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Title: What's in a teacher test? Assessing the relationship between teacher licensure test scores and student STEM achievement and course-taking
Award ID(s):
1555678
NSF-PAR ID:
10047465
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Economics of Education Review
Volume:
61
Issue:
C
ISSN:
0272-7757
Page Range / eLocation ID:
112 to 129
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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  1. This paper describes a study using a quasi-experimental design to examine teachers’ preparations in low-income schools for a revised version of the AP Biology and AP Chemistry examinations, and explores variables associated with student scores on the AP science examinations that are better than would be predicted based on their PSAT scores. Considering the frequently-measured achievement gap on high-stakes examinations, identifying “what works” to raise student performance of at-risk students is an urgent area for research. The analyses indicate that (a) districts per-student funding allocations, (b) teachers’ knowledge and experience, and (c) teachers’ participation in professional development activities with a responsive agenda and effective support for teaching the redesigned AP science course are significantly associated with higher students’ average performance on the AP science exams than would be predicted. 
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  2. Abstract

    We examined the effects of teacher education on preservice secondary science and mathematics teacher readiness. The construct of teacher readiness consisted of three dimensions: (a) preservice teachers’ understanding of how to implement current standards, (b) their understanding of how to teach multilingual learners (MLs), and (c) their beliefs about their abilities and skills as educators. To determine teacher readiness, a subset of preservice teachers enrolled in six teacher education programs (TEPs) completed a pre‐ and post‐survey. We found that the undergraduate STEM teacher recruitment program was associated with developing preservice teachers’ understanding of standards‐based instruction but was not associated with the other two dimensions of teacher readiness. We also found that the post‐baccalaureate TEPs were effective in developing preservice teachers’ understanding of ML instruction, whereas the experimental baccalaureate program was not. Further, we found that teacher readiness did not predict participants’ performance assessment (edTPA) scores. Findings suggest that teacher educators and curriculum developers involved in undergraduate STEM teacher recruitment programs should better address language, literacy, and ML instruction. Both teacher recruitment and TEPs should consider ways to strengthen teacher efficacy. Finally, teacher educators should carefully consider how their coursework and field experiences help preservice teachers prepare for the edTPA.

     
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