The Impact of Competing Definitions of Quality on the Geographical Distribution of Teachers

Abstract

According to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, states are required “…to ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers…” Although the NCLB law and State Education Agencies (SEAs) currently offer very clear definitions of “highly-qualified” teachers, “teacher quality” remains a contested term—particularly at local levels. Findings from this study suggest the definition of teacher quality determines, in large part, the extent to which the geographical distribution of quality is equitable. A large urban district in Los Angeles demonstrates how different the distribution appears with each definition of teacher quality. In this study, the evidence will show that the distribution is more unequal if the district uses a stronger set of criteria for teacher quality than using the weaker proxies for quality such as full-credential and NCLB definitions.