Recruiting, Hiring and Retaining Highly Qualified Teachers

A growing student population, high turnover rates, and more stringent standards have tightened the pool of qualified applicants for teaching positions at U.S. public schools. Public school administrators must work harder and develop processes to attract and recruit new teachers. There are many "best practices" that can be employed to recruit and hire highly qualified teachers as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Retaining teachers is less costly than hiring, and new teachers who receive appropriate administrative support and mentoring or participate in development programs tend to stay in the profession.

Keywords Attrition; Certification; High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE); Highly Qualified Teachers; Licensure; No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB); Probation; Teacher Recruitment; Teacher Retention; Teacher Turnover; Tenure

School Administration & Policy > Recruiting, Hiring & Retaining Highly Qualified Teachers

Overview

As student enrollment in U.S. schools is expected to grow through the century, so too will the demand for teachers. In 2000, there were approximately 3 million teachers in U.S. elementary and secondary schools; in 2012, there were 3.4 million. This number is expected to increase nearly 10 percent between 2008 and 2020. (NCES, 2013). Approximately 100,000 new teachers are added to the U.S. workforce each year; yet there is a shortage of them in many regions of the country, particularly in rural and urban areas with a pressing need for teachers of mathematics, science, foreign languages, and special education.

The demand for teachers is aggravated by a serious increase in the turnover rate; teachers are entering and then leaving the profession at a faster rate than they ever have before. Teacher turnover is a critical issue in the nation's schools and comes at enormous economic cost to school districts. A report from the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF) issued in July 2007 estimated the national total at $7 billion a year. Money is not the only issue, according to the report, "low performing schools rarely close the student achievement gap because they never close the teaching quality gap - they are constantly rebuilding their staff" (Barnes, Crowe & Schaefer, 2007, p. 2). Another study in Texas found that there was an alarming 40 percent turnover rate for public school teachers in that state in their first three years (Darling-Hammond, 2003). A 2014 report from the Alliance for Excellent Education noted that about 500,000 teachers leave their positions annually, which costs the United States about $2 billion a year (Haynes).

According to National Center for Education Statistics, new teachers are leaving the profession within three years of beginning their careers (Marvel, Lyter, Peltola, Strizek, & Morton, 2006). The Atlantic reported that between 40 and 50 percent of teachers will leave their positions within the first five years of teaching (Riggs). The problem may never be fully avoided, as those who find they aren't suited to it should not stay; however, studies verify that poor working conditions (perceived or real) greatly discourage promising teachers. Competition from more attractive professions, low salaries, and the difficulties of having to deal with administrative hurdles or social problems in the schools are reasons cited by those who decide not to enter the teaching field, and also by those who decide to leave it.

What is to be done to stem the turnover tide? Who is responsible for ensuring that U.S. public schools retain, as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires, a "highly qualified" teacher workforce? More than ever it is critical that the processes of recruiting, hiring and retaining teachers be given attention by those on the frontlines of developing the teacher corps. The burden to ensure that each student is taught by a highly qualified teacher falls on the schools of education that produce potential teachers and the principals and school boards who later hire them.

Applications

Recruitment Strategies

Recruitment is the process of working to ensure a pool of quality teachers; hiring involves selecting the most suitable highly qualified candidates from the pool. Recruitment starts at the high school level as colleges with teacher education programs attract students. Most teachers make the decision in college whether to pursue the profession, but increasingly popular alternate certification routes also allow career-changers the opportunity to enter the ranks.

Given a pool of certified educators and potential applicants, it is up to school district administrators and their principals to attract and recruit and staff their schools. Depending on need and the level of competition for qualified teachers in their region, some school districts go about this more aggressively than others. Budget strapped school districts want to avoid paying incentives or worse, hiring less than qualified individuals to meet emergency teaching needs. Kenneth Peterson (2002) recommends that each district have a teacher selection task force, which should be a standing committee that recommends hiring policies (p. 8).

Munoz, Winter and Ronau (2003) present the best practices used by Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky to fill their nearly 800 teaching vacancies each year. They point out that there are few studies and documentation of best practices on recruiting and surveyed newly hired teachers on the district's recruitment processes. The researchers were not surprised that advertisement of salary and benefits was key to attracting top applicants, but were concerned to find that teachers were most critical of the administrative responsiveness to applicant inquiries and further requests for information. The New Teacher Project study, backed by similar data showed that administrative practices drive the best applicants away and discredited the notion that urban schools cannot attract qualified applicants. The study found that "with good recruiting strategies, urban districts can draw five or more applicants for every opening" (Gerwitz, 2003, para 2).

