Catching Cheating Teachers: The Results of an Unusual Experiment in Implementing Theory / Brian A. Jacob, Steven D. Levitt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jacob, Brian A.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Levitt, Steven D.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w9414.

NBER working paper series no. w9414

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Catching Cheating Teachers

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2003.

Summary:

This paper reports on the results of a prospective implementation of methods for detecting teacher cheating. In Spring 2002, over 100 Chicago Public Schools elementary classrooms were selected for retesting based on the cheating detection algorithm. Classrooms prospectively identified as likely cheaters experienced large test score declines. In contrast, classes that had large test score gains on the original test, but were prospectively identified as being unlikely to have cheated, maintained their original gains. Randomly selected classrooms also maintained their gains. The cheating detection tools were thus demonstrated to be effective in distinguishing between classrooms that achieved large test-score gains as a consequence of cheating versus those whose gains were the result of outstanding teaching. In addition, the data generated by the implementation experiment highlight numerous ways in which the original cheating detection methods can be improved in the future.

Notes:

Print version record

January 2003.