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Based on a survey of California principals and interviews with superintendents, this study examines professional learning experiences for the state's school leaders. We find that California's education leaders experience elements of high-quality preparation, with significantly better initial training reported by the state's new principals. However, most principals' learning opportunities are piecemeal and often do not include the elements principals most value. Access to professional learning is especially poor for principals in rural areas. The state's educational leaders do not consistently participate in professional learning opportunities that support them in leading schools that develop students' deeper learning and social and emotional competencies. They do, however, want more of it. [For the full report "Learning to Lead: Understanding California's Learning System for School and District Leaders. Technical Report. Getting Down to Facts II", see ED594687.]

Teacher shortages have been worsening in California since 2015. Growth in teacher demand as the economy has improved has collided with steep declines in the supply of new teachers, leading to significant increases in the hiring of underprepared teachers, especially in districts serving high-need students. Shortages are most severe in special education, mathematics, and science, and are growing in bilingual education; these are also areas where teacher attrition is high. This brief reviews a set of evidence-based policies the state could consider to build a lasting supply of well-prepared teachers. [For the full report, "Teacher Shortages in California: Status, Sources, and Potential Solutions," see ED594735.]

California is experiencing one of its most severe teacher shortages in two decades. Budget cuts and layoffs resulting from the recession contributed to a steep decline in the number of teachers in California, falling from a high of 310,362 teachers in the 2007-08 school year to 283,836 four years later. Recent efforts, including Proposition 30 and the Local Control Funding Formula, which, respectively, raised taxes for public education and transformed the state's school finance method, have helped to regrow California's teacher workforce. However, with sharp decreases in the supply of new teachers, there are still not enough qualified teachers across subject areas in many schools and districts to meet California's staffing needs. This ongoing teacher shortage threatens recent education initiatives in the state--new standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessments--that aim to better prepare all students for college and careers. [This brief summarizes two Getting Down to Facts II technical reports on teacher supply and demand in California: "Teacher Shortages in California: Evidence About Current Status, Sources, and Potential Solutions" (ED594735) and "Teacher Staffing Challenges in California: Exploring the Factors that Influence Teacher Staffing and Distribution" (ED594738).]

Teacher shortages have been worsening in California since 2015. After years of budget cuts and teacher layoffs, the passage of Proposition 30, officially titled Temporary Taxes to Fund Education, and the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) brought more money back into California schools after 2014. Many districts began to hire again, looking to reinstate classes and programs reduced or eliminated during the Great Recession. But qualified teachers were hard to find: The supply of new teaching candidates had declined by more than 70% over the decade when jobs were not available. As a result, since 2014-15, California districts have reported acute shortages of teachers, especially in mathematics, science, and special education. The passage of Proposition 58 reinstating bilingual education has triggered additional shortages of bilingual teachers. This report highlights the most recent data on California teacher shortages. The authors first describe overarching trends in the teacher labor market, then discuss current indicators of shortages and how they vary by subject area, location, and student population. They investigate sources of shortages in California, and finally they turn to potential state action to mitigate shortages in California. [To view the research brief, "Teacher Supply Falls Short of Demand in High-Need Fields, Locations," see ED594728.]

Despite the importance of learning for education leaders, little is known about the preparation and development experiences of California's superintendents and principals--that is, the learning opportunities they receive before taking a job as an administrator, and the on-the-job learning and professional learning opportunities they experience after they begin their job. To find out more, the Learning Policy Institute conducted a study of leadership in the state with the assistance of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and the American Institutes of Research. They administered a representative survey to more than 450 California principals; analyzed the most recent federal data about school leaders in California and across the nation; reviewed available California data; and conducted focus groups and interviews with principals, former principals, and superintendents from across the state. This report: (1) provides an overview of California's leadership context; (2) describes the kinds of principal preparation and professional development available in the state; (3) shares how principals assess their leadership preparation in light of the new educational demands of deeper learning and social-emotional learning; (4) summarizes the learning opportunities principals report they want; (5) describes superintendents' experiences with professional learning; and (6) concludes with policy implications informed by the study's findings. [For "Learning to Lead: Understanding California's Learning System for School and District Leaders. Research Brief," see ED606622.]

Developing excellent principals who can set direction, develop people, redesign organizations, and lead instruction requires a system of high-quality preparation and professional development. This paper summarizes the elements of high-quality principal preparation and professional development programs that have been associated with positive school outcomes, ranging from student achievement, to staff and student perceptions of school climate, to principal efficacy and retention. To illustrate how these elements work together to develop strong principals, the paper also includes descriptions of four programs that have been found to produce effective principals.

A highly competent teacher workforce is a necessary foundation for improving children's educational outcomes, especially for those who rely most on schools for their success. Yet a survey of over 200 California school districts reveals that three out of four districts report having a shortage of qualified teachers and that this shortage has gotten worse in the past two years. Districts report having to hire untrained teachers and substitutes, assign teachers out of field, cancel courses, and increase class sizes. They also report efforts to respond to shortages with a variety of policies to strengthen teacher preparation partnerships and pathways into the district, increase compensation, improve hiring and management, and enhance working conditions. To better address shortages, particularly in high-need fields and schools, the state and districts will need to develop a variety of evidence-based strategies targeted to communities' different needs.

Widespread media reports of local teacher shortages have become a hot topic in education since the summer of 2015. To date, there has not yet been a detailed national analysis of the sources and extent of teacher shortages, or a prognosis for the future. This report details the outcomes of such a study, which analyzes evidence of teacher shortages, as well as national and regional trends in teacher supply and demand. Using several federal databases, the authors examine the current context and model projections of future trends under several different assumptions about factors influencing supply and demand, including new entrants, re-entrants, projected hires, and attrition rates. The authors also investigate policy strategies that might mitigate these effects based on research about effective approaches to recruitment and retention. [For the research brief, see ED606665.]

After many years of teacher layoffs, a change is underway in California: With new money in the system, districts are hiring again, and they cannot find enough qualified teachers to fill their vacancies. Shortages in many fields and locations across the state have been provoked by a steep decline in candidates preparing to teach, coupled with an increase in demand fueled largely by teacher attrition and schools' reinstatement of previously cut staff positions. This has triggered a rapid increase in the issuance of permits and credentials for underprepared teachers. A majority of voters polled are concerned about the shortage and support actions to mitigate its impact. This analysis shows the genesis of the current shortages, evaluates the factors that will determine future trends, and makes recommendations for addressing these problems. [For the full report, see ED606333.]