On-going research stresses that the single most important factor in the classroom is the quality of the teacher. Teachers being the most important variable, have a major impact on a student’s success or their failure. Delia Stafford and Janie Feinberg have spent the majority of their professional lives ensuring that students get the best teachers.Ms. Stafford, president of the Haberman Educational Foundation, teaches research-based strategies to assist school districts identify teachers and principals of excellence. Ms. Feinberg, president of JP Associates,provides ongoing staff support in classrooms to assist teachers via her exemplary coaching strategies.In this interview, they respond to a number of questions about teacher quality, teacher evaluation and alternative certification.
6 thoughts on “An Interview with Janie Feinberg and Delia Stafford: On-going research stresses that the single most important factor in the classroom is ….”
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As a mom (and researcher), I am very pleased to see research that is supporting what thoughtful parents have been saying for decades, i.e., that a child’s success in school depends (without doubt) on teacher quality. I look forward to a time when “teacher quality” includes an index of the extent to which an individual teacher can (and does) connect emotionally with each student.
It seems like a no-brainer that the most important factor is the teacher, but unfortunately in some Madison schools the most important factor is how violent and disruptive the classmates are.
From our family’s personal experience at Thoreau Elementary, if there are significantly violent, disturbed children in your child’s classroom (and as the school district does not have an adequate alternative school where those children can get help), there is nothing even the most excellent teacher can do to foster an academically educational and safe classroom.
“On-going research stresses that the single most important factor in the classroom is the quality of the teacher. Teachers being the most important variable, have a major impact on a student’s success or their failure.”
The above is how this article starts. Unfortunately, Education Professor Michael Shaughnessy is wrong. This should make any alert and educated reader very cautious placing any stock in this material.
The truth? Just because because some variable is in some sense (statistically) the most import factor, does not automatically mean that it has a major impact on a student’s success or failure.
The research I’ve read is not so clear and depending on what factors the researchers are measuring and controlling for the numbers come out differently — this is to be expected.
In one study, after controlling for poverty and race, the correlation between some aggregate measure of teacher quality and NAEP test results was .7 (which mean that 49% of variability in student NAEP score was predicted by teacher quality — leaving 51% of the variability to other uncontrolled factors).
Of course, having controlled for poverty, variation in student scores is substantially decreased and therefore factors that are left in the analysis can be made to look more significant.
In some studies, the correlation between teacher quality and student achievement is about .3 — meaning about 9% of variation in student achievement can be accounted for (predicted) by teacher qualifications, leaving 91% of this achievement level variation accounted for by all other factors. Clearly here, a .3 correlation does mean that teacher quality is a significant (statistically) factor, but I would argue that teacher quality should not be labeled as having a “major impact on a student’s success or their failure.” given 91% of the variation in success is otherwise unaccounted for.
Some studies show that teacher quality is significantly more important for kids from poverty than for kids from high SES. So teacher quality looks important (but again, we’re basically controlling for poverty level then trying to account for the residual variation, and finding teacher quality important).
Some studies have shown that the import of teacher qualifications also depends on grade level and subject matter: advanced degrees most important in math in middle school, and insignificant or even negatively correlated at the elementary and high school levels!
So what about this high school result? Well, if there is not a lot of variability in teacher qualifications at the high school level, then teacher quality become less able to account for variability in student success — therefore, it looks like teacher qualifications are not important. Also, by the time of high school, assignment of teachers to students is not random, and we have already matched teachers to students based on each group’s characteristics, and now we’ve again limited a source of covariation.
Basic rule — don’t believe everything you read.
Hopefully the MMSD will expand some of the alternative programs for elementary and middle school students with mental illness so there is enough room for all of them. If you really feel that violence and disruption are commonplace, please lobby the district and Board to increase the capacity of these programs. I think the elementary aged program has a capacity of 18.
Yes, David, I think you are right that parents need to lobby the district and Board to increase the capacity of therapeutic schools for elementary and middle schools students. I understand the LEAP school (for elementary) has around 9 new openings a year. Thoreau Elementary could easily fill those itself.
Another parent and I did meet with a Board member, but I do not think that member understood the seriousness of the situation. I also know of a couple of other parents who have spoken to Board members about it.
Part of the problem, though, is that there are not enough parents lobbying the Board.
I attribute this to:
1. Not all parents are aware of the problems.
2. Many who are aware don’t want to talk with other parents about it for fear that they will leave the neighborhood school and make things worse.
2. Not all parents are activists at heart.
3. Those that are fully aware and feel the need to take action usually just leave the school – and I don’t think MMSD takes notice of those who quietly vote with their feet.
Down into the interview we get to what makes a high quality teacher (I think they are talking about early grades here). This particular passage seems to hit it well—
“…High expectations; a sense of urgency that this is a life and death question as far as our kids are concerned; indepth knowledge of what the reading process demands and how to individualize based on children’s needs are all qualities we look for.In addition, teachers, as with other professionals, need to be open to the concept of continual learning. Our most successful teachers are those that are open to training, mentoring and coaching. They understand that ongoing professional development is integral to their success and therefore to the success of their students.”
High expectations, I assume, includes both academics and behavior.