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Teacher Shortages & Policy Levers to Address Them

Steven K. Wojcikiewicz, Ph.D

WASPA National Teacher Shortage Summit

10-12-23

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What is the Learning Policy Institute?

Founded in 2015, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) conducts and communicates independent, high-quality research to improve education policy and practice. LPI seeks to advance evidence-based policies at the local, state, and Federal levels that support empowering and equitable learning for each and every child. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, LPI it works with policymakers, researchers, educators, community groups, and others to strengthen the education system from preschool to college and career readiness.

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A few examples of LPI research products

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Introductions

My Areas of Work at LPI:

educator quality
teacher recruitment, retention, and shortages
teacher preparation and professional learning
science of learning and development
deeper learning
school redesign

My Background: K12 teaching, experiential education, teacher preparation, education policy, learning theory

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Presentation Agenda

Introductions
Context: U.S. teacher shortages
Focus: the Wisconsin teacher workforce

vacancies and hard to fill teaching positions
teacher preparation pipeline
early career mentoring
leadership support
starting salaries

State-level strategies to support teacher recruitment and retention

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Context: U.S. Teacher Shortages

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Widespread Shortages

Mathematics

Science

Reported Shortages

No Shortages

Pre-COVID: 42+DC

Pre-COVID: 40+DC

Special Education

Pre-COVID: 48+DC

Sources: Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., and Carver-Thomas, D. (2016). A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in the U.S. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute:. LPI Analysis of US ED data: https://tsa.ed.gov/#/reports

2022-23 School Year

48+DC

2022-23 School Year

46+DC

2022-23 School Year

44+DC

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Shrinking Pipeline, High Turnover, & Low Pay

U.S. Teacher Preparation Program Enrollment by Year 2010–2018

International research shows 2X teacher attrition rates in the US
Teachers earn 20% less than similarly educated US workers

Source: Center for American Progress

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2x

3 in 4 teachers of color work in schools serving the most student of color

Shortages and Turnover affect Teacher Diversity

Teachers of color are 2X more likely to enter through alternative certification

1 in 4 teachers of color enter the field through alternative certification

Notes on educator diversity (from TK presentation slides/DCT slide): With the cost of college, it’s no surprise that many teachers of color choose alternative certification pathways into teaching.

1 in 4 Teachers of color enter the field through an alternative certification program, that’s twice the rate of white teachers.

It’s important to note that Black, Latina, and Native American candidates are more likely to be enrolled in alternative certification programs than the state average. While these programs vary in quality, they are associated with higher turnover rates that create school instability and disrupt student learning.
We know that teachers who enter through those pathways have turnover rates 25% higher than those who enter through traditional pathways.
While there’s variation in the quality of alt cert programs, on average these candidates complete less coursework and student teaching, if any, before becoming responsible for their own students.

Other programs, like teacher residencies, can help districts to fill critical shortages without compromising on teacher quality. Residents apprentice for an entire year in a high-needs school with a master teacher before leading their own classrooms.
For that reason, despite the fact that entry into the profession is more diverse than ever in the state, it’s critical that policymakers think about how we can also retain teachers of color, who tend to have higher turnover rates on average and who are more likely to enter through pathways associated with greater turnover.

DIVERSITY – CTC19 – “Additional state investments in affordable and accessible comprehensive teacher preparation pathways would be needed to allow districts to meet their hiring needs and priorities without relying on underprepared teachers who exacerbate shortages.” – p. 8
DIVERSITY - CTC19 – “Recruiting teachers of color through preservice preparation pathways—rather than through substandard credentials and permits associated with higher turnover rates—can help to build the pipeline of teachers of color who are prepared to teach for the long term.31” – p. 17

TK comment on previous version: [YOU MAY WANT TO TREAT DIVERSITY ON A SEPARATE SLIDE]

BACKGROUND: Increasing teacher diversity in CA can help fill the gaps across the state and improve the quality of our teacher workforce. Currently, our teacher workforce does not reflect the state’s diversity. While more than 50% of students in the state are Latina/o, 20% of our teachers are. Other teachers of color are also underrepresented in the state. But there is good news! CA teacher preparation candidates are more diverse than in years past and more diverse than the national average. According to the most recent data, nearly half of teacher prep enrollees in CA identify as people of color. This is up from about 40% of candidates 10 years ago.

