Teacher Rotation and Student Outcomes: Experimental Evidence from Uganda- Working paper

This report summarizes an ongoing study of the effect of teacher rotation on student outcomes in Uganda. In the status quo, teachers are transferred (“rotated”) across schools at the discretion of district authorities. In randomized treatment schools, we incentivize teachers by linking upcoming transfers to student performance on standardized tests. If their students do better than comparable students at control schools, they are more likely to be transferred to a school of their choice. Otherwise, their transfer remains in the hands of district authorities (treatment “PD”), or they are randomly assigned (treatment “PR”). Preliminary findings indicate no effect of either treatment on student outcomes, teacher attendance, or teacher behavior in the classroom.