Schools serving the highest proportions of low-income students and students of color by and large employ the highest proportions of inexperienced and underqualified teachers. This trend has been well-documented nationwide and in California. It is perhaps the starkest example of inequality in our education system and the most formidable to closing pervasive and persistent achievement gaps. Again and again, research has found substantial differences in teachers’ abilities to move their students forward, and there is sound evidence that teacher effectiveness contributes more to student achievement than virtually any other factor. And though the research is inconclusive about the best proxies for teacher effectiveness the inequitable distribution of teachers in California by every measurable proxy – including experience, education level, credential status, and salary – is undeniable.

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Published: September 13, 2006