Selection & Deployment

While attraction is important, it has to be complemented with the right selection and deployment policies. Case studies on high-performing systems such as Singapore, South Korea, and Finland show that these countries have a very competitive process to select applicants to teacher initial education programs (Auguste, Kihn & Miller 2010, Darling-Hammond 2010, Barber & Mourshed 2007). While more recent studies find that having a competitive selection mechanism is important, we still don’t know enough about which specific instruments (e.g., written test, mock classroom, etc.) work best in selecting teachers (Rockoff et al. 2011). As a result, the literature supports using multiple selection instruments and trial periods before awarding teachers long-term contracts.  It is also important to actively deploy capable teachers to schools where their skills are most needed; without purposeful incentives or allocation, teachers will likely gravitate towards schools serving better-off students, deepening inequalities in the system (Boyd et al. 2005a; Hanushek et al. 2004b).