Is There Really a Shortage of

Mathematics, Science and Special

Education Teachers?

Richard M. Ingersoll
Professor of Education and Sociology
University of Pennsylvania
and
Consortium for Policy Research in Education
 The Source of Data
The Schools and Staffing Survey with the
Teacher Follow-up Survey
 Conducted by the Census Bureau for the U.S.
Department of Education
 5 Cycles: 1987-1989, 1990-1992
1993-1995, 1999-2001
2003-2004 - forthcoming
 The largest source of information available on
teachers:
-Sample: 55,000 teachers
12,000 schools
-Representing all 50 states
 Percent Secondary Schools with Difficulties
Filling their Teaching Vacancies, by Field.

Mathematics 42

Special Educ 34

Life Science 30

Foreign Lang 29

Physical Science 27

English 24

Music/Art 21

Social Studies 14

0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent

Source: Ingersoll, R. 2003. Is There Really a Teacher Shortage? Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of Pennsylvania,
http://www.gse.upenn.edu/faculty_research/Shortage-RMI-09-2003.pdf
 Percent Annual Teacher Turnover, by Field

All Teachers 14.3

Math 16.4
Science 15.6
Special Educ. - Elementary 14.5
Movers
Elementary 14 Leavers

Special Educ. - Secondary 13.5

Voc. Tech. 13.4

English 12.4

Social Studies 9.4

0 10 20 30 40 50

Percent
 Numbers of US Teachers in Transition
Before and After 1999-2000 School Year

Entrants
534,861

Teaching Force
3,443,467

Departures
546,411

Source: Ingersoll, R. 2003. Is There Really a Teacher Shortage? Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of Pennsylvania,
http://www.gse.upenn.edu/faculty_research/Shortage-RMI-09-2003.pdf
 Beginning Teacher Attrition (Cumulative
Percent Teachers Having Left Teaching
Occupation, by Years of Experience)

After 1 year 14

After 2 years 24

After 3 years 33

After 4 years 40

After 5 years 46

0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
Source: Ingersoll, R. 2003. Is There Really a Teacher Shortage? Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of
Pennsylvania, http://www.gse.upenn.edu/faculty_research/Shortage-RMI-09-2003.pdf
 Percent Annual Public School
Teacher Turnover, by Selected School
Characteristics

All Public 15

Large/Suburban/Not-
11
poor

Small/Suburban/Not-
Poor 16

Large/Urban/Poor 19

Small/Rural/Poor 22

Small/Urban/Poor 26

0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Percent
 Percent Teachers Giving Various
Reasons for Their Turnover, by Field

14
Retirement 11
10

School Staffing 8 Other

6
Action 5
Math/Science
40
Family or Personal 44 Spec. Educ.
19

To Pursue Other 39
30
Job 36

50
Dissatisfaction 50
62

0 20 40 60 80 100

Percent
 Of Those School Teachers Who Moved From
or Left Their School, Percent Reporting Various
Sources of Dissatisfaction, by Field

Too little prep time 61

68

58
Too heavy teaching load 48
48

56
Poor salary or benefits 61
Other
54
Math/Science
50
Class sizes too large 53 Spec.Educ.
49

50
Student behavioral problems 46
45

49
Lack of faculty influence 57
50

0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
 Percent Turnover After First Year of Beginning
Teachers, According to Amount of Induction
Support They Received

No Induction 41

Some Induction
(4 Components) 27

Full Induction
(7Components) 18

0 10 20 30 40 50

Percent
Movers Leavers

Smith, T. & Ingersoll, R. 2004 "What are the Effects of Induction and Mentoring on Beginning Teacher Turnover?" American Educational Research Journal. 41: 3: 681-714.
http://www.gse.upenn.edu/faculty_research/Effects-of-Induction-and-Mentoring-RMI-Fall-2004.pdf
 Percent Voluntary Turnover of Teachers, According
to Amount of Faculty Influence over School
Decisions and Policies
Percent

Low Faculty Influence High

Note: “Voluntary Turnover” excludes retirements, layoffs, terminations and involuntary transfers
Source: Ingersoll, R. 2003. Who Controls Teachers’ Work? Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/INGWHO.html
 For Further Information, Copies of
Articles, Reports, etc.:

 www.gse.upenn.edu/faculty/ingersoll.html

 and a recent book:

Who Controls Teachers’ Work? Power and
Accountability in America’s Schools.
from Harvard University Press
www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/INGWHO.html