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Returns to Teacher Experience: Student Achievement and Motivation in Middle School

Author

Listed:
  • Helen F. Ladd

    (Sanford School of Public Policy Duke University and CALDER Durham, NC 27708-0243)

  • Lucy C. Sorensen

    (Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy University of Albany SUNY Albany, NY 12222)

Abstract
We use rich longitudinally matched administrative data on students and teachers in North Carolina to examine the patterns of differential effectiveness by teachers’ years of experience. The paper contributes to the literature by focusing on middle school teachers and by extending the analysis to student outcomes beyond test scores. Once we control statistically for the quality of individual teachers using teacher fixed effects, we find large returns to experience for middle school teachers in the form both of higher test scores and improvements in student behavior, with the clearest behavioral effects emerging for reductions in student absenteeism. Moreover these returns extend well beyond the first few years of teaching. The paper contributes to policy debates by documenting that teachers can and do continue to learn on the job.

Suggested Citation

  • Helen F. Ladd & Lucy C. Sorensen, 2017. "Returns to Teacher Experience: Student Achievement and Motivation in Middle School," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 12(2), pages 241-279, Spring.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:edfpol:v:12:y:2017:i:2:p:241-279
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Harris, Douglas N. & Sass, Tim R., 2011. "Teacher training, teacher quality and student achievement," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(7-8), pages 798-812, August.
    2. Papay, John P. & Kraft, Matthew A., 2015. "Productivity returns to experience in the teacher labor market: Methodological challenges and new evidence on long-term career improvement," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 105-119.
    3. C. Kirabo Jackson, 2012. "Non-Cognitive Ability, Test Scores, and Teacher Quality: Evidence from 9th Grade Teachers in North Carolina," NBER Working Papers 18624, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    19. repec:mpr:mprres:7727 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Charles T. Clotfelter & Helen F. Ladd & Jacob L. Vigdor, 2006. "Teacher-Student Matching and the Assessment of Teacher Effectiveness," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 41(4).
    21. Charles T. Clotfelter & Helen F. Ladd & Jacob L. Vigdor, 2010. "Teacher Credentials and Student Achievement in High School: A Cross-Subject Analysis with Student Fixed Effects," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 45(3).
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    Cited by:

    1. Evi Oktavia & Rosmiyati Chodijah Saleh & Yunisvita Yunisvita, 2020. "Vocational Teacher Productivity in Palembang: Education Production Function," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(2), pages 29-37, December.
    2. Matthew A. Kraft & John P. Papay & Olivia L. Chi, 2020. "Teacher Skill Development: Evidence from Performance Ratings by Principals," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(2), pages 315-347, March.
    3. Drouet Arias, Marcelo & Elacqua, Gregory & Marotta, Luana & Rosa, Leonardo, 2022. "Does an Education Major Matter for Teaching?: The Relationship between Teachers Degree and Student Achievement," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12638, Inter-American Development Bank.
    4. Shifang Tang & Zhuoying Wang & Kara L. Sutton-Jones, 2020. "A Multilevel Study of the Impact of District-Level Characteristics on Texas Student Growth Trajectories on a High-Stakes Math Exam," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Ajzenman, Nicolás & Bertoni, Eleonora & Elacqua, Gregory & Marotta, Luana & Méndez, Carolina, 2020. "Altruism or Money?: Reducing Teacher Sorting Using Behavioral Strategies in Peru," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 10576, Inter-American Development Bank.
    6. Sorensen, Lucy C. & Holt, Stephen B., 2021. "Sorting it Out: The Effects of Charter Expansion on Teacher and Student Composition at Traditional Public Schools," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    7. Jessica Harding & Philip Gleason & Nikki Aikens & Lizabeth Malone & Louisa Tarullo & Judy Cannon & Kathryn Cronquist, "undated". "Gains in Language and Cognitive Scores Among Children in Their First and Second Years of Head Start," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 792bc87420494e559b60f763c, Mathematica Policy Research.
    8. Damm, Anna Piil & Mattana, Elena & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2022. "Effects of school displacement on academic achievement and wellbeing of ethnic minorities," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    9. Jose Maria Cabrera & Dinand Webbink, 2020. "Do Higher Salaries Yield Better Teachers and Better Student Outcomes?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 55(4), pages 1222-1257.
    10. Ajzenman, Nicolás & Elacqua, Gregory & Marotta, Luana & Westh Olsen, Anne Sofie, 2021. "Order Effects and Employment Decisions: Experimental Evidence from a Nationwide Program," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 11541, Inter-American Development Bank.
    11. Zhang, Jianshun & Zhou, Yao, 2023. "The peer effect of migrant children on students’ non-cognitive outcomes: Evidence from China," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    12. Gottfried, Michael & Jacob Kirksey, J. & Hutt, Ethan, 2020. "Can teacher education programs help prepare new kindergarten and first grade teachers to address student absenteeism?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    13. Hayes, Michael S. & Liu, Jing & Gershenson, Seth, 2023. "Who refers whom? The effects of teacher characteristics on disciplinary office referrals," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    14. Houmark, Mikkel Aagaard, 2023. "First Among Equals? How Birth Order Shapes Child Development," MPRA Paper 119325, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Goldhaber, Dan & Krieg, John & Theobald, Roddy, 2020. "Effective like me? Does having a more productive mentor improve the productivity of mentees?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    16. Christine Mulhern & Isaac M. Opper, 2021. "Measuring and Summarizing the Multiple Dimensions of Teacher Effectiveness," CESifo Working Paper Series 9263, CESifo.
    17. Qin, Lixia & Bowen, Daniel H., 2019. "The distributions of teacher qualification: A cross-national study," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 1-1.
    18. Hermann, Zoltán & Horváth, Hedvig, 2022. "Tanári eredményesség és tanár-diák összepárosítás az általános iskolákban. Empirikus mintázatok három magyarországi tankerület adatai alapján [Teacher effectiveness and teacher-student matching in ," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(11), pages 1377-1406.
    19. 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).
    20. Clemencia Cosentino & Swetha Sridharan, "undated". "Improving Teacher Quality at Scale: 10 Tips from Practitioners," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 607b4777ab614de487b5ed2ab, Mathematica Policy Research.
    21. Kevin C. Bastian, 2019. "A Degree Above? The Value-Added Estimates and Evaluation Ratings of Teachers with a Graduate Degree," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 14(4), pages 652-678, Fall.
    22. Susanna Loeb & Michael S. Christian & Heather Hough & Robert H. Meyer & Andrew B. Rice & Martin R. West, 2019. "School Differences in Social–Emotional Learning Gains: Findings From the First Large-Scale Panel Survey of Students," Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, , vol. 44(5), pages 507-542, October.
    23. Dinand Webbink & José María Cabrera, 2016. "Do higher salaries yield better teachers and better student outcomes?," Documentos de Trabajo/Working Papers 1604, Facultad de Ciencias Empresariales y Economia. Universidad de Montevideo..

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