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Teacher shortages continue to be a challenge for state policymakers, and while national media coverage paints a picture of widespread shortages, a closer examination reveals that shortages tend to be concentrated in specific subjects and schools. The primary policy response to shortages is often to recruit more teachers, but research demonstrates a need to balance recruitment with retention via a strategic, specific, and comprehensive approach. This Policy Guide highlights factors that impact teacher shortages across the country and provides key state policy levers to strengthen teacher retention, from interest in the field through career advancement.

Governors' State of the State Addresses signal policy priorities for the coming year and allow state policymakers to get a sense of trending issues in their state and other states of interest. This year to date, 44 governors have delivered their address, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education reverberated across many of them. Governors discussed reopening schools and the importance of in-person learning; they also mentioned the implications of federal pandemic relief funds and the policy challenges ahead across the P-20 spectrum (from early learning through workforce development). This year, as we have done every year since 2005, we summarized all of the education-related mentions and proposals in governors' addresses, and we identified six top trends: (1) K-12 funding; (2) Workforce development and CTE; (3) Teacher staffing; (4) Physical and mental health; (5) Postsecondary affordability; and (6) Learning recovery and success. [For the 2021 report, see ED611892.]

School accountability systems can serve many purposes, including sharing information, measuring progress toward state and local goals, and supporting greater educational equity. Given the important role accountability systems play in states' education systems, states have taken the opportunity provided by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to improve upon their existing systems. This interactive resource captures where state accountability systems are by providing a national overview of these systems as described in state ESSA plans, current state statute and regulation, or other state education agency resources. In some cases, states may operate multiple systems to ensure school quality. Hyperlinked data tables for 50-state comparisons showing how all states approach school accountability are provided. A specific state's approach can be viewed by going to the individual state profile page.

Teacher shortages in some regions, schools and content areas have caused states to consider fast-tracking teachers into the classroom through avenues that include little or no clinical preparation. Teachers who enter the profession through these pathways are less likely to be prepared, less effective and less likely to remain in the profession than teachers who participate in clinical experience training. The impact of underprepared teachers is not distributed evenly, as teachers who lack clinical experience are most likely to be hired in Title I schools and in schools serving students of color. This Policy Brief provides an overview of different clinical preparation models, a summary of key research on the benefits of robust clinical experience for recruiting and retaining an effective teacher workforce, and examples of state-level policies that support high-quality teacher preparation, including how to leverage clinical experience to improve workforce diversity.

Research suggests that there are several positive impacts of mental health programming in K-12 educational settings, including improvements in students' overall health, academic and social outcomes. Additionally, comprehensive and effective school mental health systems can lead to a variety of beneficial outcomes for schools and communities, including improved school climate and safety, reduced exclusionary discipline, and improved youth, family and educator engagement. Recognizing that education systems can support the full continuum of student mental wellness in many ways -- including universal prevention and wellness promotion, early identification, targeted intervention and treatment -- state education leaders continue to make student mental health a priority. Underscoring how crucial it is that education systems address the mental wellness of students, research shows that of those students who access the treatment they need, at least 70% begin their journey to treatment at school. In order to support the whole child throughout their educational experience, state leaders may explore how to effectively use financial resources to provide mental health services and supports to students. Funding for student mental health is used to support a variety of activities and comes from several sources, including various state and federal funding streams. This Policy Brief explores and describes common sources of funding that states use to support K-12 school-based mental health programming and provides an overview of how states use those sources of funding to serve students.