Report
Learn Together Surveys
Nov 3, 2022
Using nationally representative response data from the 2022 Learn Together Survey, the authors examine teachers' experiences entering, completing, and transitioning from teacher preparation programs. They examine teachers' access to supports and their helpfulness, including reported differences among teachers by race or ethnicity and years of experience, and discuss key findings and recommendations to promote a robust teaching workforce.
Findings from the 2022 Learn Together Survey
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Policymakers and researchers have dedicated increasing attention to the state of the kindergarten-through-grade 12 (K–12) teacher preparation programs (TPPs) amid concerns over potential teacher and staff shortages in many school districts and states. With many districts and states facing staffing challenges and declining levels of both interest in teaching and attainment of teaching credentials, quick action is needed to restore the health of the K–12 teacher pipeline, and TPPs play a central role in that effort.
In this report, the authors look at responses from a nationally representative sample of 3,606 K–12 teachers who took the 2022 Learn Together Survey (LTS) to see what teachers said about how well their TPPs provided the training, experiences, and resources needed to transition to the classroom.
Specifically, the authors report on teachers' experiences and supports during three phases: (1) entry into their programs; (2) their experiences while in their programs, specifically their access to content expertise and supports for completing their programs; and (3) transition to the teaching workforce. The authors examine teachers' access to such supports and perceptions of their helpfulness, highlighting significant differences among teachers by race or ethnicity and years of experience.
This analysis is meant to describe the preparation experience of the current K–12 teaching workforce and not, necessarily, the current state of K–12 TPPs. With that in mind, the authors discuss the implications of key findings and recommendations to promote a robust teaching workforce.
The research described in this report was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and conducted by RAND Education and Labor.
This report is part of the RAND Corporation Research report series. RAND reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.
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