The weekly magazine Science conducted a huge study to investigate the quality of the elementary school experience. The results were published in USA Today. Here is an excerpt:

• Fifth-graders spent 91.2% of class time in their seats listening to a teacher or working alone, and only 7% working in small groups, which foster social skills and critical thinking. Findings were similar in first and third grades.
• In fifth grade, 62% of instructional time was in literacy or math; only 24% was devoted to social studies or science.
• About one in seven (14%) kids had a consistently high-quality “instructional climate” all three years studied. Most classrooms had a fairly healthy “emotional climate,” but only 7% of students consistently had classrooms high in both. There was no difference between public and private schools.
Although all teachers surveyed had bachelor’s degrees — and 44% had a master’s — it didn’t mean that their classrooms were productive. The typical teacher scored only 3.6 out of seven points for “richness of instructional methods,” and 3.4 for providing “evaluative feedback” to students on their work.
Whether a teacher was highly qualified, had many years of experience or earned more mattered little, says lead researcher Robert Pianta of the University of Virginia.
Of the standard measures studied, “none of them makes a noticeable difference,” he said.

My Thoughts:
Many of the decisions made in a classroom are not made by the teacher. Instead, policy makers hand down mandates, school districts implement policies and principals enforce compliance. So, the percentage of time devoted to science, for example, may not be left to teacher discretion. School districts choose instructional programs that ensure continuity among schools and secure various sources of funding. Teachers often feel stifled by the stringent guidelines - and unable to provide the “richness of instructional method” that they would otherwise offer. Having said that, good teachers do incorporate more small group time.  Good teachers find a way to create rich instructional climates and provide evaluative feedback regardless of program parameters. The most interesting part of this study for me is the piece about teacher qualifications. The study suggests that good teaching isn’t defined by years of experience or education. I think any educator or administrator would agree.  It’s also an important point for parents when it comes to choosing a school.