Massachusetts Study of Teacher Supply and Demand: Trends and Projections

In April 2015, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) commissioned American Institutes for Research (AIR) to develop a comprehensive set of 10-year projections of teacher supply and demand in order to inform planning for future workforce needs. This included state-level projections both in the aggregate, as well as for a variety of disaggregated categories, including assigned program area, teacher race and age, and geographic areas across the state. AIR collaborated with representatives from ESE's Office of Planning and Research as well as the Center for Educator Effectiveness to develop research questions that target the needs of policymakers and teacher-preparation programs. The study examined the following: (1) Aggregate projections of annual demand; (2) Aggregate projections of annual supply; (3) Detailed supply and demand projections by program area; (4) Detailed supply and demand projections by teacher demographic groups; and (5) Detailed supply and demand projections by region. The results of these analyses, including supporting tables and figures, are contained within this report. In addition, the results of each analysis are tied to relevant policy implications. Three appendices are included: (1) Technical Description of Methods; (2) Additional Findings and Exhibits; and (3) Validation Testing.