Teacher shortages continue to be a challenge for state policymakers, and while national media coverage paints a picture of widespread shortages, a closer examination reveals that shortages tend to be concentrated in specific subjects and schools. The primary policy response to shortages is often to recruit more teachers, but research demonstrates…

While the majority of U.S students are children of color, only 20% of teachers are people of color. What's more, 40% of the nation's public schools do not have a single teacher of color on record. Research shows that all students, regardless of race or ethnicity, benefit socially, emotionally, and academically from a diverse teacher workforce.…

Hiring and retaining teachers of color is one approach that policymakers can use to support improved academic achievement and opportunities for racially and ethnically diverse students. National data show that while the student population is becoming more diverse, the teacher workforce remains largely white and female. While teachers from all…

The Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) provided states with newfound flexibility on accountability measures and school improvement strategies. Many policy experts have analyzed states' ESSA plans, which explain how states use their federal funds under various provisions of the new law, as well as the approaches states take to identify and rate…

This edition of "Network" reports on state-level activities to increase diversity in the teaching force and to prepare teachers to work with increasingly diverse student populations. The studies took place in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. An overview and information on recruitment, preparation, credentialing, and…

Arkansas has seen a gradual and continuous decline in its number of minority teachers. At the same time, school population demographics indicate that the percentage of minority students is increasing. This study was conducted to address the problems associated with strategies to recruit and retain minority students into education. A survey form…