Partnerships with Institutions of Higher Education for Teacher Recruitment

This brief analyzes four school districts and their partnerships with institutions of higher education.

School districts across the United States face shortages of teachers as the number of students pursuing education as a career and graduating with teaching degrees continues to fall. In 2016, the number of college freshmen planning to major in education reached its lowest point in 45 years.

To counter these teacher workforce challenges, school leaders have developed intensive partnerships with institutions of higher education to strengthen teacher recruitment pipelines. We interviewed four school districts about their partnerships with institutions of higher education. Contacts describe the elements of their partnerships and suggest approaches to leverage partnerships for recruitment purposes.

Partnerships with higher education institutions

Identified partnerships range from highly resource intensive, long-term commitments to informal agreements with few shared resources. The most intensive partnerships include shared staff, significant resource investments, and a long-term strategic mission for the partnership. The most intensive of these involve formalized agreements, resource sharing, and collaboration that extends beyond the teacher-training pipeline.

Additional teacher recruitment strategies

Fewer students pursuing teaching as a career—between 2010 and 2015, the number of students graduating with degrees in education from four-year institutions of higher education fell by 13.7%. Consider a teacher cadet program that students can join as juniors or seniors. Based on a program developed by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Achievement in South Carolina, the elective course provides opportunities for students to learn more about teaching, managing a classroom, and the education profession in general.