PHILADELPHIA A study published in the fall issue of American Educational Research Journal found that America's "teacher shortage" is mis-diagnosed and that popular solutions won't work.

Using national data from the U.S. Department of Education, Richard Ingersoll, associate professor of education and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, found the so-called "teacher shortage" is not mainly due to an inadequate supply of teachers, as is widely believed.

Instead, these problems are largely due to a "revolving door" where too many teachers leave their jobs. Ingersoll also reports that these high rates of turnover have little to do with "graying workforce." Instead, his research found that job dissatisfaction and teachers seeking other careers accounted for far more turnover than does retirement.

The solution, he reports, is to increase teacher retention. However, much time and money are being spent on solutions that will not solve the problem. Policymakers have been trying to fix the problem of teacher shortages by recruiting new teachers through such programs such as Troops-to-Teachers, and Teach for America, alternative licensing programs and financial incentives, such as signing bonuses, student-loan forgiveness, housing assistance and tuition reimbursement. These programs have been somewhat successful in attracting new teachers, but have done very little to encourage them to stay.

Instead, Ingersoll believes policymakers should improve teacher retention by correcting problems that, the data show, lead teachers to quit. Ingersoll reports that lower teacher turnover levels were found in schools that provide more administrative support to teachers, have lower levels of student discipline problems, and offer higher levels of faculty decision-making influence and autonomy. Higher salaries also play a role

To obtain a copy of the AERJ article, contact AERA Communications at 202-223-9485 or outreach@aera.net.