Plenty of studies have found that what happens in schools actually plays a small role in student academic achievement — which, of course, does not mean we shouldn’t work as hard and as creatively as possible to help our students achieve their full potential. But it does point out that teachers should not be held 100% accountable for our students’ progress.

I’ve posted a number of resources on this topic at The Best Places To Learn What Impact A Teacher & Outside Factors Have On Student Achievement.

Here’s another study that’s a little old but, as far as I know, is still considered accurate. It’s from researcher Dan Goldhaber. Here’s a quote from it: