizabeth Greenberg, David Rhodes, Xiaolan Ye and Fran Stancavage | April 2004
Analyzes an eighth-grade mathematics assessment "to examine the relationship between four aspects of teacher qualifications that have been identified in previous studies as potentially related to student achievement-certification, college/graduate school major and minor, highest degree, and teacher experience-and student achievement in mathematics."

Tapping the Potential: Retaining and Developing High Quality New Teachers
Alliance for Excellent Education | Kevin Carey
"All students, especially those at risk of failure, need a high-quality teacher in order to achieve high standards and to graduate with the skills needed to succeed in college or the workforce. The economic and social success of our country depends on it. All students, especially those at risk of failure, need a high-quality teacher in order to achieve."

Teacher Quality and Student Achievement: A Review of State Policy Evidence
Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy, University of Washington | Linda Darling-Hammond | December 1999
"Based on nationwide achievement results, "The findings of both the qualitative and quantitative analyses suggest that policy investments in the quality of teachers may be related to improvements in student performance … While student demographic characteristics are strongly related to student outcomes at the state level, they are less influential in predicting achievement levels than variables assessing the quality of the teaching force."

Good Teaching Matters: How Well-Qualified Teachers Can Close the Gap
Education Trust | Kati Haycock
Study analyzes the most important research on quality teaching in relation to student achievement, especially amongst low-income students. Concludes that quality teaching is the most important factor in improving student performance.

Doing What Matters Most: Investing in Quality Teaching
National Commission on Teaching and America's Future
The single most important factor for the improvement of student achievement is a "knowledgeable, skillful teacher" in front of the classroom.

Relationship Between Teacher Quality and Student Achievement
Research and Development Center for the Advancement of Student Learning, Colorado State University
"Politicians are not yet convinced that teacher quality equals student achievement and thus, prefer to dwell on issues such as vouchers, class size, and high-stakes testing … Measures of teacher preparation and certification are by far the strongest correlates of student achievement in reading and mathematics."

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org