Browse Studies

Can Teacher Quality Be Effectively Assessed?

Education research has failed to reach a consensus on which, if any, readily identifiable teacher characteristics are associated with students’ learning gains, and it remains an open question whether it is even possible to judge teachers' effectiveness outside of direct observations of their teaching.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was established in 1987 to help address these issues through the creation of a voluntary certification process whereby teachers who are considered highly effective can demonstrate and gain recognition for their knowledge and teaching skills. Yet despite considerable interest and financial investment in the NBPTS model, and the fact that a significant number of teachers have gone through the certification process, there is little quantitative evidence that NBPTS is successfully accomplishing its mission.

This study, which is based on a unique data-set from North Carolina, assessed the relationship between National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and elementary-level student achievement. More specifically, student-level value-added models were estimated and tested to determine whether the value added by NBCTs differs from that of unsuccessful NBCT candidates and non-applicant teachers.

Findings indicated that NBCTs, based on student achievement gains, appeared to be more effective than their non-certified counterparts, and that NBPTS is successfully identifying the more effective teachers among NBPTS applicants. The statistical significance and magnitude of the "NBPTS effect," however, differs significantly by grade level and student type.

1. Is NBPTS successfully identifying the more effective teachers among applicants?
2. What are the measures of NBCT effectiveness?
3. Does the NBPTS Assessment add to teacher human capital?

• Full Text of Study (on the Urban Institute Web site)