Pennsylvania Teacher Shortage Areas: Supply, Demand and Retainment
Open Access
Author:
Goodale, Tabatha
Graduate Program:
Educational Theory and Policy
Degree:
Master of Arts
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
April 01, 2019
Committee Members:
Maryellen Schaub, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Keywords:
Teacher Shortage Attrition Retention Induction
Abstract:
This thesis investigates the school level factors, including both school and organizational characteristics that contribute to district teacher shortages in Pennsylvania. Using the Nationwide Teacher Shortage Area Listing for the 2017–2018 school year, five school districts are identified as persistently having a teacher shortage. School and organizational level characteristics of these districts that consistently appeared on the list over the past decade are described and then compared to state averages. These descriptors, including student to teacher ratio, teacher salary, and standardized test scores, were then used to predict an additional three districts that recently identified a shortage that may continue to have a teacher shortage and suggest steps to address these shortage areas.
