Introduction

There is little disagreement that students attending America’s public PreK–12 schools need a diverse, talented teacher workforce to help them meet their full potential. But schools are increasingly struggling to find an adequate number of diverse, well-qualified teachers to fill their staffing needs. As a result, states are under pressure to open up new pathways for becoming a teacher or to modify existing ones.

How can states expand opportunities to enter teaching while ensuring the resulting workforce is as diverse and talented as it needs to be to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of every student?

The first step to answering this question requires understanding how states currently allow individuals to enter teaching; without this knowledge, it is nearly impossible to make decisions about whether or how to modify existing pathways into teaching.¹ To help teacher preparation and credentialing leaders, policymakers, researchers, and even prospective teachers, gain a clearer view of the state and national landscapes for earning a first-time teaching credential, New America’s Education Policy program has created a first-of-its-kind database detailing the attributes and requirements of each available state pathway into teaching. The database illuminates how state teacher preparation policies intersect with policies that delineate who can obtain employment as a lead classroom teacher—an often overlooked but critical aspect influencing the quantity, diversity, and quality of the novice teacher workforce.

This resource can guide reflection and innovation as states seek to balance the inherent tensions between quantity, quality, and diversity that are present when shaping pathways into teaching and determining if and how teachers entering via these pathways can continue once in the profession.