Teachers remain the most important in-school factor in student success, and research shows that a racially diverse educator workforce benefits all students. Yet progress toward broadening representation in the profession remains slow—and uneven across states—according to a new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality.
The report, “Driving Diversity: How Teacher Prep Can Accelerate Progress,” finds that teacher preparation pathways play a decisive role in shaping who enters the classroom, since most new instructional staff earn licensure through them.
Teacher preparation programs include traditional college-based training, as well as alternative certification routes that operate outside higher education. Because districts typically hire from nearby or in-state providers, the racial makeup of those graduates strongly influences local hiring pools.
“A high-quality teacher workforce is well-prepared, effective and racially diverse,” the report states.
Diversity is improving, but turnover limits gains
National data show some progress. Over the five school years ending in 2022–23, teacher prep graduates and newly hired educators were more racially diverse than the existing teacher workforce. That cohort of educators was about five percentage points more diverse than returning teachers.
Those gains have not translated into substantial change. Over the same period, the share of educators from historically disadvantaged racial groups increased by just 1.7%, largely due to higher attrition.
Teachers of color leave the profession at higher rates—19% annually compared with 15% for white teachers—making it harder for districts to sustain diversity.
The report also highlights wide variation among preparation programs and how they contribute to workforce diversity across states.
“More than four in 10 preparation programs are graduating cohorts that are less diverse than their state’s current teacher workforce,” the report concludes. This results in smaller and less representative applicant pools for districts.
What strong prep programs cover
According to the report, programs more likely to support diversity while maintaining quality tend to:
- Recruit candidates broadly and intentionally
- Reduce financial barriers such as tuition and licensure costs
- Provide strong clinical practice, including student teaching
- Support candidates through program completion
- Maintain high standards while offering flexible program structures
These features influence both who enters the classroom and how prepared new teachers feel.
Teacher pathways bring opportunity—and risk
Alternative certification programs play a significant role in some states and districts and often graduate more diverse groups. However, educators who enter through these pathways are more likely to leave the profession, often because they feel underprepared. The report stresses that all preparation routes should meet the same quality standards.
Research cited in the report shows that students benefit from a more diverse educator workforce. Teachers of color “bring benefits to all of their students, including better test scores, lower absence rates, and stronger social-emotional competence,” the report says, underscoring why the makeup of preparation programs matters for districts.
What this means for district leaders
For district leaders, the report reinforces a clear takeaway: teacher diversity is shaped long before hiring decisions are made. Without alignment across preparation, hiring and working conditions, gains in teacher diversity are likely to remain limited.
While districts may have limited influence over who enters preparation programs, partnerships with local providers, early hiring timelines and strong induction systems can help sustain gains.
