The relationship between teacher performance and student achievement in Chilean public elementary schools

• In Event: Examining Teacher Assessment Practices

Abstract

This study explored the association between teacher performance and student achievement in Chilean public elementary schools. It relied on data from a large-scale national evaluation of teacher professional performance which uses detailed assessments of actual practice, including self-assessments, observations, portfolios, and ratings from peer teachers and principals. The study used multilevel modeling to analyze the data, with students nested within classrooms. Results showed a positive relationship between student achievement and teacher performance. Students in classrooms with higher-performing teachers showed higher test scores than students in classrooms with lower-performing teachers, while controlling for student-level characteristics (e.g., gender, grade retention, parental income, etc.), and teacher-level characteristics (e.g., training, experience, class size, etc).

Author

• Nicole Eisenberg, University of Washington