May 7, 2010 - In an analysis of 20 years of demographic data, Penn GSE Professor Richard Ingersoll has uncovered some trends, many of which challenge conventional wisdom about the teaching profession in the U.S.
In a recent article in Educational Leadership, Dr. Ingersoll describes the findings from their analysis of the Schools and Staffing survey, the most comprehensive source of information available on the teaching force. Lisa Merrill, a doctoral student at Penn GSE, also worked on the study.
The elementary and secondary teaching force has changed in recent years in a number of ways, Dr. Ingersoll says. “It is larger. It is older—and younger. It is more female. It is less stable. However, its academic ability remains about the same.”
Key findings from the study are:
Who’s Teaching Our Children, by Richard Ingersoll and Lisa Merrill, is available here.
Contact: Kat Stein, Exec. Director of Communications / katstein@gse.upenn.edu / (215) 898-9642