Constructing a rigorous identification strategy based on a unique educational reform involving preference-based random assignment of students to different middle schools in Beijing, this paper examines how school and teacher characteristics affect student academic performance. Results show that school matters for test scores at the High School Entrance Examination. Teachers’ comprehensive quali...

Retention of teachers in urban schools continues to plague public schools. Could universities increase the likelihood that teachers will stay in urban schools longer by preparing them for some of the adversities they may face and helping them develop resilience in relation to these challenges? Could we produce resilient educators before they embark on their career path? The purpose of this qual...

This study explores whether teachers and students are influenced by the size of the inner-city elementary school to which they belong. Focusing on teachers' attitudes about their responsibility for student learning and students' 1-year gains in mathematics achievement scores, we used data from almost 5,000 teachers and 23,000 sixth and eighth-grade students in 264 K-8 Chicago schools. The data ...

In this thesis a neural network-based fuzzy modeling approach to assess student learning characteristic and update the student model in Intelligent Learning Environments is proposed. The neural network-based fuzzy diagnostic model is a general diagnostic model which can be used to implement the diagnostic process in any learning environment according to designers’ and teachers' suggestions. Fuz...

Teacher quality is an important factor in improving student achievement. As such, policymakers have constructed a number of different credentials to identify high quality teachers. Unfortunately, few of the credentials used in developing countries have been validated (in terms of whether teachers holding such credentials actually improve student achievement). In this study, we employ a student-...

Although there is evidence that teacher emotional intelligence is important for pupil adjustment and learning and for teachers in managing the emotional demands of their work, little is known about the levels of emotional skill of teachers and beginning teachers. Using Mayer and Salovey’s emotional intelligence (EI) model and the MSCEIT test of EI, this study investigates how emotionally skille...

We are in the midst of what amounts to a national experiment in how best to attract, prepare, and retain teachers, particularly for high-poverty urban schools. Using data on students and teachers in grades 3–8, this study assesses the effects of pathways into teaching in New York City on the teacher workforce and on student achievement. We ask whether teachers who enter through new routes, with...

This paper investigates teacher ratings in relation to the student test score in PIRLS 2001. Teacher assessment relates to concerns of equity and equality, and of making correct judgments of the students’ skills. It is thus crucial for a teacher to think about these issues. But do teachers assess the same skills equally? Previous research suggests that teacher assessments lack in equality. As a...

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of general education teachers related to their teaching practices and the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The teachers’ viewpoints about their planning and teaching practices, assessment strategies, and incorporation of reading strategies were explored. Interviews were conducted with ten middle school teachers ...