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Measuring teacher quality

Priscilla Bremsersent a link to the following:

Measuring teacher quality, by David Bressoud, MAA Launchings column, July 2013.

In this column, Bessoud comments on a 2010 study Scott E. Carrell and James E. West Does professor quality matter? Evidence from random assignment of students to professors (Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 118(3), pages 409-432, 06).

There are several interesting design elements. The study looked at Calculus I classes at the US AIr Force Academy. All students are required to take Calculus I, and do not choose their instructors. As Bressoud explains, this mitigates the problem of selection bias, whereby the top students might seek out the best teachers. Also, the study considered student performance in the Calculus II sequel course and found no evidence of "backward correlation," meaning that the ratings for those instructors were not associated with better performance in Calculus I.

The following attributes of Calculus I instructors all had significant correlation with student performance:

• Instructor’s ability to provide clear, well-organized instruction.
• Value of questions and problems raised by instructor.
• Instructor’s knowledge of course material.
• The course as a whole.
• Amount you learned in the course.
• The instructor’s effectiveness in facilitating my learning in the course.