Teacher quality and student performance: the case of Pennsylvania

Abstract

In this article, alternative proxies for teacher quality and student performance were developed for an empirical analysis. Both education-level elasticity of teacher-quality and teaching-years elasticity of teacher-quality were estimated. The analysis showed a positive and significant relationship between teacher quality and student performance.

Notes

¹ Education level is created via codes. These codes are: 1 = less than high school graduate; 2 = high school graduate; 3 = less than bachelor's degree; 4 = bachelor's degree; 5 = master's degree; and 6 = doctor's degree (Note: for a definition of these codes, see Public School Professional Personnel, Pennsylvania Department of Education).

² Local taxes include real estate tax, earned income/net profits tax and a mixture of other nonproperty taxes (e.g. occupational privilege, amusement, per capita, mercantile, business privilege and mechanical devices). The real estate tax is levied on the land and buildings owned by individuals and businesses. This tax is the major source of tax revenue for most school districts and is used by all Pennsylvania districts. The earned income tax is levied on the wages, salaries, commissions, net profits and other compensation of those who reside in the district, but the income from interest and dividends is not included. This tax is the largest of the nonproperty taxes and applies to employed individuals, unincorporated business owners, partnerships, etc. and is normally withheld from workers' paychecks.

³ These codes are: 1 = school district located in Rural, inside Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA); 2 = school district located in Rural, outside CBSA; 3 = school district located in Small Town; 4 = school district located in Large Town; 5 = school district located in Urban Fringe of a Mid-size City; 6 = school district located in Urban Fringe of a Large City; 7 = school district located in Mid-size City and 8 = school district located in Large City. Large City = a central city of a Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) or Consolidated Statistical Area (CSA), with the city having a population greater than or equal to 250 000; Mid-size City = a central city of a CBSA or CSA, with the city having a population less than 250 000; Urban Fringe of a Large City = any incorporated place, Census-designated place or nonplace territory within a CBSA or CSA of a mid-size city and defined as urban by the Census Bureau; Urban Fringe of a Mid-size City = any incorporated place, Census-designated place, or nonplace territory within a CBSA or CSA of a mid-size city and defined as urban by the Census Bureau; Large Town = an incorporated place or Census-designated place with a population greater than or equal to 25 000 and located outside a CBSA or CSA; Small Town = an incorporated place or Census-designated place with population less than 25 000 and greater than or equal to 2500 and located outside a CBSA or CSA; Rural, outside CBSA = any incorporated place, Census-designated place, or nonplace territory not within a CBSA or CSA of a large or mid-size city and defined as rural by the Census Bureau and Rural, inside CBSA = any incorporated place, Census-designated place or nonplace territory within a CBSA or CSA of a large or mid-size city and defined as rural by the Census Bureau. (Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education [www.pde.state.pa.usl].