THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST: AN INVESTIGATION INTO FLORIDA’S TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP’S IMPACT ON TEACHER RETENTION  (Poster 25)

• In Event: Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of Florida’s Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship on the retention rates of “High-Quality” Teachers. In 2015, the state provided $44 million for recruitment and retention bonuses of $10,000. In subsequent years, the program was reduced in size of award until ultimately canceled in 2020. The program used teachers’ SAT or ACT scores (specifically if their score was above the 80th percentile) to determine if a teacher would qualify for the award. If they were not a new teacher, they would submit a combination of SAT/ACT scores and their principal’s evaluation. I use these criteria to develop a regression discontinuity design with binary outcomes to estimate the influence the policy had on the rates of retention. I do not address the effects on recruitment due to sample size limitations. Further, I measure if the program was more influential based on the subjects that teachers were certified to teach. Finally, I report on the differential rates of retention as the size of the award varied after the decrease in award amount. The findings will be twofold. First, I hope to provide a reasonable estimate of the bonus’s effect on retention. Second, I hope to scale the bonus’s impact in relation to its maximum value. The policy implications surrounding the passage of bills that intend to impact the labor supply of professions will also be addressed. Limitations will be discussed and mitigated to maximize internal and external validity.

Author

• Connor J. Oswald, Orange County Public Schools