Distortion or Clarification - Defining Highly Qualified Teachers and the Relationship between Certification and Achievement

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda

Recent studies linking teacher preparation pathways to student achievement show similar statistics yet reach contradictory conclusions. As a group, these studies are limited in scope, often relying on student-level indicators despite many policy decisions using school-level or higher indicators, restricting analyses to certain urban areas or grade levels, or overlooking how building type (grades served) may shape outcomes. Using statewide Missouri data from 2004-2005, the study examines school-level achievement indicators.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages33

Reading Time1 h 23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and policy definition

Study design and statewide data

School-level indicators and certification proportions

Findings and implications for research and school improvement

| education policy analysis archives
A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal | | | --- | --- | | Arizona State University | | | Volume 18 Number 27 10h of November 2010 ISSN 1068–2341 | | | Distortion or Clarification: Defining Highly Qualified Teachers and the Relationship between Certification and Achievement 1
Jacob M. Marszalek
Arthur L. Odom
University of Missouri–Kansas City
Steven M. LaNasa
Donnelly College
Susan A. Adler
University of Missouri–Kansas City
Citation: Marszalek, J. M., Odom, A. L., LaNasa, S. M., & Adler, S. A. (2010) Distortion or clarification: Defining highly qualified teachers and the relationship between certification and achievement. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 18(27) Retrieved from [http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/837](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/837)
Abstract: Recent studies of the relationship between teacher preparation pathways and student achievement have resulted in similar statistics but contradictory conclusions. These studies as a group have several limits: they sometimes focus on student-level indicators when many policy decisions are made with indicators at the school-level or above, are limited to specific urban locations or grade levels, or neglect the potential influence of building type, as defined as the grade-levels serviced. Using statewide data from the 2004–2005 school year, we examined the | | 1 Accepted under the editorship of Sherman Dorn. Manuscript received: December 3, 2008 Revisions received: December 9, 2009 Accepted: December 31, 2009 Education Policy Analysis Archives Vol. 18 No. 27 2 relationships between school-level indicators of student achievement on nationally-normed tests and proportions of alternatively certified teachers, while controlling for building type and other relevant covariates. Our findings indicate that the relationship between teacher preparation and student achievement at the school level depends on whether the building mixes multiple grade levels (e.g., elementary and middle) . The implications of Missouri’s policy change for research and school improvement are discussed with respect to the current high-stakes testing environment. Keywords: alternative teacher certification; grade span configuration; educational legislation; politics of education; achievement tests; regression (statistics); robustness (statistics) . Distorsión o aclaración: Definiendo que son “Docentes de Alta Calidad” y la relaciónentre la titulación y logro académico Resumen: Estudios recientes de la relación entre las vías de titulación de los docentes y el rendimiento de los estudiantes han tenido como resultado estadísticas similares, pero conclusiones contradictorias. Entendidos en su conjunto estos estudios tienen varios límites: es frecuente que se centren en los indicadores a nivel de los estudiantes, aún cuando muchas de las decisiones de política educativas se realizan usando indicadores a nivel de escuela o distrital, ose limitan a determinadas zonas urbanas o niveles de grado, o no toman en cuenta la influenciapotencial del tipo de edificio, según se define los niveles de servicio. Usando datos estatales de Missouri del año escolar 2004-2005, se examinaron las relaciones entre los indicadores a nivel de escuela de el rendimiento de los estudiantes en exámenes (normados) a nivel nacional y la proporción de maestros con certificación alternativas mientras que se controló las variables de el tipo de edificios y otros covariables relevantes. Nuestros resultados indican que la relación entre la preparación de docentes y el logro académico de los estudiantes a nivel de la escuela dependede si el edificio es utilizado para niveles de grado múltiples (por ejemplo, primaria y secundaria) . Las consecuencias del cambio de política de Missouri para la investigación y mejora de laescolaridad se discuten con respecto al contexto de la actuales pruebas de consecuencias severas. Palabras-clave: certificación alte

FAQs

What problem do the study’s authors identify in prior research on teacher preparation and achievement?

Prior studies produce similar statistics but contradictory conclusions, and they often rely on limited indicators or restrict settings, grade levels, or omit building type effects.

What data and timeframe does the study use?

The study uses statewide data from Missouri for the 2004–2005 school year.

How do the authors explain the link between teacher preparation and achievement at the school level?

The relationship depends on whether the school building serves multiple grade levels, such as a mix of elementary and middle grades.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda