Educator Workforce Use Case
Background and Purpose
Persistent teacher shortages across the U.S. are particularly acute in areas such as science, bilingual education, special education, and math. This situation is further exacerbated by fewer new educators entering the profession and ongoing retention challenges.
In response, the Ed-Fi Alliance conducted a structured essential question (EQ) and visual design process aimed at addressing these staffing challenges through data-informed insights and visual reporting tools. This collaborative process surfaced and prioritized the essential questions that matter most to districts and Education Service Agencies (ESAs), reflecting shared staffing challenges across diverse contexts. From this work, three core EQs emerged. These EQs guided the creation of dashboard mockups designed to deliver targeted, actionable insights that support stronger staffing decisions. Together, the EQs and dashboards help education leaders visualize key workforce data and drive improvements in hiring, staffing equity, and educator retention.
Open‑source versions of these dashboards are available in both Power BI and Superset, along with resources to support data mapping for Ed‑Fi–powered Educator Workforce dashboards. This document outlines each essential question (EQ) and links to related technical and non-technical documentation.
Explore the Power BI demo version of the Educator Workforce Tool report.
Make sure you visit the Ed-Fi Exchange to access related technical documentation and assets.
Essential Questions Summary
EQ 1: Educator Vacancies
- Essential Question: How do educator vacancies vary across the district/Education Service Agency (ESA)?
- Purpose: Guide strategic planning, identify vacancy patterns, promote staffing equity, and support policy development by visualizing where staffing gaps exist. Designed for education service agencies (ESAs) and local education agencies (LEAs).
- Use Case Documentation: EQ1 Hiring Summary/Vacancies Use Case Documentation
- Technical Overview Documentation:
- Power BI Dashboard Examples:
County: Vacancy Snapshot
- Superset Dashboard Examples:
District: Current Vacancies
EQ 2: Educator Retention by Assignment
- Essential Question: Are there certain assignments of educators that are connected to higher retention?
- Purpose: Identify factors impacting educator retention, inform support strategies, and enable targeted retention interventions for assignments facing high turnover. Designed for education service agencies (ESAs) and local education agencies (LEAs).
- Use Case Documentation: EQ 2 Educator Retention Use Case Documentation (GoogleDoc)
- Technical Overview Documentation:
- Power BI Dashboard Examples:
County: Educator Retention Trends
- Superset Dashboard Examples:
District: Staff Retention
EQ 3: Educator Staffing Snapshot
- Essential Question: How do educator (including newly hired and paraprofessionals) counts and characteristics vary across districts/campuses?
- Purpose: Ensure equitable access to qualified, certified teachers who reflect the demographic characteristics of their students, address staffing equity, and guide strategic staffing decisions. Designed for education service agencies (ESAs) and local education agencies (LEAs).
- Use Case Documentation: EQ 3 Educator Staffing Use Case Documentation (GoogleDoc)
- Technical Overview Documentation:
- Power BI Dashboard Examples:
District: Educator Summary
- Superset Dashboard Examples:
County: Staff Summary
Staff and Vacancy Details
Provides a detailed, tabular view of staff data and associated attributes, along with a dedicated table providing insight into current staff vacancies.
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Technical Overview Documentation:
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Power BI Dashboard Examples:
Staff Details