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Does Teacher Evaluation Improve School Performance? Experimental Evidence from Chicago's Excellence in Teaching Project

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Listed:
  • Matthew P. Steinberg

    (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia)

  • Lauren Sartain

    (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia)

Abstract

Chicago Public Schools initiated the Excellence in Teaching Project, a teacher evaluation program designed to increase student learning by improving classroom instruction through structured principal–teacher dialogue. The pilot began in forty-four elementary schools in 2008–09 (cohort 1) and scaled up to include an additional forty-eight elementary schools in 2009–10 (cohort 2). Leveraging the experimental design of the rollout, cohort 1 schools performed better in reading and math than cohort 2 schools at the end of the first year, though the math effects are not statistically significant. We find the initial improvement for cohort 1 schools remains even after cohort 2 schools adopted the program. Moreover, the pilot differentially impacted schools with different characteristics. Higher-achieving and lower-poverty schools were the primary beneficiaries, suggesting the intervention was most successful in more advantaged schools. These findings are relevant for policy makers and school leaders who are implementing evaluation systems that incorporate classroom observations.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew P. Steinberg & Lauren Sartain, 2015. "Does Teacher Evaluation Improve School Performance? Experimental Evidence from Chicago's Excellence in Teaching Project," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 10(4), pages 535-572, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:edfpol:v:10:y:2015:i:4:p:535-572
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Murphy, Richard & Weinhardt, Felix & Wyness, Gill, 2021. "Who teaches the teachers? A RCT of peer-to-peer observation and feedback in 181 schools," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    2. Liebowitz, David D., 2021. "Teacher evaluation for accountability and growth: Should policy treat them as complements or substitutes?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    3. Matthew P. Steinberg & Morgaen L. Donaldson, 2016. "The New Educational Accountability: Understanding the Landscape of Teacher Evaluation in the Post-NCLB Era," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 11(3), pages 340-359, Summer.
    4. Shawn Ni & Michael Podgursky & Xiqian Wang, 2022. "Teacher Pension Plan Incentives, Retirement Decisions, and Workforce Quality," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(1), pages 272-303.
    5. John P. Papay & Eric S. Taylor & John H. Tyler & Mary Laski, 2016. "Learning Job Skills from Colleagues at Work: Evidence from a Field Experiment Using Teacher Performance Data," NBER Working Papers 21986, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Thomas J. Kane & David Blazar & Hunter Gehlbach & Miriam Greenberg & David M. Quinn & Daniel Thal, 2020. "Can Video Technology Improve Teacher Evaluations? An Experimental Study," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 15(3), pages 397-427, Summer.
    7. Cory Koedel & Jiaxi Li & Matthew G. Springer & Li Tan, 2016. "The Impact of Performance Ratings on Job Satisfaction for Public School Teachers," Working Papers 1617, Department of Economics, University of Missouri.
    8. Lauren Sartain & Matthew P. Steinberg, 2016. "Teachers’ Labor Market Responses to Performance Evaluation Reform: Experimental Evidence from Chicago Public Schools," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 51(3), pages 615-655.
    9. Melissa Clark & Jeffrey Max & Susanne James-Burdumy & Silvia Robles & Moira McCullough & Paul Burkander & Steven Malick, "undated". "Study of Teacher Coaching Based on Classroom Videos: Impacts on Student Achievement and Teachers’ Practices," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 5b522b849ff54506a7fdd69a9, Mathematica Policy Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; policy; teacher evaluation program; elementary school; urban;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A - General Economics and Teaching
    • B - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology
    • E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
    • I - Health, Education, and Welfare
    • K - Law and Economics
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid

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