Ensuring that high performing teachers are equitably distributed among schools is a tough challenge for many districts. A meta-analysis of three Institute of Education Sciences funded studies confirms this challenge, but also shows that some districts do a better job than others with the assignment and distribution of effective teachers.

The three studies use value-added measures to evaluate whether schools with higher proportions of free or reduced priced lunch (FRL) students have less effective teachers. 

Looking across the three studies, two major findings emerge.  Disadvantaged students do, in fact, receive less effective teachers on average, but the disparity at which effective teachers are available in low-income schools varies from district to district. 

Unfortunately, the studies do not further investigate these findings and the meta-analysis doesn't speculate about the differences among districts. This highlights an opportunity for further research to investigate what factors and practices contribute to high performing teachers staying in low income schools. 

If you are interested in reading the actual studies, they can be found here, here, and here.