All Resources

February 27, 2017 | Principals play a central role in creating schools in which students thrive academically and the teaching staff is strong, stable, and supported. This report analyzes the research on quality preparation and professional development programs for principals, highlighting examples of effective programs and providing guidance for policymakers.

February 27, 2017 | Improving student achievement requires strong school leadership. Principals also play a critical role in addressing widespread teacher shortages by creating school environments that attract and retain competent teachers. This fact sheet summarizes key elements of high-quality and effective preparation and professional development programs designed to enable principals to improve student and school outcomes.

February 27, 2017 | Turnover accounts for 90% of the demand for new teachers, exacerbating shortages and undermining academic progress. This brief summarizes research on the important role that principals can play in reducing the steady churn of teachers and highlights actions states and districts can take to strengthen school leadership.

February 23, 2017 | Strategic selection and use of performance indicators can illuminate disparities in our schools and focus attention and resources on rectifying long-standing inequities. This report explores how states can use a multiple-measure accountability system to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for underserved youth and begin to dismantle the school-to-prison-pipeline.

February 23, 2017 | What will it take for states to move from compliance-focused accountability systems to systems that enable a culture of continuous learning and improvement? In this report, the authors lay out a vision for next generation accountability systems designed to support the goal of college and career readiness for all students.

February 8, 2017 | In the past year, California’s teacher shortage has worsened as demand continues to grow and the supply of new teachers remains stagnant. This brief summarizes the findings of LPI’s 2017 update on the California teacher shortage and includes recommendations for state-level policies that would provide near-term solutions for strengthening the teacher pipeline.

February 8, 2017 | The passage of Proposition 58 in November 2016 removes restrictions on bilingual education in California, creating new educational opportunities, especially for the state’s 1.4 million English learners. This fact sheet analyzes the state’s supply of bilingual teachers in light of the expected increase in bilingual and dual-language immersion programs.

February 8, 2017 | California’s teacher shortage is worsening as demand continues to outpace the supply of new teachers. The shortage of special education, mathematics, and science teachers is especially severe, prompting an increase in the number of underprepared teachers. Low-income and minority students are disproportionately impacted by shortages, which threaten to undermine academic progress. This report details findings from LPI’s 2017 Update on California’s teacher shortage and offers policy recommendations to address this pressing problem.

February 8, 2017 | California schools have long struggled to find enough fully prepared special education teachers, but since the 2013-14 school year these shortages have skyrocketed. This research brief examines recent data on special education credentials and authorizations and documents an alarming rise in the number of underprepared teachers entering special education classrooms.

January 26, 2017 | School districts throughout California are experiencing teacher shortages at alarming rates, according to the results of a Fall 2016 survey conducted by the Learning Policy Institute and the California School Boards Association. Seventy-five percent of districts responding reported shortages, with 81% saying the problem is getting worse. This fact sheet provides an overview of survey results, including information about shortage areas and district responses to the teacher shortage.