Research & Insights

Filling those hard-to-staff teacher vacancies doesn’t have to be so hard. Making a few straightforward adjustments to compensation, incentives, and partnerships can change the game.

The answer (perhaps less satisfying than policy wonks would like) is that It depends on the school context.

Several school district leaders shared how they’ve accomplished recent gains in building a more diverse teacher workforce.

New research looks into how teachers select or are selected into positions based on their preferences and those of the principals hiring them.

The most popular District Trendline posts of 2022, with topics ranging from pay increases for substitutes to building a positive school climate

States need accurate, detailed data to answer critical questions about their teacher workforce. This report reveals significant gaps in how states track and connect essential information, hindering efforts to understand and address staffing challenges.

While most states collect basic teacher demographics and credentials, many lack detailed, disaggregated data on teaching positions, regional shortages, and subject-specific needs. This disconnect prevents policymakers from pinpointing shortages; evaluating teacher preparation program outcomes; and crafting targeted, effective solutions. The report calls for investments in comprehensive data systems and stronger links between teacher preparation and K–12 employment data systems to build a diverse, well-supported teacher workforce.

Every family sends their child off to school, hoping the teacher will effectively meet their child’s unique needs.

A new study finds sizable gains for students when they are assigned to a teacher for the second time.

We examine if and how 148 large U.S. school districts use strategic pay to recruit and retain teachers.

Beyond the important areas outlined in the Secretary’s remarks, we see two big challenges to the goal of access and equity to quality teachers that have yet to be addressed.

Insights on what school districts can do to ensure every classroom is staffed with an effective teacher.

One thing we know for certain: K-12 educator workforce data is lagging, lacking, and limited.

Investing in resources, such as school guidance counselors, that help shape a positive school environment can set the stage for building and sustaining a stronger teacher workforce.

How school districts can use NCTQ’s Teacher Prep Review Elementary Math standard findings in their recruiting and hiring decisions

Do teachers who return to the district they graduated from have a competitive edge over other beginning teachers?

One concrete step districts can take to build a stronger teacher workforce is to move up their hiring timelines.

A look at the role that the quality and character of school life plays in teacher success and retention.

Students in high-need schools deserve equitable access to effective teachers, yet persistent disparities in teacher quality continue to undermine educational outcomes. Federal law requires that states report on how students from disadvantaged backgrounds “are not served at disproportionate rates by ineffective, out-of-field, or inexperienced teachers.” This report shows that few states report on all three measures of quality, that they vary widely in how they define these measures, and that the data is insufficient to understand disparities at the school or even district level. Shoring up these gaps in data reporting is essential so that states can first determine and then address inequities in students’ access to effective teachers.

Assigning elementary teachers to teach only their best subjects, also known as “teacher specialization,” holds a lot of appeal…

A new study makes the case that a $23 billion investment in California schools didn’t just fail but backfired.

While most states have made progress in building out their data systems, key data connections are missing.

Teachers faced many difficulties last year due to the pandemic. Concerns about teachers not returning for the 2021-22 school year weren’t unfounded. We looked at the incentives that 148 large school districts in the U.S. used to attract and retain teachers during the Fall of 2021.

States need reliable data to effectively address teacher shortages and staffing challenges. This report reveals that many state systems for reporting teacher supply and demand remain fragmented and incomplete. Critical gaps in tracking teacher vacancies, attrition, and new entrants make it difficult for policymakers to accurately forecast shortages or tailor recruitment strategies. The report underscores the urgent need for comprehensive, interconnected, and timely data systems that link teacher preparation, certification, and employment. By improving data reporting, states can develop targeted policies to attract, assign, and retain high-quality educators, ultimately enhancing student learning outcomes.

A new working paper adds additional insight into the important question of how race impacts teacher hiring decisions.

For school districts looking to fulfill staffing needs, hosting student teachers offers many advantages to creating a pool of effective new teachers.