Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Turnover in Equilibrium: Evidence From DC Public Schools

Abstract

Teacher turnover is an enduring concern in education policy and can incur substantial costs to students. Policies often address turnover broadly, yet effects turn on net differences in the effectiveness of exiting and entering teachers, in addition to the disruption dealt to classrooms. Recent research has shown mixed effects of teacher evaluation policies, but even where evaluation-induced differential turnover initially benefited students, gains might disappear or reverse as the stock of less effective teachers exits and if more effective teachers view high-stakes evaluation as burdensome. We examine evaluation–induced changes to the composition of exiting and entering teachers in Washington, D.C., the net effect of turnover on student achievement, and the role that evaluation played in teacher turnover. We find that turnover continues to improve teaching skills and student achievement, although effects have diminished. We find little evidence that high-performing teachers’ exit is associated with the evaluation system.

Contributions of placement, retraining and motivation to teachers' job commitment: structural equation modelling of the linkages

“…Reducing teacher churn, or the transfer of teachers from one school or profession to another, may help alleviate teacher shortages. However, a study has shown that one in three teachers quit their positions for reasons other than retirement, creating a need for new teachers in the United States around 90 per cent of the year ( James and Wyckoff, 2020 ). To alleviate teacher shortages, educational systems need to address the issues that lead to high turnover.…”

“…Many past policies and studies portray teacher retention as clearly helpful ( Carver-Thomas and Darling-Hammond, 2019 ). This position may not be accurate if rigorous and reliable measurements of teacher performance are lacking given the evidence that teacher turnover is harmful to learners ( James and Wyckoff, 2020 ) and damaging to secondary school objectives ( Omorobi et al., 2020 ; Owan et al., 2019 ). However, the compositional impact of teacher turnover is still unknown since it relies on the various impacts of outgoing and incoming instructors.…”

“…Because of this, many teachers are dissatisfied with their jobs and have unfavourable attitudes ( Udofia and Ikpe, 2012 ). Teacher turnover also impacts policy discussions about teacher training, school funding, student performance, transparency, and school leadership ( James and Wyckoff, 2020 ). A feeling of urgency has prompted policymakers to accept a wide range of measures to reduce teacher turnover because of its impact.…”

Round and Round They Go: The Relationship Between Changing Grades and Schools and Teacher Quality and Absence Rates

“…Gibbons et al, 2021; Ost & Schiman, 2015). Alternatively, churn could be beneficial if teachers learn from diverse experiences, new teachers replace less effective ones (e.g., James & Wyckoff, 2020), and educators find better matches with schools or roles that ultimately improve their productivity (e.g., Jackson, 2013).…”

“…Studies that use individual fixed effects to compare performance in all years in which teachers change schools or grades with years that they are stable consistently find negative impacts of churn on student and teacher outcomes (Atteberry et al, 2016; Blazar, 2015; Ost, 2014; Ost & Schiman, 2015). However, studies that use an event study framework to examine a single instance of churn find positive effects for teachers (i.e., Jackson, 2013), as does a study that examines the share of exiting teachers on student achievement and teacher quality (James & Wyckoff, 2020). These varying approaches draw on different reference periods, incorporate different numbers of churn events, and examine churn at different levels (e.g., teacher-level, student-level, school-grade-level), which may complicate our understanding of churn.…”