The troubled economy is driving school organizations to become more efficient and driving the business community to demand that schools produce graduates with different sets of skills. States are finally uniting around common student learning standards as the student population grows more diverse. And the new administration is pouring an…

This edition of "Policy Issues" addresses teacher recruitment and retention policies in play across the country. It starts by proposing a generally accepted definition of at-risk schools and making a case for why it is so important to improve teacher quality in these schools. It then takes the reader through (1) an examination of states'…

The recruitment budgeting cycle (RBC) places teacher-recruitment activities on a more systematic, professional plane. RBC action steps include reviewing and updating recruitment goals and activities, identifying the previous year's activities, defining outcome criteria for determining cost effectiveness, ranking activity costs, evaluating…

Urban Teacher Residencies (UTRs) are an emerging innovation designed to embody best practices in recruitment, screening, preparation, placement, induction, and teacher leadership for urban school districts. UTRs can be a key element of urban districts' portfolio of pathways into teaching and a lynchpin of a larger strategy to strengthen the…

Studies have found substantial sorting of teachers across schools, with the schools with the highest proportions of poor, non-white, and low-scoring students having the least qualified teachers as measured by certification, exam performance, and inexperience (Lankford, Loeb and Wyckoff, 2002). Yet, there have been substantial changes in the…

To improve the quality of the teacher workforce, some states have tightened teacher preparation and certification requirements while others have eased requirements and introduced "alternative" ways of being certified to attract more people to teaching. Donald Boyd, Daniel Goldhaber, Hamilton Lankford, and James Wyckoff evaluate these…

This paper is based on our studies of teacher recruitment and retention. Using official statistics from a variety of secondary sources, it builds on our previous work on the changing demand for teachers by exploring issues of teacher supply in the UK. Our findings suggest there is no overall shortage of applicants to initial teacher education and…

Jefferson County Public Schools developed a survey instrument to learn from the applicant's perspective what new teachers had experienced during the hiring process and what they thought of the district's recruiting efforts. The goal was to determine the strong and weak points of the district's program and develop suggestions for improvement. (MLF)

Since 1979, when International Schools Services held its first International Recruitment Center (IRC) in New York City, these job fairs have become the preferred way for international schools to recruit staff members. This article describes the recruitment process, outlines desired teacher and administrator qualifications, and provides information…

Examines the effects of changes in entry-level salary on the ability of school districts in two New York regions to compete among themselves for novice teachers' services. When districts improved their entry-level salary ranking, they subsequently improved their ability to recruit the most highly educated candidates in their regional pool. (MLH)

Argues that there is no teacher shortage; rather, the problem is an inefficient personnel system and an inflexible bureaucracy that does not allow market forces of supply and demand to work the way they do in other fields. (EV)

School leaders at every level must be committed to a comprehensive teacher and administrator recruitment plan that increases the pool of applicants. Strategies for contacting candidates, selling the district, facilitating the application process, screening candidates, and employing and inducting those selected are outlined. (MLH)

This study addressed applicant reactions to teaching positions announced in recruitment media. The independent variables were school classification based on standardized student achievement tests (in need of assistance, progressing, meets goal), signing bonus (10% initial signing bonus, no bonus), and teaching experience (experienced,…

The process of teacher identification, selection, initial training, and on-going professional development that has developed at the Illinois Virtual High School (IVHS) over the past seven years is described and discussed in this article. Validation was based upon existing practices and research. To provide background the creation and initial…

The knowledge, skills, and practices of early childhood care providers and teachers are critical factors in their delivery of high-quality developmental and educational experiences to young children. However, studies have found that the majority of professionals that make up the current early childhood workforce are not adequately prepared. Recent…