The crisis of teacher shortages across the United States accelerated to a five-alarm fire during the COVID-19 pandemic. Low pay and the gap between teacher pay and that of other similarly educated professionals is one of the primary factors contributing to this shortage. The escalating crisis impacts student learning and the professional status…

Over the past year, the COVID-19 global pandemic has highlighted the critical role that health professionals play in our society. This report looks closely at ADT [Associate Degree for Transfer] awards in health fields and discusses practices and challenges relayed by administrators at campuses with high rates of ADT conferral and acceptance in…

This report provides an update on the California Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program and presents the 2022 Annual Report to the Legislature on the California Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program (Classified Program) as required by statute (Education Code §44393(f)). This is the final report for the…

The COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about the possibility of increased staff attrition from the public school sector, as it did for other occupations during the Great Resignation that followed the pandemic's onset. Recruiting and retaining education staff were pressing challenges even before the pandemic began. Since March 2020, education staff…

Recruiting and retaining effective teachers is critical to school turnaround. However, research on how improving educator quality in low-performing schools contributes to school improvement is largely situated in urban settings. This study examines staffing practices through a descriptive analysis of the first cohort of Comprehensive Support and…

High attrition rates in associate degree nursing (ADN) programs contribute significantly to a nursing shortage in the United States that is expected to worsen. Nursing students find the learning environment stressful, intimidating, and overwhelming, leading to discouragement in the first year of their nursing education. Research is needed to…

As part of the federally-funded grant project "SLIDE: The School Librarian Investigation--Decline or Evolution?" this study analyzed the status of school librarian employment for almost 13,000 U.S public school districts from 2018-19 and 2020-21. The purpose of the study was to learn how the COVID-19 pandemic, which radically disrupted…

The guided pathways approach to community and technical college redesign has significant impacts for adult basic education (ABE). The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and Ability to Benefit provide federal support that complements the work being done in Guided Pathways. Washington state's approach to implementing guided pathways…

Public pension systems in many U.S. states face large funding shortfalls. Movement toward defined contribution (DC) pension structures may reduce the likelihood of future shortfalls. We address some limitations of the existing literature by studying public-sector employees who are enrolled in either a defined benefit (DB) plan or hybrid DB-DC…

This study focuses on the gender dimension of labour market transitions and its implications for policymaking in the areas of active labour market policies, career guidance, and skills development. The ETF initiated this research to map how activation and skills development policies are gaining importance in the neighbouring countries of the…

In 2022, the Boston Opportunity Agenda, the Birth to Eight Collaborative and the City of Boston's Office of Early Childhood partnered in the development of this survey of hundreds of early education professionals in the city of Boston, and then expanded its reach to total more than 600 respondents across the state. In it, educators and…

College graduates are expected to acquire certain skill sets that are necessary and sought after by potential employers, as many industries in the United States continue to grow a global footprint. Employers also value good communication skills, and communication classes are a staple of most general education curricula, including those taught on…

In recognition of the importance of education attainment to individual economic mobility and state workforce development needs, state leaders are advancing policies to support access to pathways into postsecondary education, training and the workforce. Although college and career readiness has long been a priority for policymakers, a growing…

Given persistent gaps in academic and employment outcomes for students of color and other underserved groups, many community colleges are grappling with how to advance initiatives that more effectively serve their historically marginalized learners. These equity gaps include lower degree completion, reduced job opportunities, and lower earnings,…

This dissertation consists of three empirical studies that explore the educational experiences and trajectories of English learners (ELs) and students with disabilities. The first study uses longitudinal data from four large California school districts to examine the characteristics of long-term ELs (LTELs) and former ELs--those reclassified as…