The impact of assessment and accountability on teacher recruitment and retention: Are there unintended consequences?

Authors
Donald Boyd,
Hamilton Lankford,
Susanna Loeb,
James Wyckoff
Year of publication
2008
Publication
Public Finance Review
Volume/Issue
36(1)
Pages
88-111
This article uses data on every teacher in New York State public elementary schools from 1994-1995 through 2001-2002 to examine the response of teachers to the implementation of state-mandated testing. The authors ask whether the introduction of testing in the fourth grade has increased the turnover of fourth-grade teachers, whether testing differentially affected the decisions of teachers with particular attributes, and whether the characteristics of teachers entering the fourth grade changed with the introduction of testing. The authors find that the turnover rate of fourth-grade teachers decreased relative to teachers in other elementary grades since testing began. In addition, entering fourth-grade teachers are less likely to be inexperienced teachers than those moving into other elementary school grades.

Suggested Citation

Boyd, D., Lankford, H., Loeb, S., & Wyckoff, J. (2008). The impact of assessment and accountability on teacher recruitment and retention: Are there unintended consequences?. Public Finance Review, 36(1), 88-111