Are Charter School Teachers Different From Traditional Public School Teachers? Evidence From Texas

• In Event: Inside Charter Schools: Teachers and Performance Differences

Abstract

Using survey data of 2,282 teachers in Texas, this study explored the differences in teachers’ work environment, instruction and student learning, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction between charter and traditional public school teachers. Propensity scoring matching was conducted to reduce the impact of selection bias and to produce accurate estimates of the charter-traditional public school differences. Compared with similar teachers in traditional public schools, charter school teachers reported higher expectations among staff, more responsibility for student learning, more supportive teaching environment, and higher levels of student engagement in learning; however, they reported less professional support focused on instruction, lower levels of responsiveness to student differences, less frequent attendance of professional development, less perceived fairness in teacher evaluation, and lower self-efficacy.

Authors

• Xin Wei, SRI International

• Viki M. Young, SRI International