Model Education Programs

Model education programs are creating schools of professional development, similar to teaching hospitals, as they work closely with school districts to create an experiential environment for their students. Linda Darling-Hammond (2005) has conducted research and written prolifically on issues related to preparing teachers. She advocates for rigorous pre-service development and says that "research has shown that many of these schools have improved teaching practice and student achievement, while building professional knowledge" (Darling-Hammond, 2005, p. 23). She also recommends that U.S. education learn lessons from other countries that have moved pedagogical instruction to the graduate level and practicum "with strong undergraduate preparation in the disciplines" (p. 24).

Certification

A state-issued certificate is the basic qualifier to teach in all fifty states. In addition to an appropriate college degree, it may also "… include a requirement of good moral character … specified courses, practice teaching" (Imber, 2004, p. 399). School districts, however, may impose additional certification requirements such as residency, passing physicals or meeting continuing education requirements (p. 400). Certification is by no means an indicator of teaching competence and certification may be revoked.

Critics say that alternative certification routes do not provide practical experience. Likewise, critics also argue that NCLB's "highly qualified" teacher requirements are not stringent enough about verifying teaching skills. What is lacking, some critics charge, is the law's emphasis on subject knowledge over classroom skills. There is continued debate about the need to balance education in teaching skills with knowledge of the core subjects that the teacher must teach. However, state certification requirements test subject knowledge and at the same time there are encouraging innovations in teacher education that "… allow more extensive study of specific disciplines, along with more intensive clinical training in schools" (Darling-Hammond, 2005, p. 23). Ideally, a key benefit of a good teacher education program is that graduates have had hands-on opportunities, beyond student teaching, to hone skills. Students who know better what they are getting into have better odds when they make the leap into the job market.

Hiring Highly Qualified Teachers

The key player in hiring and retaining teachers is the school principal. As the primary interface with teachers and administration, model principals are lead teachers. According to Heller (2004), the best principals create a family within the school and the teachers are integrated into it. (p. 40) Clearly, hiring teachers and principals who will promote high standards for all students is essential in improving achievement and equity in our schools.

Stronge (2006) lays out criteria for effective teachers. In the earliest research conducted on effective teachers, he says, the emphasis was on studying "personality:" i.e., investing whether the individual had the right temperament to teach. Today, the requirements are more exacting. He lists:

• Prerequisites of effective teaching (verbal ability, content knowledge, coursework, certification, teaching experience),

• Personal attributes;

• Classroom management and organization,

• Planning for instruction,

• Instructional delivery and

• Monitoring student progress and potential (Stronge, 2006, p. 11).

The question is what is the best method to select the most effective teachers? Peterson recommends a very customized process that is laid out for a school district by a standing hiring committee. He recommends close scrutiny of all of the teachers' credentials and other requiring demonstration of ability including written essays, a portfolio, and work samples (Peterson, 2002, p. 43).

The NEXT project at Harvard University has also conducted research on teacher hiring exploring the "fit" of teachers after they have been hired. An affiliate of NEXT, Edward Liu (2005) conducted a four-state study of new teachers and their satisfaction at their schools. He emphasizes that the most successful hiring processes are "information rich;" i.e., that it should include "interviews with a cross-section of the school community, teaching demonstrations and observations of classes or staff meetings." Both the candidate and those doing the hiring should have "multiple opportunities to collect information about and form impressions of one another" (Liu, 2005, p. 12).

Retaining Hired Teachers

Once an individual is appointed to a teaching position, there is a period of probation and evaluation that is dictated by state regulations. In most states, teachers are probationary for three years and then are eligible for tenure. Given the turnover of teachers, it is critical that probationary teachers be given support and receive mentoring. In other words, Heller says "retaining is more cost-effective than recruiting. He says that "ongoing professional development, developmental supervision, peer supervision, and teacher empowerment [are] crucial aspects of this next phase of teacher retention." (Heller, p. 40).

There are numerous models of mentoring programs supported by school districts throughout the country and there are also successful induction programs supported by the states. Often cited state programs include the B.E.S.T. (Beginning Educator Support and Training) program in Connecticut and the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program in California. The Connecticut program for new teachers involves mentoring, attendance at seminars, personal portfolios, and an analysis of the teacher's performance. Based on local studies, it was shown that the California program resulted in a 93 percent retention rate (Heller, 2004, p. 40)—More recent statistics list the retention rate at 84 percent (CTC, 2010).

