Weak Markets, Strong Teachers: Recession at Career Start and Teacher Effectiveness

Markus Nagler, Marc Piopiunik () and Martin R. West

No 21393, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: How do alternative job opportunities affect teacher quality? We provide causal evidence on this question by exploiting business cycle conditions at career start as a source of exogenous variation in the outside options of potential teachers. Unlike prior research, we directly assess teacher quality with value-added measures of impacts on student test scores, using administrative data on 33,000 teachers in Florida public schools. Consistent with a Roy model of occupational choice, teachers entering the profession during recessions are significantly more effective in raising student test scores. Results are supported by placebo tests and not driven by differential attrition.

JEL-codes: E32 H75 I20 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-lma, nep-mac and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

Published as Markus Nagler & Marc Piopiunik & Martin R. West, 2020. "Weak Markets, Strong Teachers: Recession at Career Start and Teacher Effectiveness," Journal of Labor Economics, vol 38(2), pages 453-500.

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Related works:
Journal Article: Weak Markets, Strong Teachers: Recession at Career Start and Teacher Effectiveness (2020)
Working Paper: Weak Markets, Strong Teachers: Recession At Career Start and Teacher Effectiveness (2019)
Working Paper: Weak Markets, Strong Teachers: Recession at Career Start and Teacher Effectiveness (2015)
Working Paper: Weak Markets, Strong Teachers: Recession at Career Start and Teacher Effectiveness (2015)
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