ERIC Number: EJ1250204
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1557-3060
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Is Less More? Subject-Area Specialization and Outcomes in Elementary Schools
Bastian, Kevin C.; Fortner, C. Kevin
Education Finance and Policy, v15 n2 p357-382 Spr 2020
Whereas subject-area specialization is common practice in secondary grades, little is known about its incidence and impact in elementary schools. In this study we use data from North Carolina elementary schools to assess which teachers specialize and estimate whether specialization is associated with teacher effectiveness and school achievement. We find that specialization is prevalent in upper-elementary grades--approximately 25 percent of fourth-grade teachers and 37 percent of fifth-grade teachers specialize--and schools assign relatively more effective teachers to specialize. Analyses indicate that specialization is not leading to its theorized benefits in mathematics and reading. Teachers are less effective than they were before specializing and schoollevel achievement is not associated with more specialization. However, science results suggest benefits to subject-area specialization. These findings question the use of specialization in elementary grades but invite continued research to more fully assess its impact.
Descriptors: Elementary School Teachers, Specialization, Teacher Effectiveness, Academic Achievement, Public Schools, Elementary Schools, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Teacher Characteristics
MIT Press. 55 Hayward Street, Cambridge, MA 02142. Tel: 617-253-2889; Fax: 617-253-1709; e-mail: journals-rights@mit.edu; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2329/loi/edfp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Grade 5; Middle Schools; Early Childhood Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Grade 1; Grade 2; Grade 3
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: North Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A