This study investigates the distribution of math teachers with a major or certification in math using data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09). The authors discuss the limitations of existing data sources for measuring teacher qualifications, such as the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), and show how HSLS:09 can be used to analyze the distribution of qualified teachers in mathematics. The results demonstrate that ninth-grade students in most need of a qualified math teacher are least likely to have one.
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