scholarly journals Student Assessment Opt Out and the Impact on Value-Added Measures of Teacher Quality

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 365-388
Author(s):  
Joshua Marland ◽  
Matthew Harrick ◽  
Stephen G. Sireci
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Quality ◽  
Classification Scheme ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Institutional Accountability ◽  
Opt Out ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Classification Agreement ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Value Added Measures

Student assessment nonparticipation (or opt out) has increased substantially in K-12 schools in states across the country. This increase in opt out has the potential to impact achievement and growth (or value-added) measures used for educator and institutional accountability. In this simulation study, we investigated the extent to which value-added measures of teacher quality are affected as a result of varying degrees of opt out, as well as a result of various types of nonrandom opt out. Results show that the magnitude of opt out and choice of classification scheme has a greater impact on value-added estimates than the type of opt-out patterns simulated in this study. Specifically, root mean square differences in value-added estimates increased as magnitude of opt out increased. In addition, teacher effectiveness classification agreement decreased as opt out magnitude increased. One type of opt out, where the highest achieving students in the highest achieving classrooms opted out, had the largest impact on stability than the other types of opt outs.

Changing the Education Workforce? The Relationships among Teacher Quality, Motivation, and Performance Pay

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Daniel H. Bowen ◽  
Jonathan N. Mills
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Quality ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Risk Preferences ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Performance Pay ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Performance Based Pay ◽  
Teacher Workforce ◽  
And Performance ◽  
K 12

Background/Context With a growing body of evidence to support the assertion that teacher quality is vital to producing better student outcomes, policymakers continue to seek solutions to attract and retain the best educators. Performance-based pay is a reform that has become popular in K–12 education over the last decade. This strategy potentially produces positive impacts on student achievement in two ways: better alignment of financial incentives with desired outcomes and improved the composition of the teacher workforce. While evaluations have primarily focused on the former result, there is little research on whether the longer-term implementation of these polices can attract more effective teachers. Purpose In this study we aim to provide evidence for potential long-term impacts that performance-based pay can have on the composition of the teacher workforce by addressing two questions: Does performance-based pay attract fundamentally different individuals, as measured by their risk preferences, to the teaching profession? Are stated preferences for a particular pay format correlated to measures of teacher quality? Research Design We apply methods from experimental economics and conduct surveys with 120 teachers from two school districts who have experienced performance pay. We compare the risk preferences of teachers hired under the two pay formats to test the hypothesis that performance-based pay attracts individuals with different characteristics to the profession. We also analyze teachers’ survey responses on their preferences for performance-based pay to determine their relationships to two measures of teacher quality: student test-score gains and principal evaluations. Conclusions/Recommendations We find mixed results regarding the ability of performance-based pay to alter the composition of the teacher workforce. Teachers hired with performance-based pay in place are no different from their colleagues. However, teachers claiming to seek employment in districts with performance-based pay in place appear significantly less risk averse. Surprisingly, additional analyses indicate that teachers’ value-added scores and performance evaluations do not predict a positive disposition towards merit pay. Thus, while these results indicate the possibility for performance-based pay to attract different individuals to teaching, they do not provide evidence that such change would necessarily improve the composition of the workforce. Policymakers should take this potential tradeoff into consideration when considering the expansion of performance pay policies.

Raising the Bar on Teacher Quality: Assessing the Impact of Increasing Licensure Exam Cut-Scores

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 969-992
Author(s):  
James V. Shuls
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Quality ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Cut Scores ◽  
Praxis Ii ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Licensure Exams ◽  
Teacher Workforce ◽  
The Impact

State policy makers are constantly looking for ways to improve teacher quality. An oft tried method is to increase the rigor of licensure exams. This study utilizes state administrative data from Arkansas to determine whether raising the cut-scores on licensure exams would improve the quality of the teacher workforce. In addition, the study explores the trade-offs of such a policy decision. It is concluded that raising the required passing score on the Praxis II would increase the quality of the teacher workforce, as measured by value-added student achievement. This change, however, would be accompanied with an important trade-off as it would reduce the number of minority teachers and potentially lead to negative outcomes in disadvantaged schools.

