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Divergent Trends in U.S. Teacher Quality: 1980-2010

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  • Richey, Jeremiah

Abstract

This paper documents the changes in the ability distribution of individuals entering the teaching profession among individuals born between 1957-1964 and 1980-1984. This is done using the 1979 and 1997 cohorts of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and a constructed Armed Force Qualifying Test score that allows direct comparison of ability between cohorts. Such direct comparisons between cohorts was previously not possible due to a lack of directly comparable measures of ability. I find there are minimal differences in ability between cohorts with the only significant difference being a small drop in ability around the 75th percentile of the conditional distribution. However, this similarity across cohorts masks vast differences in specific demographics. In particular, white women are of much lower ability in the 1997 cohort whereas minority women are of substantially higher ability. Moreover the gain in ability of female minority teachers is due to both a cohort improvement in ability and an increase in the within cohort ability of teachers. Puzzling is the significant negative trend in ability in the 1979 cohort which is not apparent between cohorts. This implies a likely `bottoming out' and rebound in teacher ability in the 1990s.

Suggested Citation

  • Richey, Jeremiah, 2014. "Divergent Trends in U.S. Teacher Quality: 1980-2010," MPRA Paper 55637, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:55637
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/55637/1/MPRA_paper_55637.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Francine D. Blau & Lawrence M. Kahn, 2007. "Changes in the Labor Supply Behavior of Married Women: 1980–2000," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 25(3), pages 393-438.
    2. Flyer, Fredrick & Rosen, Sherwin, 1997. "The New Economics of Teachers and Education," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(1), pages 104-139, January.
    3. Sean P. Corcoran & William N. Evans & Robert M. Schwab, 2004. "Changing Labor-Market Opportunities for Women and the Quality of Teachers, 1957-2000," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(2), pages 230-235, May.
    4. Marigee P. Bacolod, 2007. "Do Alternative Opportunities Matter? The Role of Female Labor Markets in the Decline of Teacher Quality," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(4), pages 737-751, November.
    5. Joseph G. Altonji & Prashant Bharadwaj & Fabian Lange, 2012. "Changes in the Characteristics of American Youth: Implications for Adult Outcomes," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 30(4), pages 783-828.
    6. Darius Lakdawalla, 2001. "The Declining Quality of Teachers," NBER Working Papers 8263, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Sean P. Corcoran & William N. Evans & Robert M. Schwab, 2004. "Women, the labor market, and the declining relative quality of teachers," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(3), pages 449-470.
    8. Sean P. Corcoran & William N. Evans & Robert S. Schwab, 2002. "Changing Labor Market Opportunities for Women and the Quality of Teachers 1957-1992," NBER Working Papers 9180, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Are minority teachers saving our schools?
      by nawmsayn in ZeeConomics on 2014-05-10 21:24:24

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; Teacher quality;

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

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