Journal of Labor Economics Vol. 38 No. 2 2020
Public and Private Employer Learning: Evidence from the Adoption of Teacher Value Added
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.
- DOI
- 10.1086/705881
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 375-420
- Language
- en
- Sources
- openalex crossref