LOS ANGELES - Good teachers are the key to accelerating academic achievement by Hispanic and black students to levels on par with their white and Asian counterparts, but poor, minority children are consistently stuck with the worst instructors, according to a study released Thursday.

"We know that great teachers have the power to help students catch up when they're behind," said Arun Ramanathan, executive director of The Education Trust-West, the education-reform advocacy organization that carried out the 18-month-long study. "But you can't catch up when you don't have access to the best teachers."

The study tracked 1 million Los Angeles students and 17,000 teachers over three years. It is the latest in a growing body of research showing that highly effective teachers are crucial to closing the so-called achievement gap.

The research is adding weight to education reformers' case for better evaluation methods of teachers, includin


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Double-digit unemployment and high foreclosure activity. Rising food and utility bills.