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Teacher quality differences between teacher preparation programs: How big? How reliable? Which programs are different?

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  • von Hippel, Paul T.
  • Bellows, Laura
  • Osborne, Cynthia
  • Lincove, Jane Arnold
  • Mills, Nick

Abstract

Sixteen US states have begun to hold teacher preparation programs (TPPs) accountable for teacher quality, where quality is estimated by teacher value-added to student test scores. Yet it is not easy to identify TPPs whose teachers are substantially better or worse than average. True teacher quality differences between TPPs are small; estimated differences are not very reliable; and when many TPPs are compared, multiple comparisons increase the danger of misclassifying ordinary TPPs as good or bad. Using a large and diverse dataset from Texas, we evaluate statistical methods for estimating teacher quality differences between TPPs. The most convincing estimates come from a value-added model where confidence intervals are widened by the inclusion of teacher random effects (or teacher clustering in large TPPs) and further widened by the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Using these confidence intervals, it is rarely possible to tell which TPPs, if any, are better or worse than average. The potential benefits of TPP accountability may be too small to balance the risk that a proliferation of noisy TPP estimates will encourage arbitrary and ineffective policy actions.

Suggested Citation

  • von Hippel, Paul T. & Bellows, Laura & Osborne, Cynthia & Lincove, Jane Arnold & Mills, Nick, 2016. "Teacher quality differences between teacher preparation programs: How big? How reliable? Which programs are different?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 31-45.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:53:y:2016:i:c:p:31-45
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.05.002
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    Cited by:

    1. von Hippel, Paul T. & Bellows, Laura, 2018. "How much does teacher quality vary across teacher preparation programs? Reanalyses from six states," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 298-312.
    2. Gershenson, Seth, 2021. "Identifying and Producing Effective Teachers," IZA Discussion Papers 14096, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Backes, Ben & Goldhaber, Dan & Cade, Whitney & Sullivan, Kate & Dodson, Melissa, 2018. "Can UTeach? Assessing the relative effectiveness of STEM teachers," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 184-198.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Accountability; Teacher training; Heterogeneity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • C12 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Hypothesis Testing: General
    • C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Estimation: General

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