Eric.ed.gov – Teacher Resources and Student Achievement in High-Need Schools. Research Report

With the growing federal, state, and local policy emphasis on teacher quality and student achievement, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) investigated teacher resources and their relationship to student achievement in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The purpose of this study was to provide policymakers with information about the relationship between teacher salary, experience, and education, and the relationship between these teacher resources and student achievement, particularly in high-need schools. SEDL used state databases in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas to examine the extent to which districts paid teachers based on years of experience and degree level, and whether teacher resources, defined as salary, education, and experience, were distributed differently across schools depending upon their level of need. SEDL also investigated whether within and across the three study states paying teachers based on experience and education contributed to student achievement test scores, specifically on elementary and middle school reading and math tests. SEDL answered three research questions: (1) To what extent do teacher experience and education relate to teacher salary? (2) Do teacher salary, experience, and education vary for different categories of high-need schools and between high-need and non-high-need schools? and (3) What effects do teacher salary, experience, and education have on student achievement, particularly in high-need schools?