The Teacher Labor Market and Hiring Decisions: A Quantitative Analysis of Applicant Data

• In Event: 73.061 - Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: 73.061-5 - Teacher Labor Market: Hiring, Distribution, and Retention

Abstract

This research employs an innovative and previously untapped dataset: one district's teacher applicant pool data for AY 2012-2013. The researchers create a profile of the composite characteristics of one teacher labor market based on evidence derived from over 27,000 applications. Through quantitative analyses, the authors determine the factors that correlate to receiving an offer in the district and find that the demographic and socio-economic composition of the school shapes hiring practices. This research casts new and important light on the role of principal preferences in the hiring process, on how teacher quality is defined in the hiring process, and on the priorities and assumptions that motivate staffing decisions in different types of schools.

Authors

• Diana D'Amico, George Mason University

• Penelope M. Earley, George Mason University

• Robert Pawlewicz, George Mason University

• Heather Keenan, George Mason University