According to a new study published in the American Journal of Education, high levels of teacher turnover in public schools lead to more disciplinary actions for Black students compared to their peers from other racial groups.
Using 11 years of data on New York City Public Schools, the study authors found that when teachers stayed in their positions, students were less likely to be disciplined. However, as teachers with more years of experience departed mid-year, students’ probability of disciplinary actions increased. For each year of experience the departing teachers had, on average, the probability that a student received an office disciplinary referral or suspension increased by roughly 20 to 30 percent. Compared to their Hispanic and Asian peers, Black students were significantly more likely to receive disciplinary action with increased teacher turnover.
According to the authors, these findings suggest policymakers and school administrators must work to implement interventions that both reduce teacher turnover and mitigate the negative impacts of staffing instability, such as developing mentoring and professional development opportunities for new hires and creating inclusive school environments.
The study was conducted by scholars from New York University and the University of Florida.
