Does the teacher beat the test? The additional value of teacher assessment in predicting student ability

Bas ter Weel, Eva Feron and Trudie Schils
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Eva Feron: Maastricht University; Department of Economics
Trudie Schils: Maastricht University; Department of Economics

No 300, CPB Discussion Paper from CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis

Abstract: This research investigates to what extent subjective teacher assessment of children’s ability adds to the use of test scores in the explanation of children’s outcomes in the transition from elementary to secondary school. This in terms of initial track allocation, track switching in the first three years of secondary education and subsequent test scores. We apply micro-data from the Netherlands about cognitive test scores and teacher assessment in elementary schools and about track placement, track switching and test scores in secondary schools. Our estimates suggest that subjective teacher assessment is about twice as important as the elementary school cognitive test scores for initial track placement in secondary school. In addition, teacher assessment is more predictive of track allocation in 9th grade compared to cognitive test scores. Next, children who switch tracks are more likely to be placed in tracks based on test scores. Also, test scores in 9th grade are predicted by subjective teacher assessment, not by test scores in sixth grade. Finally, a back-of-the-envelope calculation shows that switching could be reduced by at least ten percent if children would have been allocated according to the teacher’s assessment.

JEL-codes: I21 I28 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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