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Contributing Factors to Dwindling Supply and High Attrition

Stress, including during the pandemic
Low salaries
Poor working conditions

Pupil load; lack of planning time; lack of supports
Lack of involvement in decision making
Punitive accountability
Few professional advancement opportunities
Few structures supporting collaboration

Need for quality in school leadership
Lack of respect for the profession

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Pandemic Teaching Exacts a Further Toll

Heavy workload

Longer hours, new demands

Stress and mental health toll

Implications for burnout + attrition

Teachers are asking for support

includes professional learning

These issues are more prevalent:

In high-minority, low-income schools
In lower wage states and districts
In districts with poorer working conditions

Greater prevalence results in:

Impoverished curriculum offerings
Larger classes
Use of substitutes and uncertified teachers
High turnover of teachers and principals

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Focus: the Wisconsin teacher workforce

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Shortages in the News: Wisconsin

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State of the teacher workforce

A State-by-State Analysis of the Factors Influencing Teacher Shortages, Supply, Demand, and Equity

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School vacancies unfilled or hard to fill

State	% Schools
Wisconsin	46.9%
Minnesota	44.7%
Iowa	49.4%
Illinois	64.6%
Michigan	65.4%

Schools with teaching vacancies in 2020-21 that found it very difficult to fill the vacancy or could not fill the vacancy.

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Teacher preparation pipeline

Trends over time	WI	US
Enrollment
Change over past 10 years	-23%	-13%
Change over past 5 years	+7%	+1%
Completers
Change over past 10 years	-16%	-20%
Change over past 5 years	+17%	+2%

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Early career mentoring

State	%
Wisconsin	81.4%
Minnesota	70.6%
Iowa	95.8%
Illinois	76%
Michigan	86.6%

Early career teachers who reported having a mentor assigned by their school or district in their first year of teaching.

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Leadership support

State	% Strongly Agree
Wisconsin	51.5%
Minnesota	48.7%
Iowa	53.3%
Illinois	53.3%
Michigan	53.1%

Teachers reporting that “the school administration’s behavior toward the staff is supportive and encouraging.”

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Starting salaries

State	Average salary
Wisconsin	$42,850
Minnesota	$42,930
Iowa	$43,410
Illinois	$41,820
Michigan	$41,370

The average starting teacher salary per state, adjusted for cost-of-living differences.

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Policy Discussion: What can states do?

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So, what can

states do?

Provide broad access to high quality preparation

Offer competitive compensation

Support, develop and retain the existing workforce

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Policy Levers: Building a Comprehensive System to Support a Sustainable Workforce

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educator pipeline

state systems

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Policy Levers: Broad Access to High-Quality Preparation

High-Retention Pathways into Teaching

Teacher Residencies (WV, TX, CA, MS, NM, PA)

Grow-Your-Own Programs (TN, HI, MN, NM, CA, WA)

Service Scholarships/Loan Forgiveness

(NC, OR, IN, CA)

Mentoring and Induction for Novice Teachers (IL, IA)

Reduce barriers to accessing high-quality preparation, not standards

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Policy Levers: Broad Access to High-Quality Preparation

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Policy Levers: Competitive Compensation

Overall increases (e.g., AL, MS, NM)
Increases for leadership roles/expertise (e.g., NBCTs)
Increases for high-need fields/schools
Other forms of compensation

--Loan forgiveness

--Housing incentives

--Child care incentives

Bonuses/stipends, including with federal funds (FL, GA)

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Attrition Drives Shortages and Affects Schools

Average turnover of 8%

Average turnover of 4%

Effects

Revolving door of teachers
Reduced school community cohesiveness
Fewer experienced teachers
More teachers on substandard credentials and permits
Lower student achievement
Increased teacher replacement costs

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Preparation and Mentoring Also Matter

Preparation and mentoring strongly influence teacher effectiveness and retention

Teachers who are unprepared leave within a year at 2-3 times the rates of those comprehensively prepared.
Those who receive high-quality mentoring and induction stay at twice the rate of those receiving little.

Funding for both is insufficient

The debt load for preparation has increased.
Only about 2/3 of teachers receive preparation before entering.

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The Science of Learning and Development (SoLD)

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SoLD Implications for Schools

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Dissatisfaction with administrative support impacts teacher turnover

Source: Carver-Thomas, D. & Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Teacher turnover: Why it matters and what we can do about it. Learning Policy Institute.

10%

15%

20%

25%

0%

Strongly Agree

Somewhat Agree

Somewhat Disagree

Strongly Disagree

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION IS SUPPORTIVE

More than 2x greater

PREDICTED TURNOVER RATE

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Policy to Strengthen School Leadership

Develop and better use state licensing and program approval standards
Invest in a statewide infrastructure for principals’ professional learning (e.g. principal academies)
Build local pipelines

States can leverage ESSA’s 3% school leadership set aside

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��Contact�Steve Wojcikiewicz�swojcikiewicz@learningpolicyinstitute.org��LPI Research�www.learningpolicyinstitute.org ��

Resources

The interactive map can be found at:

https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/state-of-teacher-workforce-interactive

State of the Teacher Workforce

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Questions and Discussion