Retirement incentive programs for veteran teachers may boost student achievement

In 2010, more than one-third of teachers were over the age of 50, and in the coming decade, we can expect a large number of teachers to be leaving teaching. The aging of the nation’s teacher workforce underscores the importance of studying the impact of early retirement programs on student learning.

In a new Education Next study, "Early Retirement Payoff: Incentive programs for veteran teachers may boost student achievement," Cornell University's Maria Fitzpatrick and Michael Lovenheim analyze whether early teacher retirements reduce student achievement. They found that the Illinois program they studied did not reduce test scores, and that instead, small, positive effects were observed in schools that serve more disadvantaged student populations. They also found that the retirement program resulted in a net cost to taxpayers through higher pension payments.