--- title: Will I be judged more favourably if I teach a top set? | Teaching and Learning description: Will you be judges more favourably if you teach a top set? Here I look at teaching and learning studies by Steinberg and Garrett. image: https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hubfs/Teaching-and-Learning-Top-Set-800x445.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-top-set#main-content) [![DouglasWise_Logo2026 (1)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/DouglasWise_Logo2026%20(1).png?width=500&height=144&name=DouglasWise_Logo2026%20(1).png)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/) - [KS3 Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks3-teaching-resources) Show submenu for KS3 Resources - [Prose](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/prose) - [Poetry](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/poetry) - [Drama](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/drama) - [Non-Fiction](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/non-fiction) - [Resource Bundles](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [KS4 Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks4-teaching-resources) Show submenu for KS4 Resources - [Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/macbeth-teaching-resources) - [An Inspector Calls](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/inspectors-calls-resources) - [A Christmas Carol](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/english-teaching-resources-a-christmas-carol) - [Jekyll and Hyde](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/jekyll-and-hyde) - [Romeo and Juliet](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/romeo-and-juliet) - [AQA Poetry](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/aqa-power-conflict-poetry-teaching-resources) - [English Language](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/english-language/) - [Resource Bundles](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Resource Bundles](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) Show submenu for Resource Bundles - [An Inspector Calls](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [A Christmas Carol](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Power and Conflict](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Literacy](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [KS3 Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks3-teaching-resources) Show submenu for KS3 Resources - [Prose](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/prose) - [Poetry](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/poetry) - [Drama](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/drama) - [Non-Fiction](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/non-fiction) - [Resource Bundles](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [KS4 Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks4-teaching-resources) Show submenu for KS4 Resources - [Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/macbeth-teaching-resources) - [An Inspector Calls](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/inspectors-calls-resources) - [A Christmas Carol](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/english-teaching-resources-a-christmas-carol) - [Jekyll and Hyde](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/jekyll-and-hyde) - [Romeo and Juliet](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/romeo-and-juliet) - [AQA Poetry](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/aqa-power-conflict-poetry-teaching-resources) - [English Language](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/english-language/) - [Resource Bundles](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Resource Bundles](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) Show submenu for Resource Bundles - [An Inspector Calls](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [A Christmas Carol](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Power and Conflict](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Literacy](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [PREMIUM](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/premium-english-teaching-resources) [PREMIUM](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/premium-english-teaching-resources) 16 July, 2020 # Will I be judged more favourably if I teach a top set? ![Picture of Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Profile/douglas-wise%20(2).jpg?width=50&name=douglas-wise%20(2).jpg) [Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-top-set) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-top-set) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-top-set) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-top-set) In short, the answer appears to be **yes**. In the [paper](http://static.politico.com/58/5f/f14b2b144846a9b3365b8f2b0897/study-of-classroom-observations-of-teachers.pdf): Classroom Composition and Measured Teacher Performance: What Do Teacher Observation Scores Really Measure?, Steinberg and Garrett cite studies which suggest that ‘**classroom observation scores tend to be lower among teachers whose students are more disadvantaged and have lower incoming achievement.**’  They highlight that this correlation is likely to be the result of several different factors, including the tendency of schools to assign more experienced teachers to classes containing higher achieving students. In their own study, Steinberg and Garrett found that English and Language Arts (ELA) teachers were more than twice as likely to ‘be rated in the top performance quintile if assigned the highest achieving students compared with teachers assigned the lowest achieving students’, whilst maths teachers were more than six times as likely to achieve a top rating.  They conclude that ‘**teachers working with higher achieving students tend to receive higher performance ratings, above and beyond that which might be attributable to aspects of teacher quality that are fixed over time.**’ ![Cohen-Goldhaber](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Cohen-Goldhaber.png?width=700&height=128&name=Cohen-Goldhaber.png) Similarly, in their [study](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.3102/0013189X16659442) on the validity of lesson observations, Cohen and Goldhaber emphasise that observers are prone to biases based on ‘the composition of students’ in a class and they make the point that ‘**teachers with students with higher prior achievement receive higher observation ratings.