Teacher Retention: Why It Matters, Statistics & How to Improve It

Teacher retention is a crucially important concept in education as it has a direct impact on student academic performance, school culture, the ability of districts to provide quality instruction, and the sustainability of the entire educational system. Meanwhile, since education plays a major role in society and economics, ensuring that good teachers remain at their jobs is essential for providing positive perspectives for the future as a whole.

Having said that, retaining teachers has been a growing problem in the US educational system, especially after the pandemic which exacerbated many of the already existing challenges that push educators away from the profession. This article looks at the prevalence of this phenomenon across the country, the factors that lead to it, existing federal policies aiming to address the issue, and strategies that schools and districts can implement to alleviate the problem.

Meanwhile, if your district is struggling with filling teacher vacancies, check Fullmind virtual staffing services. We offer highly qualified, state-certified K-12 teachers in all core subjects and many electives. Services are available nationwide, and matchings take no more than 2 weeks.

Definition of Teacher Retention: What It Is and Why It Matters

Teacher retention is defined as the proportion of teachers who decide to stay at the same school or in the same district over time, especially from one academic year to the next one, instead of actively looking for other job opportunities within the field of education or outside of it.

It measures the ability of schools, districts, and the educational system as a whole to retain educators in the long term, owing to a combination of policies, provisions, and rewards that make the teacher profession in general and the particular job position attractive for instructors.

Teacher retention is typically measured as a percentage that shows the share of instructors who stay compared to the total number of educators.

A high teacher retention rate signifies that the majority of teachers remain at their job because they feel satisfied with it. This contributes to enhancing stability and continuity at the academic institution, delivering consistent, high-quality instruction, and building strong relationships between teachers and students.

Generally speaking, a good teacher retention rate is considered to be 90% or more.

A low teacher retention rate, on the other hand, means that teachers quit their jobs frequently, whether to go to another school or district or leave education altogether, as they are not happy at their current position. This negative trend leads to disruptions in the learning process, high administrative costs related to recruiting teachers and training them, and lower school performance.

While retaining teachers is crucially important for providing quality education to students, declining rates have become an increasingly challenging problem in the US educational system, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Teacher retention is closely related to two other concepts in the field of educational theory and educational research: teacher attrition and teacher turnover.

Teacher Retention and Teacher Attrition

Teacher attrition refers to the percentage of teachers leaving the teaching profession altogether, whether in pursuit of another job outside the education field, for personal reasons, due to health problems, or because of retirement, as defined by the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) of UNESCO. In other words, this is the share of instructors who leave education for various reasons.

High teacher attrition poses a serious challenge to both schools and districts and the educational system as a whole as it is connected with the nationwide problem of teacher shortages. This chronic problem in the US educational system means that districts are unable to fill current teacher vacancies with qualified candidates at prevalent wage levels.

The Learning Policy Institute cites 42,000 unfilled teacher positions nationally, and this estimate of teacher shortages is rather conservative as other sources quote the number to be close to 100,000. Moreover, another 365,000 positions are filled with teachers who are not fully qualified for their assignment.

Before the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, 82% of public schools needed to fill at least two teacher vacancies, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). While teacher vacancies are worrisome across the nation, they turn into a threatening problem in some US states.

Coming back to teacher retention, teacher attrition and retention are basically the two sides of the same coin. Schools and districts frequently lose teachers because they choose to leave the educator profession, not simply move to another institution. The reasons are rooted deeply in the multiple problems within the educational system that often fails to provide the necessary conditions and factors to keep individuals within what could be one of the most satisfying jobs there is.

Teacher Retention and Teacher Turnover

Teacher turnover measures the share of teachers leaving a school or a district for another teaching position in a different institution. In other words, it constitutes the rate at which schools or districts are losing educators for a multitude of reasons.

Although teacher turnover does not deplete the total pool of teachers available across the US, high rates challenge individual schools and districts in a major way as they have to continuously search for new teachers and onboard them, only to lose them in a few months. According to studies cited by the Learning Policy Institute, the average cost of turnover is around $25,000 per teacher in large school districts. The total cost for the educational system is equivalent to millions of dollars per year that go towards hiring and training new teachers instead of being invested in teacher professional development or other strategies to improve academic outcomes for students.

Teacher turnover and teacher attrition together explain the reasons behind the low teacher retention rates. Educators leave either to look for a better opportunity at another school or quit the profession completely.

Importance of Teacher Retention: Impact

Achieving high rates of teacher retention is crucial for many different reasons, at various levels as it brings major benefits to schools, districts, the educational system as a whole, and - arguably most importantly - for students.