Pulling Back the Curtain: Revealing the Cumulative Importance of High-Performing, Highly Qualified Teachers on Students’ Educational Outcome

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Se Woong Lee
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Quality ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Educational Outcome ◽  
Educational Success ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Qualified Teachers ◽  
Bachelor's Degree Attainment ◽  
The Impact

This study examines the relationship between two dominant measures of teacher quality, teacher qualification and teacher effectiveness (measured by value-added modeling), in terms of their influence on students’ short-term academic growth and long-term educational success (measured by bachelor’s degree attainment). As students are exposed to teachers of varying quality over the course of their schooling, this study computes cumulative teacher quality indices that are able to more precisely estimate the impact of teacher quality. Notably, this study found that students who had been taught by a succession of high-performing and qualified teachers tend to have a positive relationship with students’ short- and long-term educational success.

scholarly journals Teacher Quality and Teacher Mobility

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 396-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Feng ◽  
Tim R. Sass
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Quality ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Teacher Mobility ◽  
Quality Teachers ◽  
Advanced Degrees ◽  
Language Arts Teachers ◽  
Arts Teachers ◽  
Teacher Workforce ◽  
Peer Teachers ◽  
The Impact

There is growing concern among policy makers over the quality of the teacher workforce in general, and the distribution of effective teachers across schools. The impact of teacher attrition on overall teacher quality will depend on the effectiveness of teachers who leave the profession. Likewise, teacher turnover may alleviate or worsen inequities in the distribution of teachers, depending on which teachers change schools or leave teaching and who replaces them. Using matched student–teacher panel data from the state of Florida, we examine teacher mobility across the distribution of effectiveness (as measured by teacher value added). We find that top-quartile and bottom-quartile teachers exit at a higher rate than do average-quality teachers. Additionally, as the share of peer teachers with more experience, advanced degrees, or professional certification increases, the likelihood of moving within-district decreases. We also find some evidence of assortative matching among teachers—more productive reading/language arts teachers are more likely to stay in teaching if they have more productive peer teachers.

Generalizations about Using Value-Added Measures of Teacher Quality

2010 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric A Hanushek ◽  
Steven G Rivkin
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Quality ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Value Added Measures

Point-To-Point Videoconferencing

2008 ◽  
pp. 240-252
Author(s):  
Patricia Barbanell
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Educational Outcomes ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Content Delivery ◽  
Student Understanding ◽  
Curriculum Content ◽  
Solid Foundation ◽  
Point To Point ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

This chapter examines evidence that there is significant value-added to K-12 educational outcomes that emerges as a result of provider use of interactive videoconferencing and supporting resources in their content delivery. It includes discussion of the outcomes of several presentation approaches that have been analyzed with regard to effectiveness and impact on student understanding. The aim of the chapter is to offer a solid foundation for understanding the impact of interactive videoconferencing on student learning, and to present an overview of approaches to structuring interactive programs to enable comprehensive, systemic change in student encounters with and understanding of curriculum content.

The Digital Divide and K-12 Student Computer Use

10.28945/2926 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
James N. Morgan ◽  
Craig A. VanLengen
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Computer Use ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Limited Basis ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

The divide between those who have computer and Internet access and those who do not appears to be narrowing, however overall statistics may be misleading. Measures of computer availability in schools often include cases where computers are only available for administration or are available only on a very limited basis (Gootman, 2004). Access to a computer and the Internet outside of school helps to reinforce student learning and emphasize the importance of using technology. Recent U.S. statistics indicate that ethnic background and other demographic characteristics still have substantial impact on the availability and use of computers by students outside of the classroom. This paper examines recent census data to determine the impact of the household on student computer use outside of the classroom. Encouragingly, the findings of this study suggest that use of a computer at school substantially increases the chance that a student will use a computer outside of class. Additionally, this study suggests that computer use outside of the classroom is positively and significantly impacted by being in a household with adults who either use a computer at work or work in an industry where computers are extensively used.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document