An investigation of the grading patterns of São Paulo public school teachers based on Item Response Theory.

• Grant number: 13/20203-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2013
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Economics
• Principal Investigator: Marcos de Almeida Rangel
• Grantee: Fernando Amaral Carnaúba
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade (FEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 14/05908-3 - Teachers' grading patterns and student learning: evidence from São Paulo State public schools, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

In this project, we intend to use the Item Response Theory framework to analyze a dimension of teacher quality that has received little attention from the literature to the date: the grading patterns used by teachers in evaluating their students. Using administrative data on student school grades and a standardized exam called Saresp, we will estimate three measures of the grading pattern of each teacher, that try to shed light on both his rigor in the evaluation of students and on his capacity of discrimination between good and bad students. We will use such measures in order to analyze: (i) the relationship between the adoption of different grading standards and teacher impact on student learning; and (ii) the possibility of existence of discrimination of gender or race in public school grading.