Good catch. Sorry, I shouldn't have used influences. Thanks for pointing it out.
Gates used the word explain. At about 12:50, he said "This chart takes four different factors and asks how much do they they explain teaching quality?"
I was just watching and saw that. I think 'explain' is the wrong word. Something causes teacher quality. It usually doesn't change over time. Knowing it doesn't change over time lets you make predictions. But that isn't explaining what the cause really is.
Gates used the word explain. At about 12:50, he said "This chart takes four different factors and asks how much do they they explain teaching quality?"