Mentoring support in the early years of teaching is critical and is most effective when the mentors are the best and most experienced teachers in the school. Darling-Hammond (2003) says that the best mentoring programs utilize the "the knowledge and skill of the school's best-prepared and most committed teachers … [and young teachers] not only stay in the profession at higher rates, but also become competent more quickly than those who must learn by trial and error" (Darling-Hammond, 2003).

Further Insights

Data

The National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) document "Teacher Attrition and Mobility; Results from the 2004-2005 Teacher Follow-Up Survey" was released in January of 2007 and was summarized in a news report by Kimberly Palmer in Teacher.

Data showed that 65% of the teachers who left and were "working outside of the field of education felt that their workload was more manageable and that they were better able to balance their personal and work life" (Marvel, et al., 2006, p. 3). The study also showed that nearly 20% of those who had no prior full-time teaching experience left during 2004-05. In 2004-05, 8 percent of all public school teachers left the profession, "which was up from 6 percent in 1988-89" (Palmer, 2007).

Research

Research on the national teacher corps has expanded considerably partly because of the NCLB guidelines that require that every student be taught by a highly qualified teacher. Several research organizations have conducted significant studies and issued reports and papers intended to help state policy makers and school administrators make decisions about recruiting and retaining teachers.

This activity has certainly been prompted by the U.S. Department of Education's efforts to offer what is called "guidance" to states in implementation of NCLB regulations.

• State education departments are served by the Education Commission of the States, an organization whose charge is to help state leaders shape education policy. The organization conducts and sponsors research on all aspects and all levels of education.

• The New Teacher Project (TNTP) has as its mission to increase the number of outstanding individual who become public school teachers to creating environments for all educators that maximize their impact on student achievement. Their particular focus is on urban and poverty ridden schools. They partner with schools and offer fellowships, consult on recruiting, hiring and retention, and offer mentoring and certification programs.

• The National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) is a research consortium of major universities and is affiliated with the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. Funded for five years, it is a designated National Research and Development Center. The organization's motto is "tracking every student's learning every year." One of their investigation objectives is to research how teacher policies affect outcomes for teachers and students. The organization works with longitudinal data generated from state reports to meet NCLB requirements. They are tracking student achievement in four states and have begun issuing some reports. For example, they claim to have established that teacher experience mattered in terms of student achievement in North Carolina and Florida, but also showed that most of the positive effects of experience came in the first years in the classroom (National Center for Longitudinal Data in Education Research, n.d.).

• Sponsored by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Project on the Next Generation of Teachers is a research project investigating "questions regarding the future of our nation's teaching force." The Project examines issues related to attracting, supporting, and retaining quality teachers in U.S. public schools.

• The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF), based in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to providing every child with competent caring, qualified teachers in schools organized for success. NCTAF issues reports and articles and lobbies for education legislation and have formed a coalition with 25 states.

Issues

The NCLB Act has factored in most significant educational policy developments in the U.S. since its enactment in 2001. (The Common Core State Standards Initiative, adopted in 2014, will further influence educational policy development.) It requires that all teachers of core academic subjects in the classroom be highly qualified. This is determined by three essential criteria:

• Attaining a bachelor's degree or better in the subject taught;

• Obtaining full state teacher certification; and

• Demonstrating knowledge in the subjects taught.

States have had to work out methods for evaluating teaching using "High, Objective, Uniform State Standards of Evaluation (HOUSSE)." In order to receive federal aid, states are required to submit student achievement and teacher data and a status report on their progress in an annual report each year.

States now report that over half to 90 percent or more of their teachers are highly qualified. Michael Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation criticizes this system, saying that soon all teachers will be declared highly qualified, while the most important factor related to student achievement is teacher quality. "The best way to figure out who's effective is to look at the gains students make over time. We have to reward those teachers and coach the ones whose students aren't making progress to improve or to leave the profession" ("Inside the Law," 2005, p. 20).

Linda Darling-Hammond, one of the leading researchers on issues surrounding retaining a quality teacher workforce, was one of the first to tackle a state-wide analysis of correlating teacher quality and student achievement. She also aggressively critiqued the Secretary of Education's 2002 Annual Report on Teacher Quality. Margaret Spellings, the Secretary of Education, recommended the dismantling of teacher education systems and said that verbal ability and subject matter knowledge are the most important components of teacher effectiveness. Darling-Hammond rebuts the arguments in an extensive article by arguing that the Secretary's propositions are based on unreliable research as she says that teacher skills must be given equal emphasis with a subject background.

