Professional Development at Scale: The Causal Effect of Obtaining an SEI Endorsement Under Massachusetts’s RETELL Initiative

• Published in: Educational evaluation and policy analysis Vol. 45; no. 4; pp. 546 - 568
• Main Authors: Bruhn, Jesse, Jones, Nathan, Kanno, Yasuko, Winters, Marcus A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2023; American Educational Research Association
• Subjects: Disability recipients; Diversity equity & inclusion; English (Second Language); English as a second language; English as a second language learning; English Language Learners; Faculty Development; Influences; Learning outcomes; People with disabilities; Professional development; Public School Teachers; Second Language Instruction; Second language learning; Students; Teacher Certification; Teacher education; Teachers; Teaching; Massachusetts; United States > US; immigration/immigrants; educational policy; professional development; English language learners; teacher quality; econometric analysis
• ISSN: 0162-3737; 1935-1062
• DOI: 10.3102/01623737221136101

We apply a difference-in-difference design to measure the causal effect of a teacher obtaining an endorsement in Sheltered English Immersion under Massachusetts’s Rethinking Equity in the Teaching of English Language Learners initiative on student’s learning outcomes. More than 35,000 in-service public school teachers completed the semester-long course. We find no effect on English learners’ (ELs) average test scores, but modest positive spillovers for students with disabilities and other non-EL students. Training benefited teachers recently hired by their district but had no effect on longer serving teachers.