Who Teaches Algebra I: Examining Teacher Characteristics, Math Course Assignments, and Teacher Turnover

Teacher quality and experience are strong predictors of student achievement. As high school Algebra I disproportionately enrolls academically at-risk students, who are the most sensitive to variations in teacher quality, it is particularly important for experienced, high-quality teachers to teach these courses. However, micropolitics theory suggests that the opposite occurs in practice. As students in lower-level courses are often considered “more challenging” students, high school Algebra I is typically a less desirable assignment. Therefore, more experienced teachers will use their school-based capital to avoid teaching these courses, leaving more novice teachers these assignments and potentially leading to greater turnover among less-experienced teachers. We use nationally representative teacher surveys conducted between 2008 and 2021 and a series of linear regression models to test this theory, examining the relationship between teaching experience, math courses taught, and teacher mobility. While prior research has examined the relationship between overall teaching experience and teacher class assignments, micropolitics theory suggests that experience specific to the school matters more, a contribution we bring in this study. Results indicate that school-specific experience does matter more, and teachers with more experience at their schools appear less likely to teach Algebra I. Further, those teaching Algebra I are more likely to exit their schools. Considering nationwide teacher shortages, adjustment of teacher-course assignments could better help retain staff and reduce educational inequities for at-risk students.