Examining Teacher Effectiveness Between Preschool and Third Grade

This report examines the consistency of children’s access to effective teachers between preschool and third grade—as well as how that access differs by a child’s race/ethnicity and socio-economic status—within three broad factors of teacher effectiveness: qualifications, attitudes, and environment. These factors are inherently interconnected and typically accessed at lower rates by African American and Hispanic children, as well as children from low-income households. Furthermore, access to effective teachers varies between PreK and the K-3 grades because the standards, expectations, and supports for teachers are different for these two systems.