U.S. Every Student Succeeds Act: Negative Impacts on Teaching Out-of-Field

Amy N Piatt,James P Van Overschelde

doi:10.46303/repam.02.01.1

Amy N Piatt, James P Van Overschelde

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.02.01.1

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Abstract

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to ensure the equitable distribution of out-of-field teachers. Using over 180 million student-course-teacher records from Texas between 2011-12 and 2017-18, we found out-of-field teaching rates have increased dramatically since ESSA became law. We also found vast inequities in which teachers are assigned to teach out-of-field and dramatic differences in student out-of-field course-taking rates across demographic characteristics. The strongest predictors of teachers teaching out-of-field is that they work in a charter school or completed alternative certification programs. Black teachers and students are most likely to teach and take courses out-of-field, and Latinx teachers and students are least likely. Policy implications are considered given negative impacts of out-of-field teaching on student academic achievement.

Highlights

When teachers teach classes for which they are not certified, they are teaching out-of-field
Research Question 1 The results for Research Question 1 about subject-specific out-of-field teaching rates are presented in Table 1 and the subjects are listed in order from the lowest out-of-field teaching rates to the highest
We present the results in the order of strongest to weakest predictor of the rate of teaching out-of-field

Summary

Introduction

When teachers teach classes for which they are not certified, they are teaching out-of-field (du Plessis, 2005; 2015; Ingersoll, 2000; 2019; Monk, 1994). When teachers lack the requisite knowledge and skills to teach a particular subject they generally engage in lower-quality instructional practices (du Plessis, 2015). When this happens, students experience less academic growth (Clotfelter et al, 2010). Teaching out-of-field occurs when “teachers [are] assigned to teach subjects for which they have inadequate training and qualifications” (Ingersoll, 2019 p 21) This misassignment of teachers to classes is largely the responsibility of the school principal (Carey & Farris, 1994; Ingersoll, 1993, 2019). Texas publishes rules for what certifications are required to teach each subject and/or grade level.

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