Recruit Smarter: 5 Ways to Use Data to Power Your Teacher Hiring Strategy
Ohio’s educator workforce is facing a critical moment—shrinking teacher supply, evolving student needs, and the priority for districts to do more with fewer resources. The good news? A more strategic, data-informed approach to recruitment can help districts not only meet staffing goals—but build stronger pipelines for the future.
“Whether you are just beginning to evaluate your teacher hiring strategies or looking to refine existing partnerships, consider these five steps to turn data into action,” said Ohio Human Capital Resource Center presenter Dr. Cheryl Krohn.
Step 1: Know Your Teacher Supply Sources
Before you build a plan, you need to understand the landscape. In recruitment terms, teacher supply falls into three buckets:
New Teacher Supply: Individuals newly certified and entering the profession
Reserve Pool: Certified educators not currently teaching
Reentrants: Experienced teachers re-entering the classroom after time away
Each group requires a different recruitment strategy—and understanding which group your district targets most can shape how and where you focus efforts.
Step 2: Use Licensure and Preparation Data to Map the Pipeline
Ohio offers robust datasets to help districts analyze teacher supply:
Preparation data: Title II enrollment and completion records
Licensure data: Credential type, subject area, issuing institution, and year
These data points can answer critical questions like:
Which institutions of higher education (IHEs) are producing the most newly licensed teachers?
Are those graduates licensed in your district’s shortage areas?
What trends can you spot over time?
Use this new teacher credential spreadsheet to access recent data, provided by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, to answer questions based on your local needs.
Step 3: Identify and Prioritize Strategic Partnerships
You do not need dozens of partnerships—just the right ones. Use the data to identify:
IHEs that consistently produce graduates aligned to your hiring needs
Programs located geographically close to your district
Existing partners already placing student teachers in your schools
Step 4: Move Partnerships from Initiation to Impact
Once you have identified your partners, work together to move from informal collaboration to intentional co-creation. Follow a phased approach:
Initiation: Share workforce data, set shared goals, and establish communication channels
Implementation: Align coursework with clinical experiences, train mentors, and place candidates intentionally
Continuous Improvement: Review outcomes, address challenges, and evolve together
Step 5: Learn from Models Driving Change
Ohio districts are already leading the way with data-informed partnerships, such as the Capital City Teacher Residency Program. This sustainable model builds in-district talent pipelines while ensuring high preparation standards.
Explore one state’s partnership approach in rural settings. The University of Colorado Denver’s T-PREP is a national example serving rural communities via local campuses, remote learning, and alternative licensure paths
Final Takeaway: Start Smart, Start Now
Boosting your recruitment game is not about hiring more quickly—it is about hiring more strategically. Begin by:
Analyzing your current teacher supply sources
Using licensure data to find aligned EPPs
Prioritizing meaningful, high-impact partnerships
Learning from successful, scalable models
“When districts use data to guide decisions and invest in the right relationships, recruitment becomes more than filling vacancies—it becomes a sustainable strategy to ensure every student has a high-quality, well-prepared teacher,” said Dr. Krohn.
Ready to take your next step? For more ideas and tools to support your efforts, explore these Ohio HCRC resources from the Boosting Your Recruitment Game: Finding Teacher Talent session:
