A review of available research emphasizes a need for a more reliable, systematic collection and interpretation of data on science teacher production. The currently reported "crisis" in science education is not a new phenomenon nor a surprise to educators in the field, as it was predicted as early as 1976 by researchers noting a decline…

Out-of-field teaching is a relatively unrecognized problem in schools. This digest reviews what research shows about the extent and causes of the problem. There is much disagreement about how much and which types of education and training teachers should receive and what credentialing requirements states should have. Analysts have used various…

It is pointed out in this Digest that there is an imbalance between the number of Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American teachers and the percentage of children of similar ethnic backgrounds in the schools. The growing minority student enrollment in public schools has increased the demand for proportional minority teacher representation.…

This digest focuses upon what is known about current and impending needs for teachers, data on which this knowledge is based, and what needs to be done to create a solid foundation for projections on future needs. It is pointed out that the data needed to describe the market for teachers vary according to how and by whom the information is used. A…

Emergency certification involves the issuance of teaching licenses to individuals who have not completed a traditional college or university teacher education program. This two-page information review examines the problems arising from emergency certification and its relationship to student achievement. Some alternatives to emergency certification…

Public criticism of the quality of teaching in the schools has put pressure on teacher education programs to improve curriculum. The problem of quality instruction, however, may rest to a large extent with administrators who assign teachers inappropriately in the schools and with state education agencies that sanction the practice. One estimate is…

This article discusses how rising student enrollment and a projected wave of teacher retirements will affect the teacher corps. It describes the possible shortage of teachers in the upcoming years as a problem more of specialization than outright shortage. Math and science teachers and special-education teachers will be hardest to find, as will be…

This digest reviews alternative certification on the basis of educational quality and the need to fill teacher shortages. Following a definition of traditional certification, the alternative certification route is described as a process designed to certify candidates who have subject-matter competencies, without going through formal teacher…

This digest summarizes the findings of a study commissioned by the Council for Exceptional Children to identify the variables that affect a special education teacher's ability to succeed and desire to continue in the field. Themes that positively influence the conditions teachers work in were identified including a sense of collegiality and…

This digest examines the rural teacher shortage from a policy perspective and suggests strategies to address the problem. The rural teacher recruitment and retention problem varies across states. An adequate number of teachers are trained each year nationwide, but the problem is with distribution. Recent research on rural teacher recruitment and…

The first Montessori school was founded in Rome in 1907. There was interest in Montessori's methods in the United States between 1910 and 1920, but these methods were forgotten until after 1950, when a second Montessori movement began in the United States. Some schools with Montessori programs are affiliated with the Association Montessori…

Today's teachers shortage is most severe in urban districts, which struggle to recruit and retain new teachers and face persistent gaps between white, middle class teachers and diverse students. Teachers' lack of cultural and linguistic familiarity in such situations can be damaging to the goal of ensuring that all children achieve to their…

This digest examines the community college's role in helping to fill the current and projected shortage of public school teachers due to increases in the number of teachers retiring and students enrolling. Teacher shortages are most evident in both urban and rural school districts and in the fields of science, mathematics and technology. The…

This Digest examines U.S. teacher supply and demand, including projections for the next 10 years. For the past 10 years, the supply of public elementary and secondary school teachers has grown. Currently, the number of teachers in the United States is 3.1 million, 2,666,034 of whom teach in public schools. The number is projected to increase by…

This brief report summarizes a longer report with the same title. It examines the problems of the increasingly severe shortage of qualified teachers in American higher education and the need to recruit large numbers of new faculty during the next decade and, as the potential solution to both problems, the recruiting of women to fill these faculty…