Module 2, Principle 2: Ensure an Equitable Distribution of Teachers
Effective principals use their school’s data to inform assignment decisions and to equitably distribute effective teachers throughout the school. Specifically, principals can avoid concentrating teachers with the lowest effectiveness in particular grade levels or subject areas or concentrating teachers with the highest effectiveness in tested grades and subjects. They can try to ensure that higher-performing teachers are assigned to lower-performing students. Another consideration is to pay attention to the composition of teacher grade level and subject area teams and to consider the distribution of novice teachers throughout the school.
Quick Reads
- Read Putting Research into Practice: Ensure an Equitable Distribution of Teachers, compiled from the following articles:
- Grissom, J. A., Kalogrides, D., & Loeb, S. (2017). Strategic staffing? How performance pressures affect the distribution of teachers within schools and resulting student achievement. American Educational Research Journal, 54(6), 1079-1116.
- Fuller, S. C., & Ladd, H. F. (2013). School-based accountability and the distribution of teacher quality across grades in elementary school. Education Finance and Policy,8(4), 528-559.
- Kalogrides, D., & Loeb, S. (2013). Different teachers, different peers: The magnitude of student sorting within schools.Educational Researcher,42(6), 304-316.
- Strategic Data Project (2012). Do Low-Performing Students Get Placed with Novice Teachers? Retrieved from http://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/files/cepr-sdp/files/sdp-spi-placement-memo.pdf.
Reflection Activity
Take a moment to reflect on the following questions
- Do you think teachers are equitably distributed at your school?
- What subject areas, student subgroups, or grade levels have been assigned your most effective teachers?
- What subject areas, student subgroups, or grade levels have been assigned your least effective teachers?
On your own, write a response to the following prompts:
- What obstacles have you encountered in ensuring effective teachers are evenly (or equitably) distributed throughout your school?
- How have you tried to overcome some of these obstacles to ensure your most effective teachers are with students who need them the most?
- What tools would improve your ability to make strategic teacher assignments within your school?