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Public school teachersin the District of Columbia are improving their performance because they’re motivated by the possibility of substantial pay raises or because they don’t want to get fired, according to an academic study of the groundbreaking teacher-evaluation system implemented by former schools chancellor Michelle Rhee.

The school system in the nation’s capital is unique among large school districts for the complexity of its teacher-evaluation system, which scores the performance of teachers based on classroom observations, student test scores and other factors.

Public school teachersin the District of Columbia are improving their performance because they’re motivated by the possibility of substantial pay raises or because they don’t want to get fired, according to an academic study of the groundbreaking teacher-evaluation system implemented by former schools chancellor Michelle Rhee.

The school system in the nation’s capital is unique among large school districts for the complexity of its teacher-evaluation system, which scores the performance of teachers based on classroom observations, student test scores and other factors.

Every child deserves a great teacher. That’s why our schools need policies that support teachers’ development, keep our best teachers in the classroom, and counsel consistently ineffective teachers out of the classroom.

Hundreds of teachers have been fired for poor performance since the evaluations were implemented four years ago. But low-scoring teachers who could have kept their jobs also have been more likely to leave than teachers who scored higher, according to the study, published as a working paper of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

By Eric A. Hanushek, Paul E. Peterson

As if we needed more evidence, new data released Tuesday shows the disheartening level of skills of the American worker compared with those in other developed countries. An assessment by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows that U.S. adults are near the bottom of the 23 participating countries in terms of literacy, numeracy and problem solving.

Poverty and inequality are powerful forces that shape our children’s educational success and attainment of the American Dream. But inequality is not inevitable, and poverty is not destiny. Understanding the role of poverty and inequality in shaping opportunity—and the potential for families, schools, and society to expand opportunity—is essential to thinking about how we can ensure that all children have an equal chance to succeed in school and to lead productive, fulfilling lives.

As the nation’s classrooms welcome back teachers and students, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the methods — and the gender — of your own favorite teacher. A 2006 study by Thomas Dee, now a professor at Stanford, suggested that boys do better in classes taught by men while girls are more likely to thrive in classes taught by women. The study found that girls were more likely to report that they did not think a class would be useful to their future if it was taught by a man, and boys were more likely to say they did not look forward to a particular subject if it was taught by a woman.