General Resources

This policy snapshot, published by the Education Commission of the States, provides a state-by-state comparison of recent legislation aimed to support targeted recruitment and retention of teachers in specific subjects (e.g., science, math, special education) and types of schools (e.g., urban, rural, high-poverty). The report highlights exemplar states’ efforts to target recruitment for educators and adequately prepare them to teach certain subjects or populations, as opposed to general recruitment efforts that often fall short for high-need subjects or specializations.

This brief, written by the Education Commission of the States, examines the necessity of strong school leadership and lists steps states can take to ensure that all schools have effective leaders. Key areas addressed in the brief are: school leadership standards, recruitment, preparation design and program approval, certification and licensure, mentoring, induction, and professional development, evaluation and ongoing support. The brief also provides additional state policy considerations and corresponding examples.  

This brief by the Center for American Progress highlights how some states use funding through Title II, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to strengthen the teacher pipeline by recruiting, preparing, and supporting teachers. The report provides examples of state models that have made notable advancements in the areas of: recruitment and diversity, teacher preparation and new teacher support, licensure and certification, compensation and loan forgiveness, data support, and pipeline-spanning initiatives.

Based on data collected from six urban school districts that participated in The Wallace Foundation’s Principal Pipeline Initiative, this report from the Rand Corporation examines the resources and investments required to effectively establish and operate pipelines for preparing, hiring, supporting, and managing school leaders.  

This report from the Center for American Progress calls for the expansion of supported entry programs for new teachers. The report examines several types of programs, including extended clinical preparation, residencies, and induction programs, that provide opportunities for new teachers to spend time working alongside experienced peers learning and practicing basic teaching skills that lays the foundation for mastering more complex aspects of their practice.

This paper presents findings from an analysis using student-level data over ten years to investigate the long-term impact of students having teachers of the same race in elementary grades.  Findings indicate that having a black teacher in grades 3-5 significantly reduces the likelihood of black male students, particularly those most economically disadvantaged, of dropping out of high school, and increases the likelihood that low-income black male and female students aspire to attend four-year colleges.

This report from EdTrust examines why retention rates of black teachers and teachers of color remain low. Based on qualitative data collected during focus group sessions comprising 150 black teachers across the U.S., the report reveals the challenges black teachers face in schools and classrooms that contribute to a lack of diverse teachers.