tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2503392532090682825.post3367957501225827266..comments2023-06-13T05:05:28.886-04:00Comments on Economics of Information: Better teachers and smaller classes make a huge differenceErik Brynjolfssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117552073319813366noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2503392532090682825.post-78793261221719532542010-08-17T14:43:07.485-04:002010-08-17T14:43:07.485-04:00Please note that the study did not randomize for b...Please note that the study did not randomize for birth order or age of student upon entry. They have been shown to have a positive correlation with academic success in other studies. I assume this was because the fact of this correlation was not known when placement was done. So we don't know if they have isolated a variable after all.<br /><br />Also I would point out the inferences drawn from the study confuse absolute and relative benefits: even if you fully credit the study, the advantage is a relative one, which requires that there be some who do not have the advantage. If everyone has the advantage, it isn't an advantage (excluding against those who immigrate after kindergarten, or are homeschooled). If there is no relative advantage, you could pay the teachers almost any wage, with no effect on outcomes. So, even if you credit the study, the inferences being drawn are excessive as there are diminishing returns to scale.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2503392532090682825.post-82583327382758458552010-08-06T01:21:45.685-04:002010-08-06T01:21:45.685-04:00It is an early release of research.
Slide 44, fig...It is an early release of research.<br /><br />Slide 44, figure 6d, is troubling. It represents the basis of the statement that better class quality increases earnings.<br /><br />The positive earnings effect points, above expected trend line (which is a positive earnings effect in a negative earnings result) or positive earnings, span almost the entire range of class quality, from poor to good, from negative to positive class quality.<br /><br />One would expect the trend line to parse the plotted points, with points above and below through the entire range of class quality.<br /><br />The negative effect is clustered around the zero class quality point. To me the plot suggests teacher quality is a residual variable capturing a missing, hidden, unmeasured variable responsible for the positive earnings effect. With the additional unknown variable, the trend line would parse the points and teacher quality would probably diminish in importance, if not drop out altogether. <br /><br />There are common statistical tests which could negate my comment and I assume before publication, the tests will be checked. Until then, I will keep an open mind about teacher quality.Milton Rechthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02488660316957122768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2503392532090682825.post-8931077073271782182010-07-30T20:13:03.528-04:002010-07-30T20:13:03.528-04:00The problem is that managing a kindergarten class ...The problem is that managing a kindergarten class has more to do with your personality than your education or skill level. If you increased the pay of kindergarten teachers to be competitive with doctors and lawyers, you might see more intelligent and highly educated people enter the field for the paycheck, but the quality of the teaching might not be commensurate with the IQ-bump of the teacher. Higher pay is probably not the answer, but more flexibility in style and more pay INEQUALITY (in contrast to the union system that acts to help all teachers, despite their merit) would probably help.Johnhttp://www.bandwagonsmasher.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2503392532090682825.post-51764233185199049632010-07-28T11:39:00.270-04:002010-07-28T11:39:00.270-04:00teachers think they're helping(working for int...teachers think they're helping(working for intangibles) so we get to pay them less. examine the difference in the motivations of those in high paying professions like business mgmt and marketing: more "help yourself" professions.herbissimusnoreply@blogger.com