Identifying Effective Teachers Using Performance on the Job (the selection-over-credentials strategy)
Gordon, R., Kane, T. J., & Staiger, D. O. · 2006
grade Creviewindependentunreplicated
Sample
~150,000 LAUSD students/yr
Population
US teacher labor market.
Design
The founding document of selection-over-credentials.
Key findings
Early on-the-job performance predicts future effectiveness; paper credentials don't. Hire broadly (including uncertified candidates), evaluate seriously for two years, retain selectively.
Genetic confound
Within-school sorting can inflate quartile persistence; read the gap as approximate.
Replication notes
The strategy (open entry, judge on early performance, gate tenure) underlies subsequent district reforms.
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top vs bottom quartile of years-1-2 measured performance | percentiles | 10-point gap in year-3 student outcomes — twice the class-size effect at a fraction of the cost | standardized | year 3 | none | not-applicable | domain-skill |
| Certification status | prediction | ~null | standardized | n/a | none | not-applicable | domain-skill |
Cited by
- Teacher quality — selection over credentials and workshopsstrong supportconf: highgc: low
- The parent as instructor — what survives when the person teaching is the person who raised the childmixedconf: mediumgc: medium