Impacting the Teacher Shortage
The preparation, placement and retention of PreK-12 teachers is essential to ensuring the success of the public education system. We know that educator preparation matters when it comes to teacher retention and effectiveness and, most importantly, when it comes to student learning and outcomes.
The College of Education is committed to addressing and taking action on the teacher shortage in Texas through research, ongoing collaboration with state and district leaders and innovative programs to prepare and retain teachers. The future of education in Texas is, and always will be, our priority.
As the College of Education and its partners continue to create meaningful reporting around teacher attrition, educational leaders across Texas commissioned a follow-up study, Beyond the Tipping Point: The Rise of Uncertified Teachers, to examine how emerging alternative educator pathways have led to a notable rise of uncertified teachers. With half of newly hired teachers in Texas now lacking certification and classroom experience, the study explores how traditional university-based teacher preparation programs and alternative certification programs can result in vastly different student outcomes.
In Texas, the PreK-12 system loses about 10% of its teachers in any given year. In the wake of COVID-19, teacher attrition rates significantly increased, causing a significant spike in alternative pathways to move educators into the classroom. In 2022, in partnership with Educate Texas and other Texas education leaders, the College of Education examined this alarming trend and investigated how different educator pathways impact teacher retention and student success.
To combat the teacher shortage in Texas, prospective teachers across the state need access to more flexible and accelerated pathways into the profession. This one-year program provides online coursework with a paid, full time teacher residency to produce highly qualified teachers who are ready to teach on day one.
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Improving the Texas teacher shortage requires not only producing more teachers, but retaining these educators once they are in the classroom. THRIVE reduces teacher turnover through a proven and comprehensive mentoring approach designed to support early-career teachers, mentor teachers and campus leaders.
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