Diversifying the Educator Workforce in Ohio
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) knew it was facing significant educator diversity gaps. While Ohio's student population is increasingly diverse, with students of color making up 30% of all K-12 students in the state, its educators are predominantly white: educators of color make up only 5% of the educator workforce.
Focused on closing that gap, Ohio committed in its Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan to use data, engage stakeholders, and identify potential opportunities and partnerships for recruiting and retaining a diverse educator workforce.
Our Approach
In collaboration with the ODE and the Great Lakes Comprehensive Center, the GTL Center developed a four-step process with a suite of supporting tools and resources that allow states to create a locally driven, evidence-based action plan for improving the diversity of their educator workforce.
- Step 1. Data Analysis: Use the GTL Center's Insights on Diversifying the Educator Workforce Data Tool to measure, analyze, and visualize existing educator workforce diversity gaps across the educator career continuum and at the state, district, school, and Educator Preparation Program (EPP) levels.
- Step 2. Root Cause Analysis: Use a modified-version of the GTL Center's Root Cause Analysis Workbook to consult with educators and other stakeholders to identify the underlying root causes for identified gaps.
- Step 3. Evidence-based Strategy Selection: Link identified root causes with evidence-based, high-impact strategies like mentoring and induction and teacher leadership models and select a timeline for implementation.
- Step 4. Implementation, Monitoring, and Continuous Improvement: Explore the GTL Center's Evidence-Based Strategies or action planning and implementation tools for high-leverage strategies. Monitor intended and unintended consequences to ensure that the strategies are effective in accomplishing the identified goals.
Project Outcomes
To date, the working group has completed steps 1-3 of the process and is finalizing a document outlining the group’s recommendations and associated strategies. The GTL Center’s lead for the project notes that the focus for the project is not to create an ambitious, comprehensive plan that sits on a shelf but rather an actionable plan that can achieve real change:
“Too often, states produce compelling, well-designed, comprehensive plans that simply end up having limited impact in real classrooms. In this project we are seeing different kind of leadership from Ohio.
From the very beginning, the state has shown genuine readiness and willingness to drive change and improve outcomes for all students. ODE was never afraid to go deep and tough on those issues that can be contentious and engage in difficult, but necessary, conversations that can result in actual impact.
Our goal with this project is to produce a real action plan: a technical, practical document outlining those strategies that all stakeholders are ready to commit to and that would make a real difference for students who are currently in the system, one that includes concrete steps, budgets, and real funding streams associated each strategy.”
