Examines the policies that determine who teaches in American schools and separates the policies that work from those that are destined to fail. It tracks the lives of 50,000 graduates and describes how prospective, current and former teachers respond to the incentives and disincentives they face.

Part 1 The teaching profession at a turning point: carrots and sticks; critical questions; incentives; an opportunity for change. Part 2 Who prepares to teach?: the shrinking personnel pool; the changing demographic profile of new licensees; different teaching specialities for different times. Part 3 Who becomes a teacher?: national trends; North Carolina trends; incentives matter. Part 4 Finding skilled teachers - hiring practices make a difference: hiring new teachers - two case studies; problems and solutions. Part 5 How long do teachers stay in teaching?: attrition is high in the first years; race makes a difference; mature women stay, young women leave; elementary school teachers stay the longest, chemistry and physics teachers the shortest; teachers with high test scores leave; teachers who are paid more stay longer; staffing the schools in the 1990s. Part 6 Who returns to teaching?: most career interruptions are short; women are more likely to return than men; elementary teachers are the most likely to return, chemistry and physics teachers the least likely; teachers with higher test scores are less likely to return; the reserve pool in the future. Part 7 Revising licensing requirements: the economics of occupational licensing; why traditional licensing requirements for teachers are flawed; why licensing of teachers is necessary; evidence informing the redisign of licensing requirements; directions for new licensing requriements; trade-offs in the design of performance assessments; the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; alternative assessment approaches; using performance assessments in teacher licensing - evidence from Connecticut; reforming licensing requirements - necessary, but not enough. Part 8 Getting the incentives right: fruitless policies; elements of a promising strategy; stimulating change; critical questions. Appendices: research context - whom did we study?; methodology.