The most significant benefits that come with retaining teachers in the long run include:

• Securing a continuous, undisrupted educational process: First and foremost, when teachers stay within the same school, this means that there are no unplanned disruptions in the learning process which can be especially detrimental in the middle of the school year. Alternatively, when educators leave frequently, students lose access to quality education while districts struggle to find substitutes who are usually less qualified. Moreover, sudden changes in teaching styles lead to negative outcomes for children.
• Access to experienced educators familiar with the school environment: Teachers who have been with the same school for a number of years are aware of district policies and requirements as well as the unique specificities of the school. They are well integrated and are an indispensable part of the school community. This leads to better instruction for students as well as better support services in line with school provisions.
• Better academic performance of students: As students enjoy a smooth, undisrupted learning process accompanied by instruction by experienced teachers, they achieve higher academic results. They perform better at standardized tests and are also better prepared for life after graduation, whether in post-secondary education or a career. Indeed, a study by AERA Open shows that high teacher turnover rates lead directly to major drops in the academic performance of middle-school students, especially in reading and math.
• Positive long-lasting relationships between teachers and students: When students see and interact with the same teachers over the course of a few years, this helps them build strong relationships with them, turning teachers into positive role models. Continuity is an important factor for offering stability to children, especially students from vulnerable groups.
• Enhanced student engagement: Student disengagement is another major challenge that leads to a series of negative repercussions and which generally results from being unable to find value in educational content and failing to establish connections with peers and teachers. When teachers stay in the same school and instruct the same class, they develop effective strategies to engage students for all the advantages that this brings.
• Providing a positive example for students: Students perceive teachers as role models, and when they see the dedication and commitment of their educators, they also get inspired to engage in learning and attend school. Teacher retention could be a contributing factor in the fight against chronic absenteeism.
• Sense of belonging: After teachers spend a few years at the same school, they become a part of the community, which creates a feeling of belonging with colleagues and students. Educators who stay are more likely to achieve a sense of satisfaction with their job as they contribute to the school development and get promoted along the way.
• No waste of tight financial resources: As mentioned above, replacing a teacher costs about $25,000 on average, which is a large amount of funds considering the consistent underfunding of education. If instructors stay, schools and districts can use the funds for other beneficial purposes, such as offering professional development hours, implementing new tech-based educational apps and platforms, equipping scientific labs, and many others.
• Easier implementation of new education policies: Experienced educators who are familiar with the specific needs of the school and the district are more invested in adopting new policies to improve working conditions for teachers and other staff and boost results for students.
• Breaking the cycle of disadvantage: Finally, generally speaking, teacher turnover and attrition are worse in districts in disadvantaged areas, affecting vulnerable students disproportionately. When schools manage to achieve high retention rates, they can break out of the vicious cycle and provide all students with access to continuous, high-quality education.

All these benefits of teacher retention highlight the strong potential it has for a positive impact on the entire educational process and all stakeholders in it, including students and their families, school and district admins, and teachers themselves.

Statistics on Teacher Retention: How Prevalent It Is

According to data from the NCES, between the school year 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, 84% of public school teachers and 82% of private school teachers stayed at the same school, nationwide. This is the most direct measure of the national rate of teacher retention. Over the same time period, 8% of teachers in public schools and 6% of teachers in private schools switched to another teaching position at a different school (teacher turnover), while 8% of public school teachers and 12% of private school teachers left the profession (teacher attrition). Based on these statistics, teacher retention and teacher turnover are comparable in public and private schools, but teacher attrition is a more considerable problem in private schools.

Among teachers who remained at the same institution (referred to as stayers), the highest percentage was among those with 10-14 years of teaching experience (86% for public schools and 89% for private schools), followed by those with 15+ years of experience (86% for public schools and 84% for private schools). Meanwhile, the highest percentage of teachers who changed schools (movers) occurred among those with 3 years or less of teaching experience (13% for public schools and 11% for private schools), while the most teachers who left the profession (leavers) had 15+ years of teaching experience in public schools (9%) and 3 years or less in private schools (15%).

In terms of school locale, there are no major differences in teacher retention rates. Among public school teachers, 82% of those in cities stayed at the same school, while the rate is 85% for teachers in suburban areas, towns, and rural areas. For private school teachers, the rates range between 80% in towns and 83% in rural areas.

According to another source, an average of 23% of teachers left their school, including teacher turnover and teacher attrition. This corresponds to a teacher retention rate of 77%. It is important to note that the combined turnover and attrition rate reached 29% at schools serving the highest proportion of students experiencing poverty, while the rate was only 19% at schools with the lowest concentration of poverty. This stark difference of 10 percentage points highlights the fact that low retention rates pose a significantly bigger challenge among vulnerable communities.

Another figure that is worth taking into account is that before the pandemic about 90% of open teaching positions were created in order to replace educators who left the profession, and the percentage is likely to be even higher now.

