Subject area preparation of secondary mathematics and science teachers and student achievement

Data drawn from the Longitudinal Survey of American Youth are the basis of this inquiry into the effects of mathematics and science subject matter preparation of secondary school teachers on pupil performance gains in these subjects. Results suggest that measures of how much a student's teacher knows about what he or she is teaching has a positive effect on pupils' learning gains. The evidence also suggests that the effects of subject matter preparation diminish with time and vary across types of students. Explicit attention is paid to policy implications for teacher education, recruitment, and retention.