Getting Students to Show Up: Generational Differences in the Effect of Teachers on Black and White Student Absences

Abstract

We provide the first evidence on the effect of teacher generation on student absences. Using administrative matched student-teacher data, we find that Millennial teachers are more effective at reducing absences compared to teachers from earlier generations. This effect is heterogeneous across Black and White students, with Black students deriving a larger benefit from assignment to a Millennial teacher. Although both Black and White Millennial teachers are more effective at reducing student absences than Baby Boomer teachers, the race-specific improvement of Millennial teachers is driven by White teachers.