**’ ![Lessoms-Learned-in-Four-Districts](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Lessoms-Learned-in-Four-Districts.png?width=700&height=166&name=Lessoms-Learned-in-Four-Districts.png) Finally, in their Lessons Learned [study](https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/45804382/Evaluating_Teachers_with_Classroom_Observations.pdf?1463750749=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DEvaluating_Teachers_with_Classroom_Obser.pdf&Expires=1594647821&Signature=WJ01VedW6fvYVf~GigXYW6Pi4MCxDIr7blAlzmfiI0Wfpi1dsP09SQwyq1ksFqyQLFEneXoB6BKnYGJ9jdHzoAD9KNNS~W8JlrTDrQvdn3J~VwoP0S5oSuJqsFcOiz0r82uk1xT1b8tC2sFuZbqb6dcWQ3sk2f8x5Q7~jDd2eXwWm0wFEIW-w0rZWtm56Ta7FoiDiXnZkmgBehI711Lr86Ii1hMimzjGHnEeShzlfB2Dn2GBUGOo2MkaaW2Yxvt7kT2xLPsoQ1qXrJdDvQ84l0CW9FB~DMo27renMCF19HRkgtpXpGfB3Jco3mXq4zqbg6lQZrOn6hZIK9J4gM7hTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA), Whitehurst, Chingos and Lindquist also argue that ‘teachers with higher performing students receive higher classroom observation scores.’  They ask the reader to imagine a scenario where a teacher is given a class of students ‘who are challenging to teach because they are less well prepared academically’ and conclude, sensibly enough, that ‘performing well’ would be ‘tougher’ to achieve.  A key finding is connected to the fundamental biases in the observation system: ‘**when observers see a teacher leading a class with higher ability students, they judge the teacher to be better than when they see that same teacher leading a class of lower ability students.**’ I wrote a blog last year that provided brief guidance on providing feedback after lesson observations.  You can access it by clicking [here](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/brief-notes-for-lesson-observation-feedback-conversations/), but I’ve included the larger part of it below… ![Lesson-Observation](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Lesson-Observation.png?width=700&height=392&name=Lesson-Observation.png) Thanks for reading – Doug [hello@douglaswise.co.uk](mailto:hello@douglaswise.co.uk) [!["These bundles are brilliant and save so much time! A must for English teachers!"   ⚡ Resource Bundles ⚡ Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, An Inspector Calls, Power and Conflict + more...  ](https://hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/143698377/interactive-87399988669.png)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLKs6XZhUJ6jsLdZT7iSsprSqabTl3%2F0EZGz9gJeEYbek9n5Fu4b7e3ftaJBNysHr2T2YjFeDOf%2F4TrW8TwW4SuAbJTHiA2oy84O79xoQezwgUZX1SaC5onPfKJAtpMXXyQR4zSftccxIBjNW8KHsb1WA5Yb2pC6CSbp9szbCSaDBwBjlvFiusMA6RjPwYpwSLw8vwAgMKE1TQ%3D%3D&webInteractiveContentId=87399988669&portalId=143698377) [Teaching and Learning](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/teaching-and-learning) ## Related posts [![](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/poetry-800x445.jpg?height=200&name=poetry-800x445.jpg)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-gcse-english-literature-unseen-poetry) [KS4](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/ks4), [GCSE English Literature](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/gcse-english-literature) ## [Teaching GCSE English Literature Unseen Poetry](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-gcse-english-literature-unseen-poetry) ![Picture of Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Profile/douglas-wise%20(2).jpg?width=50&name=douglas-wise%20(2).jpg) [Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise) 17 March, 2019 In years gone by, I’ve tended to treat the unseen poetry component of the GCSE English Literature... [Read more](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-gcse-english-literature-unseen-poetry) [![](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Do%20you%20know%20good%20teaching%20when%20you%20see%20it%3F.jpeg?height=200&name=Do%20you%20know%20good%20teaching%20when%20you%20see%20it%3F.jpeg)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/know-good-teaching-see) [Blog](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/blog), [Teaching and Learning](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/teaching-and-learning) ## [Do you know good teaching when you see it?](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/know-good-teaching-see) ![Picture of Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Profile/douglas-wise%20(2).jpg?width=50&name=douglas-wise%20(2).jpg) [Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise) 29 December, 2020 Take two groups of teachers… [Read more](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/know-good-teaching-see) [![](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/power-conflict-poetry.jpg?height=200&name=power-conflict-poetry.jpg)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/power-and-conflict-teaching-resource-bundle) [AQA Power and Conflict Poetry](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/aqa-power-and-conflict-poetry), [KS4](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/ks4), [Premium](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/premium) ## [Power and Conflict Teaching Resource Bundle](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/power-and-conflict-teaching-resource-bundle) ![Picture of Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Profile/douglas-wise%20(2).jpg?width=50&name=douglas-wise%20(2).jpg) [Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise) 12 August, 2024 Teaching resource bundle for AQA Power and Conflict Poetry. This includes everything you need to... [Read more](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/power-and-conflict-teaching-resource-bundle) [facebook-f icon](https://www.facebook.com/DouglasWiseUK/) [linkedin-in icon](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wisedouglas/) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.instagram.com/revise_gcse_english/) [X Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/DoWise) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.youtube.com/@Douglas_Wise) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.tiktok.com/@revise_gcse_english?lang=en) - [KS3 English Teaching Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks3-teaching-resources) - [KS4 English Teaching Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks4-teaching-resources) - [Sign-up to the Newsletter](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/subscribe) - [About Me](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/professional-development) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/privacy-policy) --- [![Douglas-Wise-Logo](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Douglas_Wise_Logo.jpg?width=150&height=150&name=Douglas_Wise_Logo.jpg "Douglas-Wise-Logo")](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/) Copyright © 2026 ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Douglas Wise", "url" : "https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise" }, "dateModified" : "2024-01-27T15:02:11.325Z", "datePublished" : "2020-07-16T14:01:00.000Z", "headline" : "Will I be judged more favourably if I teach a top set? | Teaching and Learning", "image" : [ "https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hubfs/Teaching-and-Learning-Top-Set-800x445.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-top-set", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hubfs/Douglas_Wise_Logo.jpg" } } } ```