Teacher Screening and Hiring: Lessons from the Los Angeles Unified School District

Teacher hiring is one of the most important responsibilities school leaders face because some teachers are much more effective than others, and because some may remain in the classroom much longer than others once hired. The initial selection of qualified teacher candidates can put better teachers in front of students sooner, and may avoid staffing difficulties associated with placing weaker teachers in classes or the cost in time and resources of developing or removing them later on. Research has so far provided little guidance to school leaders as they navigate the hiring process. This policy brief describes a study of the Multiple Measures Teacher Selection Process (MMTSP), a screening system the Los Angeles Unified School District uses to hire teachers. Results from this study suggest that many school systems could benefit from screening prospective teachers more carefully and rigorously. There are trade-offs to these screening processes, however, and decision-makers must weigh these trade-offs as they consider prospective teacher candidates. Although this brief focuses on a program based in Los Angeles, the results have implications for teacher hiring across the country, especially in large urban areas and in Michigan, where EPIC is based.