How Schools Matter: The Link Between Teacher Classroom Practices and Student Academic Performance

1. How Schools Matter: The Link Between Teacher Classroom Practices and Student Academic Performance

2. What is the problem with other studies about whether schools matter (according to the author)?

3. What are the main issues discussed in the background research?

4. Quantitative Studies • Impact of school resources (production functions) • Social and organizational characteristics of schools(effective schools research) • Teaching (little impact)

5. Quantitative Studies • Lack of a clear relationship between student outcomes and teacher inputs with two exceptions: • Subject Area Coursework • Teachers’ test scores

6. Qualitative Studies Why is qualitative research important for looking at teaching?

7. Qualitative Studies • Higher order thinking • Individualization • Collaboration • Authentic assessment These practices can improve academic performance of all students, regardless of background.

8. Other than two “exceptions”, quantitative research has tended to find that the effects of student background on student achievement and other outcomes far overshadows school effects.

9. Hypotheses of Study • Of the aspects of teacher quality classroom practices will have the greatest impact on student academic performance, professional development the next greatest, and teacher inputs (characteristics) the least. • Teacher quality is as strongly related to student academic performance as student background characteristics.

10. Method • NAEP Scores • NAEP Student Background Data • Teacher Background Questionnaire

11. Limitations • Data are cross sectional (cannot infer causation). • One grade level, one subject. • Better constructs are needed.

12. Conclusions • No significant relationship to test scores (except teacher’s college-level coursework—major or minor in content area). • All school effects are overshadowed by the effect of student socio-economic status.

13. Conclusions • No significant relationship to test scores (except teacher’s college-level coursework—major or minor in content area). • All school effects are overshadowed by the effect of student socio-economic status.

14. Conclusions • Hypothesis one: Aspects of teacher quality—classroom practices—will have the greatest result, is confirmed. Problem-solving is key; individualization. Ongoing assessment needs to be supplemented with testing. • Hypothesis two: impact of teaching is comparable to SES—somewhat greater.

15. Conclusions • Professional development in hands-on learning and in working with special student populations, less often they do lower-order activities. • Schools tend to choose between hiring more teachers or hiring better teachers (better preservice training and more/better inservice). Do you agree???