This dissertation consists of three papers. In each, I use applied econometric methods and economic theory to study the American teacher workforce. The first paper evaluates a novel policy to address teacher shortages by promoting experienced school staff to be teachers of record. Controlling for demographics and baseline scores, I find that…

Despite its lengthy history and relatively stable structure, evidence shows that the US system of doctoral education has been in a continual state of change. This change is reflected in disciplinary contexts, student demographics, professional outcomes, and the investment of external stakeholders. While the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted issues of…

In a critical year for state education policy, State of the State addresses offer time for new and incumbent governors to outline policy priorities and elevate successes. For the past 20 years, we've tracked, analyzed and identified education policy trends in governors' State of the State addresses to help you understand trending education issues…

Teacher shortages have intensified across several OECD countries, making this an urgent priority for education systems. Between 2015 and 2022, the share of students whose principals reported shortages rose from 29% to 46.7% on average across the OECD. Simultaneously, rapid technological advances, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and broader…

Ongoing teacher shortages in SBAE have been a concern dating back to the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 (Hillison, 1987). This historical inquiry identified the longitudinal trends revealed by data derived from the supply and demand studies of SBAE teachers over a 51-year period, and how the studies and their reporting procedures evolved. On average,…

This book provides significant information regarding the policies and provisions for early childhood teacher education programs in universities in fourteen different countries. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is expanding rapidly across the globe with unprecedented numbers of children attending EC centres, requiring the investment in…

Addressing teacher shortages has been a persistent concern among leaders in schools, districts, state education agencies, and the federal government. This report describes an approach to identifying patterns of teacher shortages that was collaboratively developed by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Regional…

The recruitment, development and retention of teachers and school leaders is a crucial underpinning for a successful education system. However, England's school system faces a substantial and growing challenge of ensuring there are sufficient numbers of high-quality teachers employed in schools. Meeting this supply challenge is necessary for the…

Decades of research have reported declining trends in undergraduate industrial arts, industrial technology education, technology education, and technology and engineering (T&E) teacher preparation programs (TPPs) (Love et al., 2016; Moye, 2017; Scott & Buffer, 1995; Volk, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2019). Numerous reasons have been cited for this…

Teachers play a critical role in the success of their students, both academically and in regard to long term outcomes such as higher education participation and economic attainment. Expectations for teachers are increasing due to changing learning standards and a rapidly diversifying student population. At the same time, there are perceptions that…

National Foundation for Educational Research's (NFER's) first annual report on the state of the teacher workforce measures the key indicators of the teacher labour market and teachers' working conditions. The recruitment, development and retention of teachers and school leaders is a crucial underpinning for a successful education system. However,…

Curriculum delivery in higher education is changing rapidly, notably in the area of online delivery. Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Australia is no exception to this, and this article explores this growth with a particular focus on its implications for workforce planning for teachers. In this planning in Australia, ITE students are usually…

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis will undoubtedly have dire consequences for all sectors of public education. The rapid transition to remote modes of instruction in the spring of 2020 and the subsequent anxiety about the start of the 2020-21 academic year have highlighted the critical need for well-prepared educators. Although calls…

After many years of teacher layoffs, a change is underway in California: With new money in the system, districts are hiring again, and they cannot find enough qualified teachers to fill their vacancies. Shortages in many fields and locations across the state have been provoked by a steep decline in candidates preparing to teach, coupled with an…

States and school districts across the United States have reported grappling with teacher shortages. Teacher preparation program enrollments and graduates have dropped at the national level, while the number of public school students has steadily risen. Teacher labor markets, however, differ greatly from state to state as well as between…