New America Report: Better Data Advances Teacher Quantity, Quality, and Diversity

On October 20th the think tank New America released a brief entitled “Taking Aim at Teacher Shortages with Better Data: How Improving HEA Title II Data Can Advance Teacher Quantity, Quality, and Diversity.” The brief explains how different pathways to teaching affect teacher pipelines and poses four essential questions that states should ask when determining the quality, quantity, and diversity of teacher preparation programs. Question 1: How does the supply of prospective teachers compare to expected demand from schools? Question 2: Are some preparation program attributes tied to better short- or long-term teacher or student outcomes? Question 3: Are some prospective teacher attributes tied to better short- or long-term teacher or student outcomes? Question 4: How can we improve educator preparation in our state to bolster retention? After delineating the four questions, the brief provides an assessment system to determine the relevance of Higher Education Act Title II Data in answering these essential questions. In conclusion, the brief offers several policy recommendations: modernize the federal reporting system to promote learning and improvement, invest in longitudinal data collection, and encourage coherence across state policies that affect the teacher workforce.

Read the brief here.