From the ECS State Policy Database: Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention - This policy database—updated weekly—is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States....

From the ECS State Policy Database: Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention--At-Risk Schools - This policy database—updated weekly—is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States....

From the ECS State Policy Database: Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention--High-Needs Subjects - This policy database—updated weekly—is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States....

From the ECS State Policy Database: Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Substitute Teachers - This policy database—updated weekly—is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States....

State Equity Plans that Address Working Conditions as a Means to Increase Teacher Retention and Equitable Teacher Distribution PDF - NCLB requires that all teachers of core academic subjects be highly qualified. States are working diligently to achieve this goal, but are facing many obstacles. One of the largest challenges that states face is the issue of equitable distribution of experienced teachers. This ECS StateNote reports on transfer and attrition rates of teachers and the percentage of state equity plans that target teacher working conditions as a means to increase teacher retention and equitable distribution of teachers. (Angela Baber, Education Commission of the States, January 2007)...

GoTeach South Dakota - This website offers information on a program at the University of South Dakota that aims to increase K-12 student achievement by developing quality teachers for South Dakota’s high-need rural areas. As part of the GoTeach experience, participating students will be enrolled in a specific track of the USD School of Education. This track offers all the benefits of the education program, as well as unique course work and experiences that address the diverse needs of rural education. Upon graduation, GoTeach teachers will take jobs in rural South Dakota communities where they will use their specialized courses, experiences and mentoring to enhance the lives of K-12 students. (The University of South Dakota, 2012)...

Teacher Diversity Matters: A State-by-State Analysis of Teachers of Color - This report highlights the disparity between teachers of color and their students in public schools. According to the report, the makeup of the nation’s teacher workforce force has not kept up with changing demographics. At the national level, students of color make up more than 40% of the public school population. In contrast, teachers of color—teachers who are not non-Hispanic white—are only 17% of the teaching force. Teachers of color serve as role models for students, giving them a clear and concrete sense of what diversity in education and our society looks like. The report includes a 50-state analysis of teachers of color. The disparity was lowest in Vermont, Maine and West Virginia (4 percent) and highest in California (43 percent). (Ulrich Boser, Center for American Progress, November 2011)...

Washington State High Schools Pay Less for Math and Science Teachers than for Teachers in Other Subjects - Washington's state legislature unanimously passed a law in March 2010 that was intended to improve teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). However, this analysis from the University of Washington's Center on Reinventing Public Education reveals that Washington state may be doing just the opposite as the average pay for math and science teachers in high schools is less than the average pay for teachers in other subjects. (Center on Reinventing Public Education, August 17, 2010)...

2009 State Teacher Policy Yearbook - The National Council on Teacher Quality's third annual review of state laws, rules and regulations is a comprehensive analysis of the full range of each state's teacher policies, measured against a realistic blueprint for reform. The online Yearbook provides a road map to the Race to the Top, addressing key policy areas such as teacher preparation, evaluation, alternative certification and compensation. After viewing the findings, it is clear that states have a great deal of work to do in order to ensure that every child has an effective teacher. The Yearbook has been customized so that each state has its own report, with its own analyses and data. Users can download any of our 51 state reports.(National Council on Teacher Quality, 2009)...

Increased Funding and Program Delivery Changes Aim to Increase Florida’s Teachers and Nurses - Florida, like other states, has established scholarships and loan forgiveness programs to encourage students to enroll in teacher preparation and nursing programs, particularly in areas of high need. This progress report informs the Florida Legislature of the actions taken in relation to a 2005 Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability (OPPAGA) report regarding strategies to encourage students to enroll in these programs. (OPPAGA, November 2007)...

Recruiting and Retaining Quality Teachers for High Needs Schools: Insights from NBCT Summits and Other Policy Initiatives - Studies consistently show that teachers who are better trained, more experienced and licensed in the subjects they teach are more likely to be teaching in more affluent schools, serving more academically advantaged students. The same is true for teachers who generate higher student test scores as well as those who earn National Board Certification. Addressing the maldistribution of qualified teachers may be the most vexing public school problem facing America’s policymakers today. (Barnett Berry, Melissa Rasberry and Alice Williams, National Strategy Forum, 2007)...

TQ Source on Recruitment and Retention - This Web site contains a wealth of data, including an interactive data tool allowing for comparisons among states or against national or regional data on a number of measures, including when job offers were most frequently made to teachers, the percentage of districts that dismissed teachers due to poor performance, the typical salary districts offer teachers who have a bachelor’s degree but no teaching experience and more. The Web site also features a policy database for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories, in addition to publications and recruitment and retention initiatives databases....