Public and Private Employer Learning: Evidence from the Adoption of Teacher Value Added

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Labor Economics
Year: 2020
Volume: 38
Issue: 2
Pages: 375 - 420

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Informational asymmetries between employers may inhibit optimal worker mobility. However, researchers rarely observe shocks to employers’ information. I exploit two school districts’ adoptions of value-added (VA) measures of teacher effectiveness—informational shocks to some, but not all, employers—to provide direct tests of asymmetric employer learning. I develop a learning model and test its predictions for teacher mobility. I find that adopting VA increases within-district mobility of high-VA teachers, while low-VA teachers move out of district to uninformed principals. These patterns are consistent with asymmetric employer learning. This sorting from widespread VA adoption exacerbates inequality in access to effective teaching.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/705881
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-24