Darling-Hammond (2005) showed that the complaint that American teachers are underpaid is true in comparison to that of other developed countries. Their school systems, however, also expect more from the teachers in terms of a commitment to integrated professional development rather than occasional attendance at workshops. In Japan, she points out, teacher salaries are comparable to those of engineers, but their teachers also are involved in on-going team development. U.S. teachers have little time for "in-school time for professional learning or collegial work." She advocates more time for teachers to plan and learn together to enhance teacher commitment, which consequently will result in more acceptable retention rates.

Terms & Concepts

Certification: Certification of teachers is a state responsibility and is the basic qualification to teach in all fifty states. It "may include a requirement of good moral character, a college degree, specified courses, practice teaching, and in more than half of the states, passing one or more examinations" (Imber, 2004, p. 399).

High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE): Method used by each state to have their current teachers demonstrate subject competency and meet highly qualified teacher requirements.

Highly Qualified Teachers: The No Child Left Behind Act (2001), backed by the regulations and guidance of the U.S. Department of Education requires of states that teachers be highly qualified with minimum standard of a bachelor's degree; full state certification or licensure; and proof that they are competent in knowledge of each subject that they teach.

Licensure: Synonymous with certification. Licensure is granting a license to teachers granting them the privilege to teach within a state.

Longitudinal Data: Data for individuals tracked over time. An example would be math scores for final examinations for one student through first grade through grade twelve. The scores can measure change and show improvement or decline.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB): No Child Left Behind Act - Federal legislation enacted in 2001, since amended. A primary goal of the Act is to close educational achievement gaps and to bring underperforming schools up to higher, acceptable standards. This includes the requirement that every child should be taught by a highly qualified teacher.

Probation: In most states, a teacher who has less than three years of continuous service in the same school district is considered probationary. Probationary teachers are usually evaluated more frequently than tenured or "permanent" teachers and may have to meet additional requirements. Probationary teachers serve at the pleasure of their school boards and may be dismissed or not have their contracted renewed with little notice.

Tenure: Tenure is the right earned by a teacher to hold a position indefinitely or "permanently" as long as certain conditions are met. Processes for dismissing a tenure teacher may be protracted, particularly if a school district does not have a solid cause.

Bibliography

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Suggested Reading

Allen, M. (2005). Eight questions on teacher recruitment and retention: what does the research say? Denver, Colorado: Education Commission of the States. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED489332). Retrieved October 22, 2007, from Education Resources Information Center http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1b/b9/42.pdf

Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2010). Update on BTSA Induction. Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Professional Services Committee. State of California. Retrieved November 10, 2014, from http://www.ctc.ca.gov/commission/agendas/2010-09/2010-09-2G.pdf.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: a review of state policy evidence. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 8 , 1-46. Retrieved October 2, 2007, from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v8n1

Dillion, S. (2007, August 27). Schools scramble for teachers because of spreading turnover. New York Times, A1-A13.

Douglas, M. (2006). Shaping the Future: Hiring. School Business Affairs, 72 , 2-4.

Jacob, B. A. (2007). The challenges of staffing urban schools with effective teachers. The Future of Children, 17 , 129-153. Retrieved September 30, 2007, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=24821228&site=ehost-live

Long, S. (2007). The cost of teacher turnover in math and science. Science Teacher, 74 , 10. Retrieved October 3, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=24285840&site=ehost-live

Miller, A. (2006). The importance of process. School Business Affairs, 72 , 34-36.

Peal, C. (2007). Hire well. Principal, 8 , 42. Retrieved September 16, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=26264712&site=ehost-live

Pillsbury, P. (2005). Only the BEST: hiring outstanding teachers. Leadership, 35 , 36-38. Retrieved September 16, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=19051844&site=ehost-live

Polansky, H. & Semmel, M. (2006). Hiring the best and retaining them. School Administrator, 63 , 46-47. Retrieved September 16, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=22114743&site=ehost-live

Reeves, D. (2007). New ways to hire educators. Educational Leadership, 64 , 83-4. Retrieved September 16, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=25102105&site=ehost-live

Theel, R. & Tallerico, M. (2004). Using portfolios for teacher hiring: insights from school principals. Action in Teacher Education, 26 , 26-33.

Tooms, A. & Crowe, A. (2004). Hiring good teachers: the interview process. Principal. 84 , 50-53. Retrieved September 16, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=15979034&site=ehost-live