Comparing the Effectiveness of Early and Upper Elementary Teachers in Tennessee

About the Brief

This brief examines whether Tennessee schools are distributing teacher quality equitably across the Pre-K and elementary grades.

Key Findings

1. Lower elementary grade teachers are significantly more likely than upper elementary school teachers to hold early elementary endorsement. Both groups of teachers have similar levels of teaching experience and master’s degree attainment.
2. Average observation scores across elementary school grades have increased over time, yet upper elementary school teachers have consistently earned higher scores than lower elementary school teachers.
3. With few exceptions, upper elementary teachers tend to score higher, on average, than similarly experienced lower elementary teachers.
4. Low-performing upper elementary teachers are significantly more likely to be reassigned to a lower elementary grade the following year than their more effective peers, though the overall impact is small.

Suggested Citation

Doan, S. & Rogers, L.K. (2019). Comparing the effectiveness of early and upper elementary teachers in Tennessee. Tennessee Education Research Alliance.