Data/Research: Teachers
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To better understand issues facing the teaching profession, it’s important to stay abreast of the latest data and research.
Data on the Teacher Workforce
The National Center for Education Statistics collects in-depth data every couple years on teacher background, training, pay, professional development, class sizes and other issues.
The National Education Association produces an annual report showing how states compare on various education and funding measures, including average teacher salaries and student-teacher ratios.
The National Council on Teacher Quality collects data on state policies regarding teacher preparation, licensing, evaluation, compensation, professional development and dismissal.
Research on Teachers
Richard Ingersoll, a professor of education and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, has analyzed more than 30 years of national data to identify trends in the American teaching workforce.
The RAND Corporation regularly surveys its nationally representative panel of teachers to produce reports on curriculum, instruction and job satisfaction.
The Project on the Next Generation of Teachers at Harvard University studies efforts to attract, support and retain teachers.
The Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) at the American Institutes for Researchproduces key research on the teacher pipeline, licensure, district hiring practices, teacher compensation, educator effectiveness and other teacher workforce issues.
Resources for Coverage
Bellwether Education Partners produces research and analysis on teacher pensions.
Education Week has a helpful explainer on teacher salaries, pensions and benefits.
The Journalist’s Resource, a project of the Harvard Kennedy School, has a valuable guide for covering teachers’ unions.
Further Reading
“The Teacher Wars: A History of America’s Most Embattled Profession,” by Dana Goldstein
“Becoming a Teacher,” by Melinda D. Anderson
“The Lost Education of Horace Tate: Uncovering the Hidden Heroes Who Fought for Justice in Schools,” by Vanessa Siddle Walker
“Building a Better Teacher: How Teaching Works,” by Elizabeth Green
Updated June 2021.
