Purpose: The objective of this study is to provide an overall national portrait of elementary and secondary teacher shortages and teacher turnover in rural schools, comparing rural schools to suburban and urban schools. This study utilizes an organizational theoretical perspective focusing on the role of school organization and leadership in the…

Empirical research on the supply and demand of math and science teachers finds some surprising results. The employment of qualified math and science teachers has more than kept pace with the demand, and most schools find qualified teachers for those positions. However, about a third of public schools--particularly high-poverty, high-minority, and…

This study seeks to empirically ground the debate over mathematics and science teacher shortages and evaluate the extent to which there is, or is not, sufficient supply of teachers in these fields. The authors' analyses of nationally representative data from multiple sources show that math and science are the fields most difficult to staff, but…

Argues that high levels of teacher turnover, not the shortage of new recruits, is the major reason why teacher demand exceeds supply, except in those states that have reduced class size such as California. (PKP)

Explores the role of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) in providing data about teacher quality in U.S. education. SASS findings make it clear that recruiting teachers will do little to help unless ways are found to retain teachers and to understand the social and organizational context of teaching. (SLD)

Schools and Staffing Survey and Teacher Followup Survey data on public school teachers from 1987-2000 show that 40-50% of beginning teachers leave after 5 years. Turnover is higher in high-poverty and urban schools. Almost half leave due to job dissatisfaction (low salaries, lack of support and input, discipline) or pursuit of better jobs/careers.…

This study investigates shortages of qualified U.S. secondary teachers using data from the 1991 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), a nationally representative study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. The SASS includes four sets of integrated questionnaires: a school survey, central district survey, principal survey, and…

Recent research indicates that large numbers of U.S. classrooms are staffed with unqualified teachers. This is not due to teacher shortages, but rather to shortages of qualified teachers for specific positions. Hiring practices result in out-of-field teaching. The research indicates that qualified teacher shortages stem from teachers leaving or…

This paper outlines an agenda of research on teachers and schooling utilizing the National Center for Education Statistics Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). SASS focuses on teachers and schools, and consists of linked surveys of schools, districts, principals, and teachers. The primary purpose of this paper is to revisit the genesis of SASS in…

This paper examines the extent of current or future shortages of qualified U.S. elementary and secondary teachers. Data come from the 1987-1988 and 1990-1991 waves of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), a nationally representative study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The SASS includes four sets of integrated…

Contemporary educational thought holds that one of the pivotal causes of inadequate school performance is the inability of schools to adequately staff classrooms with qualified teachers. It is widely believed that schools are plagued by shortages of teachers, primarily due to recent increases in teacher retirements and student enrollments. This…

This report deals with the supply of and demand for elementary and secondary school teachers in the United States, using data from the Schools and Staffing Survey of the National Center for Education Statistics. There is considerable concern over whether the United States will experience shortages of teachers in the coming years as student…

This paper presents national data on the extent to which public secondary students are taught core academics by teachers without basic qualifications in their assigned teaching fields, examining whether there are inequalities in the distribution of adequately qualified teachers across and within different U.S. schools. Data came from the 1990-1991…

Few educational issues have received more attention in recent times than the problem of ensuring that the U.S.'s elementary and secondary classrooms are all staffed with quality teachers. Although ensuring that the nation's classrooms are all staffed with quality teachers is a perennially important issue in schools, it is also among the most…