Increasing the Effectiveness of Teachers in Low-Performing Schools

Low-income African-American and Latino students often enter elementary school with fewer academic skills and less ready to learn than wealthier, white students. Research shows that achievement gaps often either remain constant or increase as students progress through the education system,1 and that education policies contribute to this outcome. In particular, the least qualifi ed teachers often work in schools with the lowest performing students. Because teachers can make an important difference in student achievement, improving the quality of teachers in schools with low-performing students may well be the single best opportunity to reduce racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps.