Eric A. Hanushek

The Value of Smarter Teachers

In a paper forthcoming in the Journal of Human Resources, Eric Hanushek, together with Marc Piopiunik and Simon Wiederhold, examines the thesis that differences in teacher quality are key determinants of the large international student performance gaps. The researchers have constructed country-level measures of teacher cognitive skills using unique assessment data for 31 countries. They find substantial differences in teacher cognitive skills across countries that are strongly related to student performance.

Eric Hanushek has been a leader in the development of the economic analysis of educational issues. His research spans such diverse areas as the impacts of teacher quality, high stakes accountability and class size reduction on achievement and the role of cognitive skills in international growth and development. His pioneering analysis measuring teacher quality through student achievement forms the basis for current research into the value-added of teachers and schools.

Mr Hanushek works together with researchers in the ifo Center for the Economics of Education on several projects dealing with the influencing factors and impact of international differences in pupil performance. This work involves the conducting of econometric studies using the extensive data sets of several comparable international pupil performance tests such as PISA, PIRLS and TIMMS. For work on these projects, Mr Hanushek is a frequent guest at the ifo Institute and advises the center in all the educational-economic issues it examines. Together with the Ludger Woessmann, he is editing the forthcoming volumes of the Handbook of the Economics of Education.

Mr Hanushek will be visiting CESifo from 27 to 30 March. A frequent guest at CESifo, he is both Research Professor at the ifo Center for the Economics of Education as well as Director for the Economics of Education Area of the CESifo Research Network. He has also served on ifo’s Scientific Advisory Council. His visits to CESifo are aimed at increasing the interaction among researchers in the economics of education on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr Hanushek is a member of the National Academy of Education and a fellow of the International Academy of Education, the Society of Labor Economists and the American Education Research Association.

Eric Hanushek is the Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and received his PhD in economics from MIT.