A&M-Commerce Faculty’s Research on Texas Districts of Innovation Posted on Brown University’s EdWorkingPapers Website

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Dr. Kathryn Dixon, associate professor and assistant dean for the College of Education and Human Services at Texas A&M-Commerce, and Dr. Sarah Guthery with the University of Oklahoma have researched the first iteration of Texas Districts of Innovation (DOI). DOIs allow school districts to hire uncertified or under-certified teachers in certain high-need areas.

Their manuscript, Local Licensure and Teacher Shortage: Policy Analysis and Implications, has been posted on Brown University's EdWorkingPapers website while under review for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

The research suggests that DOIs are becoming a widespread concern as the percentage of uncertified teachers in Texas reaches record levels. Compared to university-prepared educators, these underqualified teachers are more likely to leave the field before gaining certification, exacerbating the critical teacher shortage that DOIs are meant to address.