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Teacher Layoffs: An Empirical Illustration of Seniority versus Measures of Effectiveness

Author

Listed:
  • Donald Boyd

    (Center for Policy Research, University at Albany, Rockefeller College)

  • Hamilton Lankford

    (School of Education, University at Albany)

  • Susanna Loeb

    (School of Education, Stanford University)

  • James Wyckoff

    (Curry School of Education, University of Virginia)

Abstract

School districts are confronting difficult choices in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Today, the financial imbalance in many school districts is so large that there may be few alternatives to teacher layoffs. In nearly all school districts, layoffs are currently determined by some version of teacher seniority. Yet, alternative approaches to personnel reductions may substantially reduce the harm to students from staff reductions relative to layoffs based on seniority. As a result, many school district leaders and other policy makers are raising important questions about whether~other criteria, such as measures of teacher effectiveness, should inform layoffs. This policy brief, a quick look at some aspects of the debate, illustrates the differences in New York City public schools that would result if layoffs were determined by seniority in comparison to a measure of teacher effectiveness. © 2011 Association for Education Finance and Policy

Suggested Citation

  • Donald Boyd & Hamilton Lankford & Susanna Loeb & James Wyckoff, 2011. "Teacher Layoffs: An Empirical Illustration of Seniority versus Measures of Effectiveness," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 6(3), pages 439-454, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:edfpol:v:6:y:2011:i:3:p:439-454
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    Cited by:

    1. Dan Goldhaber & Roddy Theobald, 2013. "Managing the Teacher Workforce in Austere Times: The Determinants and Implications of Teacher Layoffs," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 8(4), pages 494-527, October.
    2. Jennifer King Rice, 2013. "Learning from Experience? Evidence on the Impact and Distribution of Teacher Experience and the Implications for Teacher Policy," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 8(3), pages 332-348, July.
    3. Czyżewski Bazyli & Polcyn Jan, 2016. "Education Quality and its Drivers in Rural Areas of Poland," Eastern European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 22(1), pages 197-227, December.
    4. Koedel Cory & Leatherman Rebecca & Parsons Eric, 2012. "Test Measurement Error and Inference from Value-Added Models," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-37, November.
    5. Bjuggren, Carl Magnus, 2018. "Employment protection and labor productivity," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 138-157.
    6. Jesse Rothstein, 2015. "Teacher Quality Policy When Supply Matters," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(1), pages 100-130, January.
    7. Dabbs, Christine M., 2020. "Restricting seniority as a factor in public school district layoffs: Analyzing the impact of state legislation on graduation rates," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    8. Jason A. Grissom & Susanna Loeb & Nathaniel Nakashima, 2013. "Strategic Involuntary Teacher Transfers and Teacher Performance: Examining Equity and Efficiency," NBER Working Papers 19108, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Burgess, Simon, 2016. "Human Capital and Education: The State of the Art in the Economics of Education," IZA Discussion Papers 9885, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Jesse Rothstein, 2015. "Teacher Quality Policy When Supply Matters," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(1), pages 100-130, January.
    11. Dieterle, Steven G., 2015. "Class-size reduction policies and the quality of entering teachers," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 35-47.
    12. Cory Koedel & Jiaxi Li & Matthew G. Springer & Li Tan, 2016. "The Impact of Performance Ratings on Job Satisfaction for Public School Teachers," Working Papers 1617, Department of Economics, University of Missouri.
    13. Vegas, E & Ganimian, A. J., 2013. "Theory and Evidence on Teacher Policies in Developed and Developing Countries," Working Paper 104291, Harvard University OpenScholar.
    14. Lucia Rizzica, 2015. "The use of fixed-term contracts and the (adverse) selection of public sector workers," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1041, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    15. Steven Bednar & Dora Gicheva, 2019. "Workplace Support and Diversity in the Market for Public School Teachers," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 14(2), pages 272-297, Spring.
    16. Li Feng & Tim R. Sass, 2017. "Teacher Quality and Teacher Mobility," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 12(3), pages 396-418, Summer.
    17. Eric Isenberg & Jeffrey Max & Philip Gleason & Matthew Johnson & Jonah Deutsch & Michael Hansen, "undated". "Do Low-Income Students Have Equal Access to Effective Teachers? Evidence from 26 Districts (Final Report)," Mathematica Policy Research Reports ce9ae6b49ff34e388113f31ca, Mathematica Policy Research.
    18. Dabbs, Christine, 2018. "Restricting seniority as a factor in public school district layoffs: Analyzing the impact of state legislation on graduation rates," MPRA Paper 89344, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Matthew M. Chingos & Kenneth A. Couch, 2013. "Class Size and Student Outcomes: Research and Policy Implications," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(2), pages 411-438, March.
    20. J. Oriol Escardíbul & Simon Burgess & Oscar D. Marcenaro Gutiérrez & Helen F. Ladd & Lucy Sorensen, 2017. "Effects of teacher quality on student achievement / Impacto de la calidad del profesorado en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes / Impacte de la qualitat del professorat en el rendiment acadèm," IEB Reports ieb_report_2_2017, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    21. Koedel, Cory & Mihaly, Kata & Rockoff, Jonah E., 2015. "Value-added modeling: A review," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 180-195.
    22. Polcyn, Jan, 2017. "Edukacja jako dobro publiczne - próba kwantyfikacji [Education as a public good – an attempt at quantification]," MPRA Paper 76606, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2017.
    23. Matthew A. Kraft, 2015. "Teacher Layoffs, Teacher Quality, and Student Achievement: Evidence from a Discretionary Layoff Policy," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 10(4), pages 467-507, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    teacher layoffs; seniority; New York City public schools;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid

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