Teacher hiring is a critical lever for improving school outcomes. However, the availability of supply is a significant barrier that affects principals' processes for teacher staffing. Drawing on sensemaking theory and concepts of fit, this study investigates how principals make sense of recruitment and hiring in a local labor market with severe…

Districts across the country are facing severe shortages of teachers--especially in certain subjects (math, science, special education, career and technical education, and bilingual education) and in specific schools (urban, rural, high-poverty, high-minority, and low-achieving). The severity of the teacher shortage problem varies significantly by…

In June 2014, the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education (OSRHE) commissioned American Institutes for Research (AIR) to conduct a study to better understand both historical and future predicted trends of educator supply and demand across Oklahoma. OSRHE commissioned the study in partnership with the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation…

This brief is the first in a series of reports examining the teacher shortage dilemma. It considers what the research says about teacher shortages and highlights recent state task force findings. Designed to guide state leaders in policy decisions, the briefs that follow examine five strategies states are using to address shortages: (1)…

School districts across the country are struggling to attract and keep good teachers, a situation that seems to be particularly acute in states such as California and Oklahoma. This is not a good time for schools to be facing a teacher shortage. States have raised K-12 standards to new heights with the expectation that all students will graduate…

Critical to any comprehensive plan for addressing personnel shortages in the field of special education is the gathering of data on supply and demand at the state and local education agency (LEA) levels. Many states now conduct regular supply and demand studies in order to inform decisions regarding the recruitment, preparation and retention of…

Factors that influence the design of state teacher policies and the impact of these policies on issues of coordination, equity, and teacher supply are examined. The structure and operation of policies in effect in four states--California, Colorado, Georgia, and Oklahoma--are described, and the factors that influence the design of these state…

The Oklahoma edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…

A study was conducted to identify and compare factors influencing teachers of vocational agriculture to continue their careers in the teaching profession. The major data source for the study was a 74-item questionnaire which focused on selected variables identified in previous studies. Responses from 216 teachers (84 percent) were treated and…

Developments in higher education in Oklahoma are considered from the governor's standpoint. Oklahoma has ranked fourth in the nation for two years in the percentage of increases of state support for higher education, and in real dollars, the state's educational program has had an increase of 24 percent, far outstripping inflation. After increasing…

To determine the statewide need for and the proper emphasis of a teacher education certificate in the area of computer science, a questionnaire was mailed to 459 Oklahoma school districts. Based on 201 usable responses, results indicate a clear demand for computer science teachers, with a demand already existing at the high school level and…

A questionnaire survey of Oklahoma school districts sought to identify critical issues in teacher supply and demand in the state. Of all 617 school districts surveyed, 450 responded. Further data came from teacher education programs at 19 Oklahoma public and private colleges and universities. Data were collected on teacher vacancies, curriculum…

This study evaluated the shortage of special education teachers in Oklahoma and presented a long term plan to meet this need. The study examined: (1) teacher shortages by category and geographic location in Oklahoma; (2) availability of individuals with the potential to be special education teachers; and (3) innovative recruitment and retention…

Teachers in career and technical settings are often recruited directly from industry with little or no pedagogical training, which can result in job dissatisfaction and teachers leaving the profession. As a response to the lack of retention and success of new career and technical teachers, a statewide committee was formed in Oklahoma in 1996 to…

This report describes and assesses the 1993-94 (October 1, 1993 through September 1994) activities of the federally-funded Bilingual Education Multifunctional Resource Center based at the University of Oklahoma and serving a nine-state area (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee).…