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.
42
Mathematics
34
Special Educ
Life Science
30
Foreign Lang
29
27
Physical Science
24
English
21
Music/Art
14
Social Studies
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
14.5
Special Educ. - Elementary
Elementary
Movers
Leavers
14
Special Educ. - Secondary
13.5
Voc. Tech.
13.4
12.4
English
Social Studies
9.4
0
10
20
30
Percent
40
50
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
15
All Public
Large/Suburban/Notpoor
11
Small/Suburban/NotPoor
16
Large/Urban/Poor
19
Small/Rural/Poor
22
26
Small/Urban/Poor
0
5
10
15
Percent
20
25
30
Percent Teachers Giving Various
Reasons for Their Turnover, by Field
14
11
10
Retirement
8
School Staffing
Action
Other
6
5
Math/Science
40
Family or Personal
44
Spec. Educ.
19
39
To Pursue Other
Job
30
36
50
50
Dissatisfaction
62
0
20
40
Percent
60
80
100
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
Math/Science
Spec.Educ.
54
50
53
49
Class sizes too large
50
46
45
Student behavioral problems
49
Lack of faculty influence
57
50
0
20
40
60
Percent
80
100
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
Percent Voluntary Turnover of Teachers, According
to Amount of Faculty Influence over School
Decisions and Policies
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