NEW DATA LINKS TEACHER SHORTAGE TO DIMINISHED LEARNING

A Penn State researcher has released data affirming how a shortage of candidates for teaching jobs is leading to diminished outcomes for students. Penn State professor Ed Fuller used data from the state department of education on teacher qualifications to examine the extent to which teachers in Pennsylvania schools are under-qualified. While the existence of under-qualified teachers does not necessarily indicate a school has teacher vacancies, Fuller says his research shows the two issues are correlated. He concludes that schools that have difficulty filling teaching positions often resort to hiring under-qualified teachers.