Question: Which good teachers have the most impact on their students' achievement in high school? Is it math or English teachers? My children are lucky enough to have good teachers in both of these subjects this year. -- Good Teachers
Answer: The good teachers that most affect achievement in high school are English teachers. Not only do they affect achievement in English, they also affect achievement in mathematics. Researchers at Stanford University have found that the skills that English teachers teach carry over to math. This is probably because reading is so important in understanding math problems and doing well in that subject. On the other hand, good math teachers are teaching skills that apply almost exclusively to that subject.
It should also please you to know that the effect of having good English teachers this year will actually carry over into your children's future years in school, where they will be more likely to score better in those subjects than other students.