Unfortunately, far too many Arkansas students are being taught by teachers who are uncertified in the subject they are teaching. This report analyzes the extent and potential causes of Arkansas' teacher shortage and propose a series of recommendations for state policymakers. Two primary findings about the shortage were identified: (1) Shortages…

For more than a year, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) conducted research in New Mexico, including interviews, site visits, document review, and new analyses of data provided by the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED). The purpose of the study was to provide New Mexico leaders a research perspective on the challenges facing education…

As policymakers endeavor to address the teacher shortage as a whole, they should also consider the research around teacher diversity and explore policies that aim to increase the achievement of minority students. This issue of "coNCepts" examines the diversity gap in North Carolina and highlights the need for a strategic solution that…

California's budget crisis jeopardizes the progress made in strengthening the teaching workforce. The threat of impending teacher layoffs will weaken the teacher preparation pipeline and affect the state's ability to attract and retain thousands of teachers it can't afford to lose. If California is to remain committed to strengthening student…

In 2007, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, with support from the Lehman Brothers Foundation, commissioned Public Agenda to explore interest in teaching careers among high-achieving college students, recent graduates, and potential career changers. MetLife Foundation, specifically interested in potential career changers as…

In 2007, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation launched a new teaching fellowship designed to recruit and prepare a new generation of top teacher talent for the nation's schools. Aimed at both traditional-age "and" midcareer candidates, the initiative offers $30,000 Fellowships to individuals with strong records of academic…

This report was developed as an outcome of a conference held in April 1983 by the Council for Basic Education. It concentrated on existing and proposed solutions to the shortages of qualified mathematics and science teachers and on technological concerns. It includes suggestions proposed by participants as well as additional recommendations made…

Brian Jacob examines challenges faced by urban districts in staffing their schools with effective teachers. He emphasizes that the problem is far from uniform. Teacher shortages are more severe in certain subjects and grades than others, and differ dramatically from one school to another. The Chicago public schools, for example, regularly receive…

This compendium describes nearly 100 national, regional, and state resources, including data sources, initiatives, Web sites, studies, and reports related to teacher mobility. It offers policymakers, researchers, and educators information and approaches to guide research and focus policy discussions on particular aspects of teacher mobility.…

In 1983, New Jersey's governor, Tom Keane, proposed the Alternative Path to Certification as a means to alleviate the state's growing teacher shortage. At least 12 other states are now using similar plans to recruit teachers possessing liberal arts bachelor's degrees who have passed a standardized test and completed successfully a one-year…

This document consists of more than 30 previously published journal articles and reports that focus on aspects of teacher certification. Section one of this volume presents articles on the specific issues and problems underlying the current condition of teacher quality that affect decision making policy. The imminent shortage of qualified teachers…

This collection of articles gathers reprinted materials on teacher attraction and retention for small and rural school districts. The material is organized in two sections: (1) Attracting and Retaining Quality Teachers and (2) Challenging and Enriching Current Staff. Reprints from a number of publications present strategies for addressing the…

This report offers insight into how schools can find quality teachers to staff their classrooms by examining how districts responded to the teacher shortage over the period 1999 to 2002. It presents results of an 18-month study that analyzed data at 3 levels: a nationally representative database; a survey of 110 human resource directors across the…

The Kentucky edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…

The Georgia edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…