Geography Achievement and Opportunity to Learn: A Focus on Teacher Quality

Abstract The relationship between teacher quality and student achievement is often at the heart of educational debates about student success. In this study, we leverage data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to explore relationships between geography achievement in the 8th grade and various indicators of teacher quality. We found positive associations between achievement, years of teaching experience, and teacher participation in workshops, curriculum committees, and other forms of training and professional development. However, the benefits of teaching experience, training, and professional development are not uniformly experienced by different groups of students.