State Efforts to Ensure an Equitable Distribution of Effective Teachers

• In Event: Teacher Labor Market, Distribution, and Retention

Abstract

Numerous forms of recent federal policy have made specific provisions aimed to ensure high quality instruction for all students. This study provides a detailed picture of the actions that states were taking in the 2011–12 school year to ensure that disadvantaged students are taught by qualified or effective teachers. We draw on interviews with state officials to explore what measures states are using to understand how teachers are distributed across schools, strategies for responding to any inequities, and the perceived influence of federal policies on their actions. We find both variation and commonalities in how states address these issues. Our findings are salient in both understanding current practices, and for informing ongoing efforts to measure instruction and equity.

Authors

• Andrew J. Wayne, American Institutes for Research

• Courtney Tanenbaum, American Institutes for Research

• Delphinia Brown, American Institutes for Research

• Kerstin A. Carlson Le Floch, American Institutes for Research

• Andrea Boyle, American Institutes for Research

• Rachel Garrett, American Institutes for Research