Working Paper: NBER ID: w28158
Authors: Bradley Larsen; Ziao Ju; Adam Kapor; Chuan Yu
Abstract: Concerned about the low academic ability of public school teachers, in the 1990s and 2000s, some states increased licensing stringency to weed out low-quality candidates, while others decreased restrictions to attract high-quality candidates. We offer a theoretical model justifying both reactions. Using data from 1991–2007 on licensing requirements and teacher quality—as measured by the selectivity of teachers’ undergraduate institutions—we find that stricter licensing requirements, especially those emphasizing academic coursework, increase the left tail of the quality distribution for secondary school teachers without significantly decreasing quality for high-minority or high-poverty districts.
Keywords: occupational licensing; teacher quality; licensing stringency; education policy
JEL Codes: I20; J20; J40; J50; K20; K30; L50; L80
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Increased licensing stringency (D45) | Decrease in the right tail of teacher quality distribution (I21) |
| Stricter licensing requirements (D45) | Weaning out less qualified candidates (J63) |
| Stricter licensing requirements (D45) | No significant harm to quality in high-minority or high-poverty districts (I24) |
| Increased licensing stringency (D45) | Increase in the left tail of teacher quality distribution (I24) |
| Increased licensing stringency (D45) | No significant effect on mean teacher quality (I21) |
| Increased licensing stringency (D45) | Decrease in teacher quality at the 90th percentile (I21) |