Teaching Groups as Foci for Evaluating Performance in Cost-Effectiveness of GCE Advanced Level Provision: Some Practical Methodological Innovations1

Some key methodological issues in factors affecting educational effectiveness within schools are discussed. The motivation is an analysis of subject teaching group effectiveness in English and Welsh GCE Advanced Level prior to a linking to resources. Cross-classified multilevel models with weighted random effects are suggested for disentangling student, group, and teacher effects. Analyses show that there is considerable variation between subjects within students. Teacher effects are shown to be considerable but explanations for variation cannot be sought in the conventional personal characteristics of teachers. One conclusion is that it is availability of data which constrains such investigations and not methodology.