Gatekeeping for children: How the use of an electronic screening process by a human resources cooperative affects teacher selection in a region education service center in Texas

This study examines how electronic prescreening affects hiring of teachers. Specifically, this study seeks to examine and understand the electronic screening system. Both traditional and electronic screening methods utilize the resume as the main criterion for deciding whether or not to grant an applicant an interview. It is the personality profile used in the electronic process which separates these two otherwise similar approaches to employment screening. Despite empirical evidence which clearly defines the one-to-one interview as the least effective selection tool for predicting future success as a classroom teacher, public school districts continue to rely heavily upon this form of applicant screening (Ponessa, 1997; Bowslaugh, 1993; Darling-Hammond, 1987). The resume is noted among the most valid selection instruments because it focuses on the relevance of past performance to the currently sought job (Knouse, 1989). Biases as they relate to gender, age, and ethnicity have been found to affect the decision to accept or reject an applicant (Knouse, 1989; Herriot, 1981; Dipboye, Fromkin & Wiback, 1975). Although research indicates that traditional interviewers are affected by non-job related factors, little is currently known about how an electronic screening device might affect or eliminate the otherwise subjective biases which can occur. The use of an electronic screening system was expected to affect positively the selection process. Biases which might affect the traditional selection process were expected to be removed. A mixed method case study was used, combining in-depth interviews and archival document analysis of EEO hiring data from 26 member districts of a human resources cooperative. Findings show that the technology used by the electronic screening system in this study appears to be effective in eliminating bias because EEO data is not requested of an applicant and because the electronic database itself is a logical, neutral process which is not gender-specific. Results also showed that low minority teacher numbers within the region education service center studied herein are representative of state, region and district ethnicity statistics; are reflective of similar trends in the business community at large; and are a result of factors outside the Pre-interview Phase of the electronic selection process.