Policymakers often identify schools as lower-performing under state and federal education reforms based on trends in achievement and other student outcomes. Although effective teachers play a critical role in determining these measures of school quality, there is limited evidence on how teachers are distributed between identified lower-performing and non-identified higher-performing schools under various accountability reforms. Understanding the extent to which differences in teacher characteristics contribute to achievement disparities can inform how policymakers and district leaders support schools identified as lower-performing. This report examines the characteristics of teachers in schools identified as lower-performing under Georgia’s Promise Scholarship program (Senate Bill 233). This state law provides private education vouchers to students attending public schools ranked in the bottom 25% statewide. Using data from a large school district in Georgia, we compare the characteristics of teachers in identified schools to those in non-identified schools with similar student demographics.

We find that, on average, teachers in state-identified schools produce 4.5%-of-a-standard-deviation-less growth in reading scores compared to the average teacher in demographically similar schools not placed on the state list. However, they appear equally effective in math instruction. There is substantial overlap between the distributions in identified and non-identified schools, even in reading: There are many teachers of similar effectiveness working in both types of schools. We also find that teachers in identified schools were more likely to leave the district after SY 2023-24 than teachers in non-identified schools with similar student populations. This higher turnover contributes to a gap in school tenure: Only 47% of teachers in identified schools had been at their school for five or more years, compared to 60% in non-identified high-poverty schools. We find few other differences between identified and non-identified schools in teacher qualifications, including education level and overall years of experience. We close by highlighting research-backed strategies that may help support educators and improve student outcomes in these schools. These findings underscore the importance of teacher recruitment, retention, resources, and training—persistent challenges in high-poverty schools across the U.S.