In Illinois: Early Results from $45 Million Investment Show Improved Recruitment and Retention in State’s Most Understaffed School Districts 

By Illinois State Board of Education

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) today released early results from a $45 million state investment that show improved recruitment and retention in the state’s most understaffed school districts. The Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program, which was launched in the 2023-24 school year, provided 170 school districts that have the greatest teacher shortages state funds to invest in initiatives to recruit and license new hires and support retention of current educators.  

Data is still being collected to assess the full impact of the funding, but ISBE and IWERC announced today that school districts participating in the Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program have hired nearly 5,400 new teachers and retained approximately 11,000 additional educators with the funds so far. The districts receiving the Teacher Vacancy Grant collectively serve approximately 870,000 students.  

In Oregon: State Makes Strides in Diversifying Educator Workforce 

By Oregon Department of Education

The Educator Advancement Council, on behalf of and in partnership with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), Oregon Teachers Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) announces the release of the 2024 Educator Equity Report. The 2024 Educator Equity Report is the ninth report published by state education agencies since 2015 on educator workforce diversification efforts in Oregon.

The 2024 Educator Equity Report highlights several key findings that underscore the ongoing bright spots and challenges in achieving a more diverse educator workforce in Oregon. It is important to note that no state has a teacher workforce that proportionally mirrors the racial and ethnic diversity of its students. Despite slow progress, states, including Oregon, are actively improving and seeking strategies to recruit and retain teachers of color.

In Mississippi: Assessment Shows Student Achievement Reaches All-Time High in Three Subjects

By Mississippi Department of Education

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released the results from the 2023-24 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP), which show student achievement reaching an all-time high in mathematics, English Language Arts (ELA), and science.  

Overall, for 2023-24, the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced reached a record high of 47.8% in ELA, 56.3% in mathematics, and 63.4% in science. U.S. history decreased slightly from 71.4% in 2022-23 to 70.9% in 2023-24.

The 2023-24 assessment results show student achievement continues to exceed pre-pandemic levels. Student achievement in Mississippi and the nation dropped in 2021 due to the pandemic, though Mississippi students mostly rebounded by 2022.

Americans Present an Education Agenda for the Next President in the 56th Annual PDK Poll

By John Hendron

The 56th PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward Public Schools finds that Americans’ top educational priorities include the preparation of students to enter the workforce (84%) and the attraction and retention of good teachers in public schools (81%). Other top priorities include an increased focus on student mental health (73%), helping students who have fallen behind academically (72%) and college affordability (70%).

Two other priorities attract smaller majority support for increased federal attention: protecting students from discrimination (58%) and the availability of public pre-kindergarten programs (56%, rising to 67% among public school parents). Just 35% call for an increased focus on the expansion of charter schools.

Huskers Make Big Impact on State Through Teacher Education

By Deann Gayman

This article was originally published on the University of Nebraska – Lincoln’s website and was reprinted with permission.

Nearly one in four new teachers in the state of Nebraska earn their degree from UNL. Among the May graduates who are now first-year educators is Madison Wosk, a fourth-grade teacher in Sutton, Nebraska, who grew up in Broomfield, CO.

“I’m having a bit of the jitters,” Wosk said from her classroom, as she prepped for the new school year — and her career — to begin. “But the level of preparation at UNL is amazing. I know I have the right tools in my tool belt, and the UNL education program really has prepared me to be the best teacher I could be.”

Where Do Teachers Want To Teach? And Why?

By Linda Darling-Hammond

Last month, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing on the status of the American teaching profession, emphasizing the urgent need for policy changes. Chairman Bernie Sanders noted that, because of widespread teacher shortages, “some 300,000 teaching positions—nearly 10% of all teaching positions nationwide—have been left vacant or filled by teachers not fully certified for their assignments.” He, and several other members of the committee, attributed these shortages to the fact that “for decades, public school teachers have been overworked, underpaid, understaffed, and maybe most importantly, under appreciated.”

Teacher shortages have been front and center in the news for a number of years, deepening during the pandemic, and continuing to be a huge issue in many states. Yet, as in all things, states differ in their education policies and in the ways that teachers are prepared, compensated, and supported. These differences can result in dramatically different levels of student access to a diverse, stable, and well-qualified educator workforce across the country.

Twenty Percent of Graduating Teachers use GoReact 

By Karenna Glover

GoReact is excited to announce a significant milestone in the field of education technology: 20% of graduating teachers in the U.S.¹ have utilized GoReact during their teacher preparation programs. This widespread adoption underscores GoReact’s role in enhancing teacher training and improving educational outcomes. 

“We are thrilled that so many new educators are using GoReact in their training programs,” said Ken Meyers, CEO of GoReact. “Our platform is designed to make a meaningful impact on the teaching profession by providing aspiring teachers with the tools and feedback they need to become the high-quality educators our country needs.” 

Violence, Aggression Against Educators Grew Post-Pandemic

By Jim Sliwa

While threats and violence against PK-12 teachers and other school personnel in the United States declined during the pandemic after the restrictions were lifted, incidents rebounded to levels equal to or exceeding those prior to the pandemic, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

As a result, the percentage of teachers expressing intentions to resign or transfer rose from 49% during the pandemic to 57% afterward, the researchers found.

“Aggression and violence against educators and school personnel are major concerns that affect the well-being of school personnel and the students and families they serve. This study highlights a growing crisis in our schools that needs to be addressed nationally,” said lead author Susan Dvorak McMahon, Ph.D., of DePaul University, chair of the APA Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel. The task force conducted two surveys in collaboration with national education and related organizations. The results were published in the journal American Psychologist.

