Early Retirement Incentives and Student Achievement

Early retirement incentives (ERIs) are increasingly prevalent in
education as districts seek to close budget gaps by replacing
expensive experienced teachers with lower-cost newer teachers.
Combined with the aging of the teacher workforce, these ERIs are
likely to change the composition of teachers dramatically in the
coming years.

The authors of this study provide the first evidence in the
literature of the effects of large-scale teacher retirements on
student achievement.

The authors find the program did not reduce test scores;
likely, it increased them, with positive effects most pronounced
in lower-SES schools.