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

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.