Publications – Teacher Workforce

Michigan Teachers Who Are Not Teaching: Who Are They, and What Would Motivate Them to Teach?

April 2021

To alleviate teacher shortages, education leaders in Michigan have considered recruiting certified teachers who are not currently teaching (both those who have never taught and those who left teaching). This REL Midwest study analyzed teacher certification, employment, and survey data to gather information on the viability of this recruitment option. An earlier sneak peek version of these findings is available here. A related infographic highlights the study’s key findings.

Past and Projected Trends in Teacher Demand and Supply in Michigan

August 2019

This REL Midwest study examined trends in teacher supply and demand in Michigan over the past five years and projected those trends five years into the future to better understand where potential teacher shortages might occur. A related infographic [313 KB ] highlights the study’s key findings.

Strategies for estimating teacher supply and demand using student and teacher data

December 2016

The Minnesota Department of Education partnered with REL Midwest to redesign the state’s teacher supply and demand study in order to increase its utility for stakeholders. This report summarizes the four-step process that was followed in redesigning the study.

An examination of the movement of educators within and across three Midwest Region states

November 2016

REL Midwest, in partnership with its Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance, conducted a study on the mobility of teachers and administrators in public schools within and between Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This study was the first to examine educator mobility within and among these three states using the same methodology across the states.

Changes in Student Populations and Teacher Workforce in Low-Performing Chicago Schools Targeted for Reform

April 2012

This REL Midwest report examines changes in student populations and teacher workforce in 31 chronically low-performing Chicago public schools. These schools were selected for district-led reform interventions following five distinct types of reform models.

Methodologies Used by Midwest Region States for Studying Teacher Supply and Demand

September 2009

This report describes how state education agencies in the Midwest Region monitor teacher supply, demand, and shortage; details why they monitor these data; and offers estimates of the monetary costs incurred in performing such studies.

Calculating the Ability of Within-School Teacher Supply to Meet the Demands of New Requirements: The Example of the Michigan Merit Curriculum

July 2008

Representatives from the Michigan Department of Education and the Center for Educational Performance and Information requested assistance in estimating Michigan’s capacity to adequately staff its high schools to meet the course requirements of the new Michigan Merit Curriculum. The study team devised a formula to estimate the number of additional full-time equivalent teachers needed for each subject at each Michigan high school. Schools can adjust the variables in the formula to fit their own needs.