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Teacher Quality, Teacher Licensure Tests, and Student Achievement

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  • Richard Buddin
  • Gema Zamarro

Abstract

Examines whether teacher licensure test scores and other teacher attributes affect elementary student achievement. Teacher quality is a key element of student academic success, but little is known about how specific teacher characteristics influence classroom outcomes. This research examines whether teacher licensure test scores and other teacher attributes affect elementary student achievement. The results are based on an analysis of longitudinal student-level data from Los Angeles that adjusts for both student and teacher fixed effects. The authors found large differences in teacher quality across the school district, but teacher characteristics explain little of that difference. Teacher licensure test scores are unrelated to teacher success in the classroom. Similarly, student achievement is unaffected by whether classroom teachers have advanced degrees. Teacher experience is positively related with student achievement, but the linkage is weak and largely reflects poor outcomes for teachers during their first year or two in the classroom.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Buddin & Gema Zamarro, 2008. "Teacher Quality, Teacher Licensure Tests, and Student Achievement," Working Papers WR-555-IES, RAND Corporation.
    • Handle: RePEc:ran:wpaper:wr-555-ies
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Buddin, Richard & Zamarro, Gema, 2009. "Teacher qualifications and student achievement in urban elementary schools," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 103-115, September.
    2. Alexandra de Gendre & Jan Feld & Nicolás Salamanca & Ulf Zölitz, 2023. "Same-sex teacher effects," ECON - Working Papers 438, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised May 2024.
    3. Steven Glazerman & Jeffrey Max, "undated". "Do Low-Income Students have Equal Access to the Highest-Performing Teachers? (Technical Appendix)," Mathematica Policy Research Reports ff5f30f9718f4bcd824b02893, Mathematica Policy Research.
    4. Jeffrey Max & Steven Glazerman, 2014. "Do Disadvantaged Students Get Less Effective Teaching? Key Findings from Recent Institute of Education Sciences Studies (Evaluation Brief)," Mathematica Policy Research Reports a7da30900bb047038d31acd56, Mathematica Policy Research.
    5. Richard Buddin & Gema Zamarro, 2009. "Teacher Qualifications and Middle School Student Achievement," Working Papers WR-671-IES, RAND Corporation.
    6. Buddin, Richard, 2011. "Measuring teacher and school effectiveness at improving student achievement in Los Angeles elementary schools," MPRA Paper 31963, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. repec:mpr:mprres:8000 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. repec:mpr:mprres:6956 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Norma Ghamrawi & Abdullah Abu-Tineh & Tarek Shal, 2023. "Teaching Licensure and Education Quality: Teachers’ Perceptions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-16, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    teacher quality; teacher licensure; student achievement; two-level fixed effects; education production function;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets
    • H0 - Public Economics - - General
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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