In this blog, KA’s intern, Chris Bezdedeanu, met with Dr. Kerri White from the University of Oklahoma (OU) College of Continuing Education/Outreach Division’s EDUTAS Department to discuss the university’s work in addressing the educator workforce shortage in Arkansas.

Bezdedeanu: Can you tell me how OU’s relationship with the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) developed and led to OU’s work supporting the development of the Workforce Stability Index?

White: In 2014, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) put forth a requirement that States create (or update) on their websites plans for equitable access to excellent educators. The term “equitable access” refers to the notion that every student in any classroom in any public school in America should have the same opportunity as any other student to be taught by a great teacher supported by a great principal. ADE turned to the South Central Comprehensive Center (CC), then operated by OU and under the direction of Dr. Belinda Biscoe, to support updating its equitable access plan. OU worked with ADE staff to analyze its then-current plan and identify areas to strengthen. We identified teacher shortages as a barrier to achieving equitable access in Arkansas. Since we had previously worked with the State of Missouri to create an educator shortage predictor model (also through a CC operated by OU), we shared that process with ADE to see if it could work for them. However, after working on a predictor model for a couple of years, ADE decided that the best approach for their stakeholders would be the creation of a new model based on historical trends rather than predictions, which ultimately became the Workforce Stability Index (WSi).

Bezdedeanu: Why did ADE want to build a model based on historical trends rather than a predictor model?

White: There are a few reasons why ADE did not go with a predictor model. First, ADE didn’t have the type of data Missouri used for their predictor model, and ADE prioritized using existing ADE data. In addition, ADE prioritized an approach that could be easily used and understood by multiple constituencies, and they thought the predictor model had too many components that made it challenging to use and understand. For these reasons, OU worked with ADE to develop the WSi. The WSi illustrates geographic, subject-matter, and grade-level educator shortages in the present and historically and calculates the stability of a school or district’s faculty. Fundamentally, any change in the workforce, such as a new hire, retirement, departure, or even a role change, can create some degree of instability. The WSi can be used to make policies that help ADE make informed workforce planning decisions and help ensure that all students in AR have equitable access.

Bezdedeanu: How has the WSi helped ADE understand the impact of the pandemic on teacher recruitment and retention?

White: One interesting new trend I’ve identified is that the number of educators ages 71-75 has risen, exceeding the number of educators aged 66-70. At face value, it seems that those close to retirement age, say between ages 61-70, leave the workforce. But those already at retirement age have remained educators over the past two years. So, what does that tell me in terms of predicting the future post-pandemic? I don’t know if I can make a firm prediction today, but I will be very interested in watching and seeing what happens over the next few years. Do we have people who persist? Do we start seeing this level out more over time? Or do we continue to see this dip? That’s what fascinates me about the data right now.

Bezdedeanu: That is quite fascinating and honestly something that I would not have expected at first glance. Are there other ways OU is supporting ADE’s educator recruitment and retention efforts?

White: Through a contract with ADE’s Office of Educator Effectiveness, OU has partnered with the Arkansas Public School Resource Center and Arkansas State University to lead the Arkansas Leadership Academy (ALA). The ALA runs five application, cohort-based programs and one at-will enrollment program, but all of the programs are focused on developing educational leaders from across the state, from the classroom to the boardroom. One of those application-based programs is specifically for teacher leaders. Through the ALA, we used an evidence-based approach to provide professional learning for teachers to lead from the classroom, which strongly influenced their willingness to stay and continue to persist without moving into an administrative or instructional facilitator position. This is our second year of operating that program, and we have begun to increase our enrollment from all parts of the state, which has increased the diversity of the cohort. We are continuing to develop practices that school systems can use to identify those teacher leaders who can, with some additional support, not only support the successful development of other high-quality educators but also have a reason to stay in the classroom. We also run separate programs for superintendents, instructional facilitators, principals, and school leadership teams.

Bezdedeanu: That sounds like some amazing work. Before we wrap up, is there anything else that you wish to share with us that we may not have touched on yet?

White: I really want to make sure that I give credit to the staff at the ADE because they were so creative in thinking about what data they had available and how those data could be accessed and used. If it weren’t for those folks, ADE would not have the tools it has today. I am so proud of the work from the Division of Educator Effectiveness and the Division of Technology and Research and the way that they have partnered to analyze and subsequently visualize and get those data into the hands of people who are decision-makers. Just the fact that the data are there and are available to LEAs is a testament to the work of the folks at the ADE and to the leadership they have provided.

 

About the OU College of Continuing Education Outreach Division’s work

The University of Oklahoma Outreach is a lifelong learning organization dedicated to helping individuals, businesses, groups, and communities transform themselves through knowledge. Nationally recognized for its pioneering efforts in continuing education, University Outreach extends the educational resources of the University of Oklahoma (OU) on campus, online, and at locations around the world. EDUTAS at OU Outreach is a respected provider of customized, onsite, and virtual technical assistance services and professional learning opportunities for individual educators, institutions, districts, and schools. EDUTAS also supports public and private non-profit organizations and associations to provide continuing education for adult learners.

Related Work

University of Oklahoma (OU) College of Continuing Education/Outreach Division’s EDUTAS Department

EDUTAS Work on Teacher Leadership

Workforce Stability Index (WSi)

Neuhaus: Teachers Make the Difference

About Chris Bezdedeanu. Mr. Bezdedeanu recently graduated from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, where he earned a degree in Policy Studies and Citizenship and Civic Engagement. In college, he held executive positions on the Dean’s Team, worked on-campus within the Office of Admissions for the College of Arts & Sciences and interned for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

About Kerri White. Kerri White, Ed.D., is the Director of Engagement and Public Service at the University of Oklahoma Outreach/College of Continuing Education and the Director of the Arkansas Leadership Academy.  In both roles, Dr. White focuses on building the capacity of leaders as they seek to improve educational equity and excellence for all children. From 2014 to 2019, Dr. White was the Arkansas/Louisiana Technical Assistance Coordinator for the South Central CC.  Previously, she was a teacher, curriculum specialist, and Oklahoma’s Assistant State Superintendent of Educator Effectiveness.