The Changing Distribution of Teacher Qualifications Across Schools: A Statewide Perspective Post-NCLB

This study examined population data on teachers and schools in Illinois to determine changes in the level of teacher qualifications across schools from 2001 to 2006. Researchers found that Chicago schools, especially those serving the highest percentages of students from low-income and minority families, experienced improvements in teacher qualifications; however, the results were more mixed in other Illinois districts. Although positive changes in teachers’ academic qualifications in Illinois were not restricted to the state’s largest urban school district, the results were more mixed in non-Chicago locales. The data also indicate that Illinois has a long way to go before disparities in teacher qualifications across its schools are eliminated.