Biden-Harris Administration Releases New Data on Public Service Loan Forgiveness Approvals in Every Congressional District 

By U.S. Department of Education

The Biden-Harris Administration released new data showing the breakdown of borrowers approved for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) by the Congressional District. The data showcase how every district across the country has borrowers who are part of the 876,000 individuals who have been approved for $62.8 billion in relief through this program. By contrast, at the start of this Administration, only 7,000 had been approved for PSLF.  

The approvals contained in the data are representative of the Administration’s unceasing efforts to fix the broken student loan system and restore the promise of discharge programs. The Administration has helped fix longstanding problems with PSLF through the limited PSLF waiver, while the payment count adjustment has also ensured that borrowers get accurate counts of progress toward forgiveness. Last year, the U.S. Department of Education (Education) also implemented new regulations designed to make it easier for borrowers to qualify for PSLF. 

AACTE Celebrates Arab American Heritage Month

By Nicole Dunn

We invite you to join AACTE in celebrating Arab American Heritage Month. This annual observance is a significant opportunity to recognize and honor the vibrant heritage and invaluable contributions of Arab Americans in our schools and communities.  There are an estimated 3.7 million Arab Americans in the U.S.; however, schools are often unable to identify students who are Arab American because they are classified as White by the United States Census Bureau (SPLC Learning For Justice, 2021).

New Data Available in AACTE Research, Reports, and Briefs

Data Shows Positive Trends in Teacher Preparation

By Jacqueline E. King, Ph.D.

Since 2018, I have documented key trends in educator preparation in a series of reports for AACTE. Members can access these reports at aacte.org/resources/research-reports-and-briefs.

In these reports, I’ve shared a lot of negative information about declining participation in educator preparation during the 2010s.  So, when the U.S. Department released new data on the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years — the height of the COVID pandemic — I held my breath. 

I am so pleased to report that — in two new data updates released at the AACTE Annual Meeting last week — I have good news to share about several key indicators including the following: 

• Enrollment in IHE-based teacher preparation programs leading to initial licensure 
• Completions of these teacher preparation programs  
• Degrees and certificates awarded in the field of education 

New Data on Attrition and Mobility of Teachers in Public and Private K–12 Schools

From the Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey

By National Teacher and Principal Survey

New data provides attrition and mobility information about teachers in public and private K-12 schools during the 2021–22 school year.

The National Center for Education Statistics released a new report, Teacher Attrition and Mobility. Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NCES 2023-058). The report provides new information about attrition and mobility of teachers in public and private K–12 schools including the following:

AACTE in the News: Discussing Factors in EPP Enrollment Trends in EdSurge Podcast

By Tyler Pointer

AACTE’s Senior Advisor Jacqueline King, Ph.D., was recently featured in The EdSurge Podcast where she discussed enrollment trends in teacher education programs across the United States with host Jeffrey R. Young.

The episode, entitled “The Growing Push to Recruit New Teachers,” goes in-depth on recruitment efforts from schools of education and how some of those efforts focus on further diversifying the profession.

The episode is available to listen to on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and other major streaming platforms.

Biden-Harris Administration Launches Initiative to Promote Multilingual Education for a Diverse Workforce

By U.S. Department of Education

As part of its Raise the Bar: Create Pathways for Global Engagement, the Biden-Harris Administration launched “Being Bilingual is a Superpower,” an initiative by the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to promote multilingual education and bolster high-quality language programs and a diverse multilingual educator workforce across the country. 

“Being Bilingual is a Superpower” will promote and further the understanding of bilingualism and biliteracy as an educational and economic imperative for student success, global competitiveness, and engagement. The new initiative under the Department’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) seeks to promote research-based bilingual educational opportunities and language instruction in early learning education settings and beyond. 

“Make no mistake: multilingualism is a superpower. Knowing more than one language, acquiring a new language through school, or learning new languages later in life can provide tangible academic, cognitive, economic, and sociocultural advantages,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “As our nation continues to grow more diverse, and as our global economy becomes more interconnected, we cannot seize our nation’s full potential to compete and lead the world unless we Raise the Bar and provide all students with opportunities to become multilingual.”

Department of Education Provides New Raise the Bar Brief and Map Data

By Maureen Tracey-Mooney

The U.S. Department of Education has published a new Raise the Bar Policy Brief, Eliminating Educator Shortages through Increasing Educator Diversity and Addressing High-need Shortage Areas. The brief highlights key Department efforts to support and advance educator diversity and address high-need shortage areas, as well as national and state data on teacher diversity and areas in which states have particular shortages. It includes visualizations spotlighting state and national data on educator diversity, including in a range of roles and the diversity of students enrolled in educator preparation programs, as well as data on states’ projected shortage areas for 2023-24.

The Department is committed to a comprehensive policy agenda to recruit, prepare, and retain a racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse and well-prepared educator workforce. This includes promoting educator diversity while recruiting, preparing, retaining, and supporting teachers, administrators, and other educators and ensuring that education is a profession that people from all backgrounds can pursue. Developing and supporting a diverse educator workforce is critical to strengthening student success. Additionally, addressing high-need shortage areas ensures all students have access to a high-quality, well-rounded education. Through Raise the Bar: Lead the World, the Department is working in partnership with states, tribes, local educational agencies (LEAs), and educator preparation programs (EPPs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), to eliminate educator shortages in our nation’s schools and to strengthen and diversify the education profession.