Since keeping instructors at the same school and within the field is so difficult, it is crucial to look at the exact reasons that push teachers away from the profession.

A poll conducted by the National Education Association (NEA), 90% of educators considered burnout to be a serious problem. Furthermore, for 78% of teachers low pay was a serious issue, and for 49% - a very serious issue. As many as 61% of educators continued to perceive the stress from the Covid-19 pandemic as a very serious concern, and for 44% of teachers lack of respect from parents and the public and lack of planning was a very serious issue. The results of this poll very clearly summarize the leading causes of teacher turnover and attrition, resulting in widespread teacher vacancies and shortages.

3 Types of Factors Affecting Teacher Retention

A teacher’s decision whether to stay at the same profession and school or leave is a complex one, affected by a combination of factors and forces, some of which pull them in, while others push them away.

Extensive research has identified the following level factors as the most important determinants of teacher retention:

School-Level Factors

What happens at school, how teachers are treated there by admins, colleagues, and students, and what rewards they receive for the efforts they put in are a major factor that impacts teacher retention. Both pull factors and push factors operate at the school level, and the balance between the two shapes the choice of an educator whether to continue working as a teacher at the same school or change institutions or professions.

The most important pull factors at school include:

• Higher wages corresponding to teacher’s qualifications and experience
• Competitive employment benefits
• Adequate opportunities for salary raises and career advancement
• Good teacher professional development topics and opportunities
• Mentorship programs
• Peer collaboration and support
• Supportive leadership and administration
• Sense of community
• Ability to deploy creative and innovative teaching practices
• High academic performance of students
• Minimum problems with students’ behavior
• Cooperation with parents and families
• Positive school environment and culture
• Adoption of new technologies to facilitate processes and innovate teaching

Meanwhile, the strongest push factors at the school level are:

• Low salary
• Inadequate benefits
• Poor opportunities for promotion
• Lack of support for professional development
• Toxic school environment
• Absence of support from school administration and colleagues
• Lack of say in decision-making
• Discouragement from using individuality and creativity
• Low results on standardized tests
• Problematic students
• Poor communication and relations with parents and families

In sum, compensation, administrative support, and working conditions are the most important determinants of teacher retention at the school level.

Personal Factors

Individual circumstances also play a major role in teachers’ decisions about their careers.

Some of the main teacher-specific factors that influence retention include:

• Age: Younger teachers are more likely to leave the educator profession as they seek better paying and more satisfying opportunities.
• Gender: Female teachers quit more frequently than male teachers, especially at a relatively young age.
• Experience: Instructors with more years of teaching experience tend to remain at the job more often than new teachers with little to no experience.
• Qualifications: More qualified educators leave more frequently as they face more attractive opportunities outside the educational field.
• Alignment between personal goals and school goals: Teachers are more likely to remain at the school where they are when their personal aspirations coincide with the school’s mission and objectives.

All in all, teachers who are more vested and more satisfied as well as those who face few alternatives tend to stay more.

External Factors

In addition to factors specific to the schools and teachers themselves, there is a myriad of more comprehensive considerations that affect the rate at which teachers are staying or leaving their school or the profession altogether. These include federal and state policies related to compensation and benefits, retirement plans, flexible working conditions, available support systems, and career breaks. Societal perceptions in general, and respect for the teaching profession in specific, also affect career decisions for educators.

Federal Policies Targeting Teacher Retention

Since low teacher retention and high teacher attrition are nationwide problems, any successful, effective, and sustainable strategies to address them need to start at the national level. In recent years, there have been a number of federal policies and initiatives aiming to handle the issue and alleviate the situation of overwhelming teacher shortages.

In specific, Title II of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) aims to prepare, train, and recruit high-quality teachers, principals, and other school leaders as one approach to keeping educators at their jobs. The policy provides funds via grants to support professional development, mentorship, performance-based management systems, and other initiatives to achieve this goal.

Even before that, the Race to the Top program, launched by President Obama, aimed to provide support for teachers and school leaders to become more effective, among four core areas, which can boost teacher retention. Importantly, this initiative reformed the way in which states and districts evaluate the effectiveness of educators to focus on value added modeling rather than years of experience and years of graduate study. This provides the necessary mechanisms to encourage teachers to engage, perform better, and stay at the job.

Meanwhile, the Teacher Quality Partnership Program of the U.S. Department of Education offered grants to eligible partnerships to enhance high-quality teacher preparation and professional development for prospective teachers and school leaders. This program aims to prepare young teachers to deal with and succeed under challenging circumstances, which can positively impact a few of the factors that cause teacher attrition.

The Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Program supports the implementation, improvement, or expansion of Human Capital Management Systems (HCMS) within entities to include a Performance-Based Compensation System (PBCS). The program focuses on educators in high-need schools and incentivizes them to improve student academic performance and close the gap between low-performing and high-performing students. By offering financial incentives and career advancement opportunities for effective educators, the initiative has the potential to boost teacher engagement and retention, especially in vulnerable areas.

While there are other bigger and smaller federal programs designed to address the underlying causes of high teacher attrition, the above-listed initiatives form the core of these efforts.

7 Strategies to Retain Teachers: What Schools and Districts Can Do

Federal policies and efforts are crucially important in solving the problem of low teacher retention rates at the national level in a sustainable manner, but there are also a lot of things that districts and schools can do simultaneously to retain teachers.

Following are 7 proven teacher retention strategies that can help schools and districts:

• Offer competitive compensation and attractive career advancement opportunities: First and foremost, districts and schools need to ensure that teachers are paid adequately and in line with the wages of other professionals with the same level of educational attainment. A clear salary scale should outline raises that instructors can expect based on years of experience and new qualifications. In addition to competitive salaries, educators also need to have access to benefits, such as health insurance and a retirement plan. On top of that, teachers should know that they can advance their career within the school or the district, which will come with monetary compensation, to be incentivized to remain at their position.
• Provide meaningful professional development options: Rather than simply fulfilling the teacher professional development requirements of the state, PD opportunities offered by the district and the school should provide real value to instructors. They should be based on their needs and interests as well as the skills that would help them the most develop their career and make more money.
• Establish mechanism for administrative and peer-to-peer support: Schools and districts should put effort into ensuring that the leadership and the administration provide teachers with all the support that they need to make their work smoother and more efficient, including access to the latest ed technology. Moreover, schools should encourage cooperation between teachers within and across departments, including structured mentorship programs that can make a real difference for young teachers. In other words, to prevent anxiety and burnout and to decrease teacher turnover as well as attrition, educators need to feel and know that there is someone to rely on in a challenging situation.
• Improve working conditions: School leaders and admins have to work on providing better overall conditions to teachers that allow them to focus on their work with students rather than having to deal with various issues. This includes developing clear guidelines and expectations, providing areas for rest between classes, offering comfortable chairs, having free coffee and water, and a wide range of other small things that can make teachers feel more comfortable at work.
• Create a positive school culture and environment: It is crucial to develop a collaborative, supportive environment among teachers, admins, leaders, students, and families. This has a strong potential to prevent burnout and frustration and to make teachers stay within the same school in the long term.
• Allow a good work-life balance: Schools and districts should help teachers achieve a satisfactory work-life balance to not have them look for opportunities outside the education field. This includes regular working hours, ample vacations, and opportunities to work from home (when appropriate, for example, grading assignments), among other things.
• Reward teachers for the effort they put in: Finally, schools should establish formal systems to reward teachers for their work and achievements. This can be done via a reward system implemented with the help of gamification and technology where educators with certain years of experience or special achievements in improving student performance get rewarded with online badges and small gifts. In addition, the administration can nominate deserving educators for the top teacher awards at the national, state, or local level. This will make teachers feel recognized and appreciated, which is a major factor in retention.

With the appropriate mix of these strategies, schools and districts can achieve real advancement towards the ultimate goal of retaining teachers. Because of the wide range of factors that might be causing turnover and attrition, it is important for each institution to focus on the tactics that tackle the underlying causes there.

Case Study of Teacher Retention Initiatives: Success Story

Schools and districts nationally have been struggling with teacher turnover and attrition leading to shortages, but there are success stories throughout the nation where innovative programs have been able to alleviate or even solve the problem at the local level.

Following is a leading example from Dallas.

Dallas Independent School District has introduced innovative initiatives that focus on creating a positive culture and climate for teachers that helps them thrive. In addition to recruiting diverse talent nationally and internationally, the District has implemented a distinctive pay-for-performance system, the Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI). By relating teacher compensation to student academic success, the District has been able to retain talented educators while also boosting results for students. At the moment, Dallas Independent School District’s teacher retention rate exceeds 90%.

Bottom Line

Low teacher retention rates is a problem that the US educational system has to address urgently to prevent negative spillover effects with potentially long-lasting consequences. While teacher turnover and attrition have slightly slowed down in the last couple of years, they remain above pre-pandemic levels, signaling major challenges in education. The good news is that there are certain strategies that districts and schools can apply to address the issue locally as implementing large-scale national initiatives requires a lot of political will, agency cooperation, and financial resources.

Fullmind virtual staffing services provide districts with state-certified, quality K-12 teachers in a variety of subjects. Matchings are available nationally and require no more than 2 weeks.