INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — New data from the Indiana Department of Education show the state’s teacher shortage continues with 21 percent fewer initial licenses issued during the 2014-2015 schools year.

The numbers were released Thursday, the same day as a meeting of a state commission tasked with finding out why Indiana has a teacher shortage. The 49-member Blue Ribbon Commission on the Recruitment and Retention of Excellent Educators is helping Indiana schools chief Glenda Ritz form ideas to take to lawmakers next year in an effort to increase the number of educators in the state.

The data show that overall there was a 33 percent drop in the number of initial practitioner licenses issued in Indiana since 2009.

Separately, two GOP lawmakers plan an October meeting exploring why fewer teachers are being licensed.