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National Board Certification and Teacher Effectiveness: Evidence from a Random Assignment Experiment

Author

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  • Steven Cantrell
  • Jon Fullerton
  • Thomas J. Kane
  • Douglas O. Staiger

Abstract

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) assesses teaching practice based on videos and essays submitted by teachers. We compared the performance of classrooms of elementary students in Los Angeles randomly assigned to NBPTS applicants and to comparison teachers. We used information on whether each applicant achieved certification, along with information on each applicant's NBPTS scaled score and subscores, to test whether the NBPTS score was related to teacher impacts on student achievement. We found that students randomly assigned to highly-rated applicants performed better than students assigned to comparison teachers, while students assigned to poorly-rated applicants performed worse. Estimates were similar using data on pairs of teachers that were not randomly assigned. Our results suggest a number of changes that would improve the predictive power of the NBPTS process.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven Cantrell & Jon Fullerton & Thomas J. Kane & Douglas O. Staiger, 2008. "National Board Certification and Teacher Effectiveness: Evidence from a Random Assignment Experiment," NBER Working Papers 14608, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:14608
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. repec:mpr:mprres:6361 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Lisa Barrow & Linda Cavalluzzo & Thomas Geraghty & Christine Mokher & Lauren Sartain, 2020. "The Signaling, Screening, and Human Capital Effects of National Board Certification: Evidence from Chicago and Kentucky High Schools," Working Paper Series WP-2020-06, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    3. Tavares, Priscilla Albuquerque, 2015. "The impact of school management practices on educational performance: Evidence from public schools in São Paulo," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 1-15.
    4. Cowan, James & Goldhaber, Dan, 2018. "Do bonuses affect teacher staffing and student achievement in high poverty schools? Evidence from an incentive for national board certified teachers in Washington State," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 138-152.
    5. Grönqvist, Erik & Hensvik, Lena & Thoresson, Anna, 2020. "Teacher career opportunities and school quality," Working Paper Series 2020:2, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    6. Vegas, E & Ganimian, A. J., 2013. "Theory and Evidence on Teacher Policies in Developed and Developing Countries," Working Paper 104291, Harvard University OpenScholar.
    7. Victor Lavy, 2011. "What Makes an Effective Teacher? Quasi-Experimental Evidence," NBER Working Papers 16885, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Bernhard Enzi, 2017. "The Effect of Pre-Service Cognitive and Pedagogical Teacher Skills on Student Achievement Gains: Evidence from German Entry Screening Exams," ifo Working Paper Series 243, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    9. Lockheed, Marlaine E., 2014. "Teacher opinions on performance incentives : evidence from the Kyrgyz Republic," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6752, The World Bank.
    10. Jacob, Brian A. & Rockoff, Jonah E. & Taylor, Eric S. & Lindy, Benjamin & Rosen, Rachel, 2018. "Teacher applicant hiring and teacher performance: Evidence from DC public schools," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 81-97.
    11. Grönqvist, Erik & Hensvik, Lena & Thoresson, Anna, 2022. "Teacher career opportunities and school quality," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    12. Christina Clark Tuttle & Tara Anderson & Steven Glazerman, "undated". "ABCTE Teachers in Florida and Their Effect on Student Performance," Mathematica Policy Research Reports bbf7856707e44bb79be7599a2, Mathematica Policy Research.
    13. Victor Lavy, 2016. "Editor's Choice What Makes an Effective Teacher? Quasi-Experimental Evidence," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 62(1), pages 88-125.
    14. Johan Coenen & Ilja Cornelisz & Wim Groot & Henriette Maassen van den Brink & Chris Van Klaveren, 2018. "Teacher Characteristics And Their Effects On Student Test Scores: A Systematic Review," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 848-877, July.
    15. Chingos, Matthew M. & Peterson, Paul E., 2011. "It's easier to pick a good teacher than to train one: Familiar and new results on the correlates of teacher effectiveness," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 449-465, June.
    16. Berlinski, Samuel & Ramos, Alejandra, 2020. "Teacher mobility and merit pay: Evidence from a voluntary public award program," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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