General Resources

Based on the assumption that teacher pay is an important factor in teacher recruitment and retention, this report by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) examines how different districts set teacher compensation rates. It investigates long-term compensation prospects for teachers and asks which districts offer opportunities for rapid advancement up the salary ladder.

This working paper by the Calder Center examines the predictive value of teacher applicant selection tools in Spokane Public Schools. The report seeks to find connections among the use of selection tools and teacher absences, teacher attrition rates, and teacher value-added contributions to student learning. Correlations are found between two of the three, with teacher absences showing no link. 

Starting from the premise that teachers and school leaders have the greatest influence on student outcomes, this report presents strategies for recruiting teachers and principals and ensuring opportunities for professional growth and leadership development.

This pilot study, which focuses on school districts in Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, finds that teacher turnover is costly and has a direct correlation with student outcomes in at-risk schools. The study includes a detailed analysis of recruitment, hiring, and replacement costs in five school districts.

This database compiles collective bargaining agreements and state policies for more than 100 of the largest school districts in all 50 states, and also generates customized reports by district. The database includes teacher contracts and policies, past and present, and a quick facts section for each district. 

This report analyzes the distribution of teachers in Miami-Dade County and examines whether teacher quality varies with socioeconomic factors across the county. The paper is specific to Miami-Dade County, but the issues examined have been identified by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights as common across the United States. Findings show that Black students are more likely than White students to be taught by first-year teachers or uncertified/unlicensed teachers and those teachers are likely to be paid less.

This report from the Center for American Progress examines policies and practices that states, districts, and schools can leverage to improve the overall quality of the educator workforce and ensure that all students have access to effective teachers. 

This TNTP report on teacher compensation puts forward the case for rewarding teachers according to their performance. Currently, nearly 90 percent of school districts use a “lockstep” approach to compensating teachers—awarding salary increases that are either based on years of experience, advanced qualifications, or some combination of the two. The report looks at issues with the recruitment and retention of teachers under lockstep pay systems and examines several districts that are adopting innovative compensation methods to attract and retain high-performing teachers into their classrooms.

This report examines five urban school districts and the challenges they face in identifying, selecting, and recruiting school leaders. The report suggests that districts need to reimagine the role of a principal, with the dual goals of making the role attractive to talented leaders and equipping leaders to execute their role successfully.

In this report, the Center for American Progress looks at the increasing demands placed on principals in today’s schools, which are leading to growing rates of attrition in the field. The report includes an examination of the changing landscape of school leadership and the increasing demands of teacher evaluation and development and instructional improvement, which coexist alongside more traditional administrative duties.