David Blazar
Differential Responses to Teacher Evaluation Incentives: Expectancy, Race, Experience, and Task
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentTeacher evaluation systems and their associated incentives have produced fairly mixed results. Our analyses are motivated by theory and descriptive evidence that accountability systems are highly racialized, and that individuals are less likely to respond to incentives when they have low… more →
Pathways into the CTE Teaching Profession: A Descriptive Analysis of Degrees, Licenses, and Race in Maryland
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentDespite substantial interest in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses in U.S. high schools—and associated scholarship on this topic—very little is known about characteristics of CTE teachers who are a critical resource for program implementation and expansion. Using eight years of… more →
Do Grow-Your-Own Programs Work? Evidence from the Teacher Academy of Maryland
Local teacher recruitment through “grow-your-own” programs is a prominent strategy to address workforce shortages and ensure that incoming teachers resemble, understand, and have strong connections to their communities. We exploit the staggered rollout of the Teacher Academy of Maryland career… more →
Disparate Pathways: Understanding Racial Disparities in Teaching
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentMounting evidence supporting the advantages of a diverse teacher workforce prompts policymakers to scrutinize existing recruitment pathways. Following four cohorts of Maryland public high-school students over 12 years reveals several insights. Early barriers require timely interventions, aiding… more →
Why Black Teachers Matter
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentBlack teachers are critical resources for our children and schools.
Computer Science for All? The Impact of High School Computer Science Courses on College Majors and Earnings
This study provides the first causal analysis of the impact of expanding Computer Science (CS) education in U.S. K-12 schools on students’ choice of college major and early career outcomes. Utilizing rich longitudinal data from Maryland, we exploit variation from the staggered rollout of CS… more →
Challenges and Tradeoffs of “Good” Teaching: The Pursuit of Multiple Educational Outcomes
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentThe pursuit of multiple educational outcomes makes teaching a complex craft subject to potential conflicts and competing commitments. Using a dataset in which teachers were randomly assigned to students paired with videotapes of instruction, we both document and unpack such a tradeoff. Upper-… more →
Why Do School Districts Matter? An Interdisciplinary Framework and Empirical Review
Topics: Policy, Politics, and GovernanceTags: School districts, EquityWhat guidance does research provide school districts about how to improve system performance and increase equity? Despite over 30 years of inquiry on the topic of effective districts, existing frameworks are relatively narrow in terms of disciplinary focus (primarily educational leadership… more →
Instructional Coaching Personnel and Program Scalability
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentTags: Instructional coachingInstructional coaching is an attractive alternative to one-size-fits-all teacher training and development in part because it is purposefully differentiated: programming is aligned to individual teachers’ needs and implemented by an individual coach. But, how much of the benefit of coaching as an… more →