Background and Purpose

Persistent teacher shortages across the U.S. are particularly acute in areas such as science, bilingual education, special education, and math. This situation is further exacerbated by fewer new educators entering the profession and ongoing retention challenges. 

In response, the Ed-Fi Alliance conducted a structured essential question (EQ) and visual design process aimed at addressing these staffing challenges through data-informed insights and visual reporting tools.

This collaborative effort identified and prioritized the essential questions that would be most impactful for districts, considering common staffing issues across different educational contexts. Through this process, three core EQs emerged. These EQs informed the development of corresponding mockups to provide targeted insights through dashboards, supporting districts in their strategic decision-making. The resulting EQs and mockups allow educational leaders to visualize key data, guiding actions that improve hiring, staffing equity, and educator retention.

This document summarizes each EQ and provides links to related documentation.

Essential Questions Summary

EQ 1: Educator Hiring Summary/Vacancies

• Essential Question: How do educator vacancies vary across the district/Education Service Agency (ESA)?

• Purpose: Guide strategic planning, identify vacancy patterns, promote staffing equity, and support policy development by visualizing where staffing gaps exist. Designed for education service agencies (ESAs) and local education agencies (LEAs).

• Mockup Link: EQ 1 Hiring Summary/Vacancies Dashboard

• Use Case Documentation Link: EQ1 Hiring Summary/Vacancies Use Case Documentation

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District Example - Educator Hiring Summary/Vacancies Page

EQ 2: Educator Retention by Assignment

• Essential Question: Are there certain assignments of educators that are connected to higher retention?

• Purpose: Identify factors impacting educator retention, inform support strategies, and enable targeted retention interventions for assignments facing high turnover. Designed for education service agencies (ESAs) and local education agencies (LEAs).

• Mockup Link: EQ 2 Educator Retention Dashboard

• Use Case Documentation Link: EQ 2 Educator Retention Use Case Documentation

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Education Service Agency (ESA) Example - Retention Summary Page

EQ 3: Educator Staffing Snapshot

• Essential Question: How do educator (including newly hired and paraprofessionals) counts and characteristics vary across districts/campuses?

• Purpose: Ensure equitable access to qualified, certified teachers who reflect the demographic characteristics of their students, address staffing equity, and guide strategic staffing decisions. Designed for education service agencies (ESAs) and local education agencies (LEAs).

• Mockup Link: EQ 3 Educator Staff Snapshot Dashboard

• Use Case Documentation Link: EQ 3 Educator Staffing Use Case Documentation

Use Case Data Requirements Documentation

• Educator Workforce Initial Data Elements Document: For Scoping Needed Data Requirements

To learn more about this use case and others contact: