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Teacher applicant hiring and teacher performance: Evidence from DC public schools

Author

Listed:
  • Jacob, Brian A.
  • Rockoff, Jonah E.
  • Taylor, Eric S.
  • Lindy, Benjamin
  • Rosen, Rachel

Abstract

Selecting more productive employees among a pool of job applicants can be a cost-effective means of improving organizational performance and may be particularly important in the public sector. We study the relationship among applicant characteristics, hiring outcomes, and job performance for teachers in the Washington DC Public Schools. Applicants' academic background (e.g., undergraduate GPA) is essentially uncorrelated with hiring. Screening measures (written assessments, interviews, and sample lessons) help applicants get jobs by placing them on a list of recommended candidates, but they are only weakly associated with the likelihood of being hired conditional on making the list. Yet both academic background and screening measures strongly predict teacher job performance, suggesting considerable scope for improving schools via the selection process.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacob, Brian A. & Rockoff, Jonah E. & Taylor, Eric S. & Lindy, Benjamin & Rosen, Rachel, 2018. "Teacher applicant hiring and teacher performance: Evidence from DC public schools," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 81-97.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:166:y:2018:i:c:p:81-97
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.08.011
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hinrichs, Peter, 2021. "What kind of teachers are schools looking for? Evidence from a randomized field experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 395-411.
    2. Michael Bates & Michael Dinerstein & Andrew C. Johnston & Isaac Sorkin, 2022. "Teacher Labor Market Equilibrium and Student Achievement," CESifo Working Paper Series 9551, CESifo.
    3. Johnston, Andrew C., 2021. "Preferences, Selection, and the Structure of Teacher Pay," IZA Discussion Papers 14831, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Busso, Matias & Montaño, Sebastián & Muñoz-Morales, Juan & Pope, Nolan G., 2024. "The unintended consequences of merit-based teacher selection: Evidence from a large-scale reform in Colombia," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    5. Thijssen, Maximiliaan W.P. & Rege, Mari & Solheim, Oddny J., 2022. "Teacher relationship skills and student learning," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    6. Zeeshan Maqsood & Sana Jawad & Tehreem Jawad, 2019. "Evaluating the Performance of Applicant Position in Firm," Annals of Social Sciences & Management studies, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 3(4), pages 92-96, June.
    7. Benhenda, Asma, 2022. "Absence, substitutability and productivity: Evidence from teachers," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    8. Jessalynn James & Matthew A. Kraft & John P. Papay, 2023. "Local supply, temporal dynamics, and unrealized potential in teacher hiring," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(4), pages 1010-1044, September.
    9. Goldhaber, Dan & Grout, Cyrus & Wolff, Malcolm & Martinková, Patrícia, 2021. "Evidence on the Dimensionality and Reliability of Professional References’ Ratings of Teacher Applicants," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    10. Oana Borcan & James Merewood, 2022. "Positive Disruption? Meritocratic Principal Selection and Student Achievement," University of East Anglia School of Economics Working Paper Series 2022-11, School of Economics, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK..
    11. Grönqvist, Erik & Hensvik, Lena & Thoresson, Anna, 2022. "Teacher career opportunities and school quality," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    12. Martin B. Schmidt, 2024. "On the Incentive Structure of Tournaments: Evidence from the National Basketball Association’s Draft Lottery," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 50(3), pages 400-429, June.
    13. Ricardo Estrada & María Lombardi, 2020. "Skills and Selection into Teaching: Evidence from Latin America," Department of Economics Working Papers wp_gob_2020_10, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Teachers; Hiring; Screening; Job performance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • M51 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions

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