Overview

Teachers who remain at a single school year after year gain the respect and trust of the parent and student communities. Retaining highly effective teachers ensures that schools and districts will not have to retrain new staff year after year. This type of continuity is critically important when creating a stable learning environment for all students. Teachers who are newer to the profession tend to leave schools in higher numbers than teachers with more experience. Moreover, teachers tend to leave economically disadvantaged schools with large minority populations in higher numbers. Retaining effective teachers in high-need schools ensures better outcomes for those schools. 

Although studies have shown that a certain amount of teacher attrition helps keep more effective teachers while weeding out the less effective ones, attrition is not equal across school types. More teachers leave schools with high poverty and low test scores.

A view into teacher retention rates can help campus and district leaders focus retention efforts appropriately.

Teacher Retention Metrics