Topic: Teacher Workforce Policy
Teacher Workforce Policy
State Policies to Recruit and Support Teachers Throughout Their Careers
The most important thing a school can do for a student’s education is to ensure she has a good teacher. And states need a strong teacher workforce to increase student achievement. To help state leaders address teacher shortages and improve policies to prepare, certify and pay teachers. SREB:
- tracks policies, actions and research across the continuum to help policymakers with decisions
- convenes leaders to examine promising policies and decide together what will work in their own states
- provides assistance with planning as states put policies into action
Teacher Career Continuum
Today, many schools struggle to find good teachers and keep them in the profession. One way states can address this problem is to focus state policies for each stage in the profession’s career continuum.
When states recognize these distinct needs, educators can grow more effective and be compensated for improvement. And aligning policies across the continuum signals that teaching is a profession with an attractive career path.
State Efforts to Promote Teacher Leadership
In the face of teacher shortages, state leaders have an opportunity to explore ways of remaking the teaching profession from the inside out, rather than relying solely on short-term solutions. One strategy for addressing this pervasive problem involves implementing teacher leadership and mentorship initiatives. This brief highlights how education leaders in six states used three levers – certification, pay and recognition – to identify, deploy and retain teacher leaders.
Educator Preparation Program Accountability in Selected States
SREB conducted research on how states create performance accountability systems for teacher education programs. This brief describes how states go about developing performance measures and creating public report cards. The document’s appendix includes program accountability profiles for all SREB states and nine additional states.
Alternative Certification Pathways in SREB States
Summary of State Requirements
All SREB states provide alternative routes to teacher certification, however the strategies for approving nontraditional pathways vary from state to state. This brief provides 10 examples of alternative certification programs in eight SREB states and includes recommendations policymakers should consider when designing or approving alternative certification programs.
State Education Human Capital Roundtables
Education human capital roundtables in several states are having challenging conversations on how to improve the quality of their teaching workforce through targeted recruitment, preparation, retention and professional growth strategies.
SREB provides customized research and facilitates in-state convenings. Roundtable members develop recommendations for state policy action and create action plans.
A Review of State Teacher Licensure Strategies
Summary of State Requirements
SREB reviewed state teacher licensure policies to inform leaders about trends including how states regulate alternative pathways and the move toward practice-based assessments. The brief also includes questions for policymakers who are considering changes to their states’ teacher preparation and licensure requirements.
Licensure Reciprocity in SREB States
Summary of State Requirements
This brief describes state policies for granting teaching licenses to educators from other states. Some policies are common across many states, but requirements vary significantly from state to state based on the experience level of the teacher. Clarifying requirements for recent graduates of out-of-state teacher preparation programs could improve interstate transfer.