James H. Wyckoff
“Refining” Our Understanding of Early Career Teacher Skill Development: Evidence From Classroom Observations
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentNovice teachers improve substantially in their first years on the job, but we know remarkably little about the nature of this skill development. Using data from Tennessee, we leverage a feature of the classroom observation protocol that asks school administrators to identify an item on which the… more →
Measuring returns to experience using supervisor ratings of observed performance: The case of classroom teachers
Topics: MethodsTags: Human capital, AssessmentWe study the returns to experience in teaching, estimated using supervisor ratings from classroom observations. We describe the assumptions required to interpret changes in observation ratings over time as the causal effect of experience on performance. We compare two difference-in-differences… more →
School Segregation, Teacher Sorting, and the Distribution of Teachers
Topics: Policy, Politics, and GovernanceThe distribution of teaching effectiveness across schools is fundamental to understanding how schools can address disparities in educational outcomes. Research and policy have recognized the importance of teaching effectiveness for decades. Five stylized facts predict that teachers should be… more →
Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in the Relationship Between Children’s Early Literacy Skills and Third-Grade Outcomes: Lessons from a Kindergarten Readiness Assessment
Topics: Student LearningThird grade is oftentimes the first year standardized literacy assessments are mandated. In turn many policies aimed at improving literacy have focused on third-grade test scores as a key indicator. Yet literacy struggles begin well before third grade, as do racial and socioeconomic disparities… more →
Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Turnover, New Evidence from District of Columbia Public Schools
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentFew topics in education policy have received more attention than teacher turnover—and rightly so. The cost of losing a good teacher can be substantial and is born most directly by students. It is now widely recognized that teachers differ considerably in their ability to improve student outcomes… more →
Is Effective Teacher Evaluation Sustainable? Evidence from DCPS
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentTen years ago, many policymakers viewed the reform of teacher evaluation as a highly promising mechanism to improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Recently, that enthusiasm has dimmed as the available evidence suggests the subsequent reforms had a mixed record of implementation… more →
Policy Implementation, Principal Agency, and Strategic Action: Improving Teaching Effectiveness in New York City Middle Schools
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentTen years ago, the reform of teacher evaluation was touted as a mechanism to improve teacher effectiveness. In response, virtually every state redesigned its teacher evaluation system. Recently, a growing narrative suggests these reforms failed and should be abandoned. This response may be… more →