The Long-Term Impacts of Teachers:
Teacher Value-Added and Student Outcomes in Adulthood
A recent New York Times article reports on a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research in which the data of one million students were analyzed to determine the impact that teachers have on students’ futures. Specifically, the study looked at value added data and how effective this data was at evaluating teacher effectiveness and predicting the impact on student success.
The major findings of the study were: (1) some teachers consistently got value-added gains in their students’ test scores; (2) effective teachers had a lasting impact on their students’ futures, including achievement in school, a reduced chance of teen pregnancy, higher college matriculation, living in better neighborhoods, saving more for retirement, and higher lifetime income.
It’s a pretty interesting study – and provides another important insight on just how impactful effective teaching practices are on the lives of students. Click the link below to get to the study; be sure to read the “executive summary” once you get to the study by clicking the link on the left side of the main page.
Tame the Beast: Tips for Designing and Using Rubrics
“Gives and Receives Feedback” has been an extremely popular focus area for a number of our buildings throughout this school year. In looking at the four look-for’s of this Highly Effective Teaching Strategy, one that has sparked numerous conversations is the third look for centered around the use of targeted “look fors” and rubrics. As you know, rubrics are proven to be an extremely useful tool in providing feedback to our students. In my selection this week, I have chosen an article that provides teachers with six tips for designing and using effective rubrics.
Rethinking Teacher Evaluation in Chicago
As you know, the state of Ohio and Hilliard Schools is embarking on a new and controversial endeavor: development of a new teacher evaluation system in which at least 50% of the rating is based on student growth. All of us want a highly effective teacher for every student because we recognize the long-term impact. However, there are many questions that need to be answered as the new system is created.
This research report captured my interest as it allows the reader to learn lessons from others that have successfully implemented a similar system. You might be interested in the brief executive summary and chapter two in which the link is made between classroom observations and teacher value-added effect.
Five Key Skills for Effective School Principals
In one of our Administrative Book Talks a few years ago, we read Jim Collins' book Good to Great. Collins wrote about leaders building capacity by creating leaders from within the organization. The profile of effective school leaders in an age of standards and accountability closely resembles the Level 5 Leadership model from the business world described by Collins. The 21st century principal has to be a leader of learning, one who develops effective teacher leaders and creates teams who deliver high quality instruction.
My article this week identifies and elaborates on five "key functions" that effective principals must have. There is a link in the article to the Wallace Foundation Report entitled "The School Principal as Leader: Guiding Schools to Better Teaching and Learning". These five key skills identified by the Wallace research are: Shaping a vision of academic success for all students, Creating a climate hospitable to education, Cultivating leadership in others, Improving instruction, and Managing people, data, and processes to foster school improvement.
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