Teacher Turnover: Examining Exit Attrition, Teaching Area Transfer, and School Migration

TLDR

Retention is unlikely to improve without major reforms in school organization, management, and funding, so a larger supply of qualified teachers is needed to alleviate shortages. This study quantified trends in teacher attrition, area transfer, and school migration, and examined whether high turnover drives teacher shortages. From 1991–1992 to 2000–2001, attrition and area transfer rates rose markedly, school migration remained stable but higher in special education, and overall turnover reached 25.6% yet remained lower than in other occupations.

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to quantify trends in three components of teacher turnover and to investigate claims of excessive teacher turnover as the predominant source of teacher shortages. Attrition and teaching area transfer rates were comparable in special and general education and increased substantially from 1991–1992 to 2000–2001. School migration was stable over years, but higher in special than general education. Although annual turnover was high and increased to 1 in 4 teachers (25.6%) by 2000–2001, teacher attrition was lower than in other occupations. Evidence suggests that retention is unlikely to increase without dramatic improvements in the organization, management, and funding of public schools. Until then, an increased supply of qualified teachers is needed to reduce teacher shortages.