What Does Research Say on What Counts as a Quality Teacher?

by Zena Rudo

Published in Insights on Educational Policy, Practice, and Research Number 17, September 2004, A Best-Fit Approach to Effective Teacher Policy

Jennifer King Rice, Ph.D. examined empirical research on U.S. public school teacher qualities and performance found in peer-reviewed journals over the past three decades. She found a variety of outcomes, some conflicting; however, a few stood out. The following is a summary of her findings synthesized from her recent publication, Teacher Quality: Understanding the Effectiveness of Teacher Attributes (pp. v-vi), 2003, Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute.

Teacher experience

Experience can make a difference in teacher effectiveness; specifically, the "learning by doing" effect is most obvious in the early years of teaching.

Teacher preparation programs and degrees

The selectivity or prestige of the college a teacher attended can impact student achievement, particularly for middle and high school students. (This may partially reflect the teacher's ability to think and acquire knowledge.)
Teachers with advanced degrees in math and science are more likely to contribute to increased high school math and science achievement.
The effect of advanced degrees at the elementary level is mixed.

Teacher certification

Teachers certified in mathematics can enhance high school mathematics achievement.
Teachers with emergency or alternative-route certification, as compared to teachers who acquire standard certification, show little difference in their students' math or science performance.

Teacher coursework

Teacher coursework in both the subject area taught and pedagogy contributes to positive education outcomes.
Pedagogical coursework seems to contribute to teacher effectiveness at all grade levels, particularly when coupled with content knowledge.
The importance of content coursework is most pronounced at the high school level.
Student-teaching field experience can have a positive effect for new teachers in terms of better understanding the profession and reduced anxiety.

Teachers' own test scores

National Teachers Examination and other state-mandated tests of basic skills and/or teaching abilities are not necessarily consistent predictors of teacher performance.
Tests that assess teacher literacy or verbal ability are related to higher student achievement.

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