The Accuracy of Teachers’ Ratings of Ability: A Regression Model

Teachers’ rating of academic ability in mathematics and English were regressed on test scores in a sample of second grade students (n = 694 in mathematics, n = 736 in English). Fitted equations were interpreted as judgmental models of the rating process, and normative subjective probabilities were assigned to individual ratings, showing the extent to which they were defensible in light of the test scores. Within the terms of the model, teachers’ ratings were only marginally less defensible than ratings based on a previous administration of the same tests. Since systematic error in teacher ratings cannot be assumed, some new directions for research are suggested.