Missouri’s Teacher Pipeline: Out-of-State Reciprocity and Alternative Pathways

Key Points:

Over the past decade, the number of individuals completing an educator preparation program (i.e., earning an education degree) in Missouri has steadily declined, while the number of initial certificates has remained flat. As Missouri school districts seek to fill teaching vacancies, two potentially untapped pipelines include recruiting teachers from out-of-state and easing some of the burdens for those looking to switch career paths. Still, Missouri’s low starting and average teacher salary may dissuade qualified individuals from considering teaching in Missouri’s public schools. In this brief, we describe Missouri’s certification reciprocity policy, alternative pathways to certification, and potential “blocks” in the pipeline due to salary. We find:

• Missouri’s educator prep programs have experienced a 24% decline in completion rates, while the number of new teacher certificates issued has remained steady since the 2015-16 school year.

• Missouri is one of the few states offering full reciprocity in statute, is one of 18 states without requirements for additional coursework to become certified, and has no additional assessment required for out-of-state teachers.

• Missouri offers four alternative routes to certification, but these programs may not be attractive to career switchers due to their requirements, a common critique of such pathways nationally.

• Currently, Missouri has one of the lowest starting teacher salaries in the nation, likely making it more difficult to recruit new teachers both in- and out-of-state.