Teaching for High Standards: What Policymakers Need to Know and Be Able to Do
Author: Darling-Hammond, L., Ball, D.L.
Publisher: National Education Goals Panel
Publication Date: 1997
Full text available online at: http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/negp/Reports/highstds.htm
Abstract (written by WestEd)
In this report prepared for the National Education Goals Panel, Darling-Hammond and Ball summarize various studies to show how important teaching quality is to student achievement. Drawing from an extensive study of state test data in Texas by Ferguson, a Harvard economist, Darling-Hammond and Ball identify four major factors that influenced changes in student test scores: small classes and schools, student and family background, parent education, and teacher qualifications. The percent of influence on test score change (technically, percent of explained variance) was as follows:
- 10 percent small classes and schools
- 24 percent parent education (college education)
- 26 percent other background factors (poverty, language, family circumstances)
- 40 percent teacher qualifications (degrees, experience, and expertise)
The large achievement gap between black and white students was almost entirely accounted for by differences in the qualifications of their teachers.
Darling-Hammond and Ball bolster the Texas study findings by citing data from 1990 to 1996 reflecting changes in National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores for grade 8 mathematics, taken from NAEP 1996 Mathematics Report Card for the Nation and the States (Table 2.3, p.30). The percentage influence of the four factors was the same, and similar results were found for reading and grade 4.
Citing another study (by Sanders and Rivers), Darling-Hammond and Ball state that the average student assigned to ineffective teachers three years in a row scored 50 percentile points lower on achievement tests than those assigned to the most effective teachers. As teacher quality increased from low to average to high, so did test scores.
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From WestEd.org
WestEd has worked extensively over the years to understand and overcome the challenges of "low-performing schools." Our work includes direct services and research both in and out of school settings to increase the education opportunities for all children. And we develop resources and research to help policymakers better support schools and communities. This issue of R&D Alert includes a sampling of what we have learned from our work in these areas.
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