Can Early Exposure to the Teaching Profession Increase Teacher Supply and Diversity?

 

This study examines whether early exposure to the teaching career has the potential to expand the size and diversity of new teacher supply. 

Exploiting the staggered expansion of high school education courses across Texas, the authors find little evidence that these courses increased new teacher supply or diversity despite course takers being substantially more diverse than the teacher workforce. 

High school education course takers who become teachers are similarly effective and more likely to be retained than their peers. 

Most course takers drop out of the teacher pipeline prior to college enrollment where racial gaps in 4-year college going serve as major barriers. 

These findings suggest that early exposure without support to increase college going is unlikely to increase teacher supply or diversity.