The Importance of Teachers and Socioeconomic Background for Students at Risk of Dyslexia

Approximately 7-10% of the population have some degree of dyslexia, and students with this disability are likely to be more dependent on qualified teaching. I analyze this tenet using population-wide Danish administrative records of public schools, where subject teachers are linked over time to classrooms and students, and identification is achieved using a within-school between-class model. I find that qualified teachers improve student outcomes mostly at the bottom of the student skill distribution and that students tested as at-risk of dyslexia in 4th grade make smaller progress in 6th grade vis-à-vis their peers, except for at-risk students from high SES schools who catch up with their peers. Unqualified teaching in combination with low SES schools impedes the ability of dyslexic students to reach their potential, and upholds the inter-generational correlation in education.