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Do Alternative Opportunities Matter? The Role of Female Labor Markets in the Decline of Teacher Quality

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  • Marigee Bacolod

Abstract

This paper documents the widely perceived but little investigated notion that teachers today are less qualified than they once were. Using standardized test scores, undergraduate institution selectivity, and positive assortative mating characteristics as measures of quality, evidence of a marked decline in the quality of young women going into teaching between 1960 and 1990 is presented. In contrast, the quality of young women becoming professionals increased. The Roy model of selfselection is used to highlight how occupation differences in the returns to skill determine average teacher quality. Estimates suggest the significance of increasing professional opportunities for women in affecting the decline in teacher quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Marigee Bacolod, 2006. "Do Alternative Opportunities Matter? The Role of Female Labor Markets in the Decline of Teacher Quality," Working Papers 06-22, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:06-22
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    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/ces/wp/2006/CES-WP-06-22.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Angrist, Joshua D. & Guryan, Jonathan, 2008. "Does teacher testing raise teacher quality? Evidence from state certification requirements," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 483-503, October.
    2. Christopher Neilson & Sebastian Gallegos & Franco Calle, 2019. "Screening and Recruiting Talent At Teacher Colleges Using Pre-College Academic Achievement," Working Papers 636, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
    3. Gregory Gilpin & Michael Kaganovich, 2009. "The Quantity and Quality of Teachers: A Dynamic Trade-off," CESifo Working Paper Series 2516, CESifo.
    4. Hatsor, Limor, 2012. "Occupational choice: Teacher quality versus teacher quantity," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 608-623.
    5. Gregory Gilpin, 2009. "Reevaluating the Effect of Non-Teaching Wages on Teacher Attrition," CAEPR Working Papers 2009-022, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Department of Economics, Indiana University Bloomington.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J48 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Particular Labor Markets; Public Policy

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