The Effective Teaching Gap
Reducing the student achievement gap between students from low-income and high-income families may be more difficult than redistributing effective teachers, according to a recent study.
Based on data collected from 26 public school districts over the course of five years, access to effective teachers is nearly equal between low- and high-income students, with the average teacher effectiveness being about 1 percent higher for high-income students.
Furthermore, estimates show that redistributing effective teachers to close this gap would only have a marginal effect on improving state testing scores for low-income students. For example, estimates show the student achievement gap between low-income and high-income eighth graders would only shrink .3 points in reading and 2.2 points in math.
More effective solutions to reduce the student achievement gap may include:
- Expansion of tutoring
- Implementing early-learning programs
- Coaching teachers
For more information on the topic, check out Estimating the “Effective Teaching Gap” on the Education Next website.
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Troy Richardson
Troy Richardson joined HR Services in 2022. Before joining TASB, Richardson worked as a financial analyst in the telecom industry.
Richardson received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Alabama.
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