General Resources

Using data from Los Angeles Unified School District and Washington state, this report seeks to quantify the impact of layoffs on teacher productivity. The report finds an association between the impacts of the layoff process and decreased productivity, and concludes that this is a result of teachers’ uncertainty about the layoff process and their perceived lack of job security.

This paper analyzes the impact of the Florida Critical Teacher Shortage Program (FCTSP), which is aimed at increasing recruitment and stemming attrition of teachers in subject areas with shortages. The FCTSP adopted a three-pronged approach to increase the supply of teachers in “hard-to-staff” subjects: loan forgiveness, tuition rates in designated subjects, and one-year bonuses. The analysis found that two of the three approaches reduced attrition rates, while the loan-forgiveness program was found to attract high-quality candidates.

This report examines the progress made in recent years in increasing teacher diversity in public schools. The report discusses the benefits of a diverse teaching population for all students, particularly minority students, and investigates the hiring, distribution, and turnover of minority teachers in nine major U.S. cities.

This working paper presents findings from an investigation on the impact of demographic matches or mismatches  on teacher expectations for students in high schools. Findings indicate that non-black teachers of black students have lower expectations for their students than their black counterparts, particularly for male students and in math, providing additional support for the hiring of a more diverse and representative teaching force.

In California, seven out of 10 of the state’s fastest growing occupations are in STEM fields. Low-income, minority students have less access to STEM learning opportunities and experience less success in STEM subjects compared to their more advantaged peers. This report examines how the shortage of STEM teachers in California is impacting low-income students’ access to a high-quality STEM education.

This report examines 22 teacher education programs that have significantly shifted focus to place high-quality clinical teacher preparation at the center of their programs. It details how those shifts occurred and conditions that facilitated movement from traditional teacher training models to more clinical approaches.

This brief from The Education Trust presents ideas for states to consider when developing a state plan to ensure that all students, particularly disadvantaged students, have access to effective teachers. Recommendations include using data to identify patterns of teacher access, working with stakeholders to determine the main causes of disparities, and creating policies to spur change that give priority to schools with the most urgent problems.

This study examines what Boston charter schools are doing to achieve consistently strong student outcomes. Comparing Boston charter schools and more than 200 charter schools across the country, the study finds that Boston charter schools employ specific school leadership practices that result in stronger environments that promote excellent teaching. Key findings include the importance of early hiring while setting a high bar, leadership practices that foster a strong school culture, and ongoing professional development for teachers.

This report looks at 10 school districts and the key policy decisions they have made to redesign their teacher compensation systems. With the goal of attracting, retaining, and rewarding high-quality teachers while staying within budget and achieving district targets, these districts have changed compensation systems to pay effective educators more. 

This report details lessons learned from implementation of the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship (WWTF) program in five states. Aimed at providing a strong pipeline of effective teachers, WWTF currently partners with 28 universities in Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio to provide prospective teachers academic training, clinical experience, and mentoring that will effectively equip them to succeed in high-need schools.