The following is a list of recent resources for those focused on the professional improvement of teachers, principals, and other educational leaders.

Case Study: Impacts of SW TURN on the San Antonio Independent School Districtrecently published case study explains how a decision by union and management leaders to attend a regional Teacher Union Reform Network (TURN) event helped the San Antonio Independent School System (SAISD) solve a key challenges around teacher retention.

How Schools Manage Leadership Change  Managing leadership transitions isn’t a one-and-done event. It’s actually an organizational process with many moving parts, such as mentoring new leaders and engaging new employees throughout recruitment and on-boarding. (District Administration) 

Schools Throughout the Country Are Grappling with Teacher Shortage, Data Show  The institute estimated last year that if trends continue, there could be a nationwide shortfall of 112,000 teachers by 2018. (CNN)

With Principals in ‘Crisis Mode,’ New WA State Law Taps into Thousands of Potential Teacher Recruits  After a five-year lobbying effort, lawmakers in April almost unanimously agreed — there was only one “no” vote — to create new rules for how school districts train paraeducators. The state also will simplify what it takes for a paraeducator to become a fully certified teacher. (Seattle Times)

How Do You Keep Teachers In Rural Ignacio? You Grow Your Own  This article emphasizes the importance of rural schools implementing Grow Your Own strategies to recruit and keep teachers in their schools.

Characteristics of Public Elementary and Secondary School Teachers in the United States: Results From the 2015–16 National Teacher and Principal Survey  In the 2015–16 school year, there were an estimated 3,827,100 teachers in public elementary and secondary schools in the United States. About 3,608,600 taught in traditional public schools and about 218,500 taught in charter schools. About 80% of all public school teachers were non-Hispanic White, 9% were Hispanic, 7% were non-Hispanic Black, and 2% were non-Hispanic Asian. Among public school teachers, 77% were female and 23% were male. In addition, relatively more women were teachers in primary schools (89%) than in middle schools (73%), combined schools (70%), and high schools (59%). On average, public school teachers had about 14 years of experience. In addition, teachers in traditional public schools had relatively more teaching experience on average (14 years) than teachers in public charter schools (10 years). The largest percentage of public school teachers listed a master’s degree as their highest degree earned (47%), followed by a bachelor’s degree (41%). Relatively more teachers in traditional public schools listed a master’s degree as their highest degree (48%) than those in public charter schools (38%).  (National Center for Education Statistics)

State Information Request: Strengthening School Leadership  This report by ECS addresses state- and district-level policies related to strengthening school leadership, specifically those focused on urban areas and scaling statewide.

Federal Feedback on Illinois’ ESSA Plan  Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education issued its initial feedback on the state’s new education accountability plan, raising concerns about whether some aspects of its proposal meet ESSA requirements. Ben Boer, deputy director of Advance Illinois, discusses the promise in the federal government’s response. (WTTW)

The Nation’s Teaching Force Is Still Mostly White and Female  Teachers tend to be white, female, and have nearly a decade and a half of experience in the classroom, according to new data released Monday by the federal government. But there are signs that the nation’s teaching force is gradually growing more diverse. (Education Week)

A State-by-State Analysis of the Factors Influencing Teacher Supply, Demand, and Equity by Learning Policy Institute highlights a number of key factors that reflect and influence teacher supply and attrition and signal whether states are likely to have an adequate supply of qualified teachers to fill their classrooms.

On ESSA, Many Principals Have Little Idea What the Law Actually Means  The requirement for increased stakeholder engagement is vague, but it translates into the idea that principals, and even teacher-leaders, should be more involved in the decision-making process at the district level through regular consultation with district leadership. (Education Dive)

50-State Comparison on High School Feedback Reports  This comprehensive web resource covers 12 key questions on high school feedback reports and systems, including who receives the reports, how often they are provided, information included within them and if the data is broken down by factors such as race, ethnicity and income.

Confused About Where Your State’s ESSA Plan Stands? This detailed state ESSA plan tracker includes a new map that shows the status of each state’s plan. There are three categories: one for states that haven’t submitted their plans to the U.S. Department of Education yet, one for states that have gotten feedback on their plans from the Education Department, and one for states whose plans have gotten final approval from the feds.(Education Week)

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) Researchers with the Rand Corporation published “Quality Rating and Improvement Systems for Early Care and Education Programs: Making the Second Generation Better,” that assesses what is known about QRIS systems and how states might strategically allocate funding given the loss of RTT-ELC support. New America’s Abbie Lieberman summarizes the report and argues for further research to determine best use of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems to measure program quality and support programs through their improvement.

State Information Request – Funding for Competency Based Education  This report by Education Commission of the States reviews state policies for funding for competency-based education, including how states approach statutory language referencing grade levels. The report also references good other good resources regarding policy and competency based education.