Union Impact on Achievement - how teacher unions influence student test performance - Brief Article

School Administrator, August, 2001

The presence of teacher unions is positively correlated with higher student achievement on the major college-entrance examinations, according to a study published in the Harvard Educational Review.

The researchers compared states with strong teacher unions with states whose unions are not strong and found a clear link between unions and higher statewide performance on the Scholastic Assessment Test and the American College Test. This pattern holds even when factors such as family income, parental education, gender, geographic region and race are considered.

The researchers noted that teacher unions often are seen as counterproductive to the needs of students, but this study challenges this assumption. The study was directed by Brian Powell, Lala Carr Steelman and Robert M. Carini.

The article, "Do Teacher Unions Hinder Educational Performance? Lessons Learned from State SAT and ACT Scores," is available by calling the Harvard Educational Review at 617-495-3091.