About Teacher Retention
- Teacher turnover rates are alarmingly high, particularly in the South and in schools serving low-income students and students of color. The highest turnover rates are in Title I schools and schools with a high proportion of students of color.
- Key factors driving turnover include lack of administrative support, dissatisfaction with testing and accountability pressures, and inadequate compensation.
- High turnover rates lead to significant costs for schools, both financial and in terms of student achievement. It can cost over $20,000 to replace a teacher in an urban district, and turnover negatively impacts student performance.
- Teachers entering through alternative certification pathways are more likely to leave, and those with less preparation and support are at higher risk of turnover. Schools with supportive administrations and higher maximum salaries have lower turnover rates.
Retaining In-Service Teachers
- In-service teachers need robust support from school administrations. Schools with strong leadership and supportive administrations see lower turnover rates.
- Continuous professional development opportunities and career advancement options can help retain teachers by addressing their dissatisfaction with career prospects.
- Improving overall working conditions, including reducing class sizes and providing adequate resources, can significantly reduce turnover rates.
- Competitive salaries and benefits are essential to retaining experienced teachers and reducing turnover.
We are using the Teacher Follow Up Survey to investigate trends across in-service teacher graduates from UNO’s Teacher Scholars Academy. Data includes the long form survey, completed annually in the spring, and qualitative interviews of teachers to gain context, perspective, rich description of their experiences, and their level of preparedness for facing difficulty teaching and learning situations.
Current status of the project
Data collection – ongoingData analysis – Summer + Fall 2025