Additional resources for Recruiting and Retaining Teachers
Updated October 2010
Given the current dialogue on how to recruit and keep good teachers, it’s not surprising that a fair amount of research has been conducted to find out why so many teachers leave the profession, many in just a few years, and what encourages them to stay.
We’ve listed quick links to much of that research below.
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Special education teacher retention and attrition.
A 47-page critical analysis of the literature prepared for the Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE).
http://www.coe.ufl.edu/copsse/docs/RS-2/1/RS-2.pdf
And the journal article on the same.
And here’s the 2004 analysis of the same (above resource) that appeared in the Journal of Special Education.
http://www.monarchcenter.org/pdfs/Billingsley2_2004.pdf
A review of 91 studies in teacher recruitment and retention.
From the Education Commission of the States.
http://www.ecs.org/html/educationissues/teachingquality/trrreport/home/index.asp
The lowdown on the supply and demand for special educators.
Subtitled “Regarding the Nature of the Chronic Shortage in Special Education,” this article describes teacher shortages, trends in supply and demand, and polices that address shortages.
http://www.coe.ufl.edu/copsse/docs/RS-1/1/RS-1.pdf
Who leaves? Teacher attrition and student achievement.
This 2007 paper considers patterns of attrition and retention among teachers in New York City elementary and middle schools and explores the crucial question as to whether teachers who transfer among schools or leave teaching entirely are more or less effective than those who remain. Findings raise questions about current retention and transfer policies.
http://www.teacherpolicyresearch.org/portals/1/pdfs/Do%20Effective%20Teachers%20Leave.pdf
What influences a teacher to stay?
http://www.tr.wou.edu/rrp/retain.htm
A review of the research literature.
A 2004 comprehensive examination of research published since 1980 on teacher recruitment and retention.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2005/RAND_TR164.pdf
Lit review on recruitment.
Find the lit reviewed! Visit Project TRREE, which stands for Teacher Recruitment and Retention for Educational Excellence.
http://edtech.wku.edu/~trree/recruitment.htm
Lit review on retention.
And now Project TRREE looks at the literature on 2nd half of the equation—retention.
http://edtech.wku.edu/~trree/retention.htm
The impact of mentoring on teacher retention: What the research says.
This 2004 report’s primary objective is to provide policymakers, educators, and researchers with a reliable assessment of what is known, and not known, about the effectiveness of teacher induction programs, especially its impact on teacher retention.
http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/50/36/5036.htm
Developing a special education workforce that’s culturally and linguistically diverse.
A synthesis of research findings on the current demographics of diverse teachers and the impact on student outcomes.
http://www.monarchcenter.org/pdfs/Tyler_2004.pdf
How your teacher workforce policies affect student achievement.
This 2005 paper explores what traditionally hard-to-staff and low-performing schools can do to attract and keep a quality workforce.
http://www.teacherpolicyresearch.org/portals/1/pdfs/Improving_Science_Achievement_The_Role_of_Teacher_Workforce_Policies.pdf
How changes in entry requirements alter the teacher workforce and affect student achievement.
http://tinyurl.com/cqljfrw
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Would you like to visit another of the pages in the Recruiting and Retaining Teachers series?
- Short and Sweet Summaries
- Guides and How To’s
- What Does the Research Say? (you’re already here)
- Organizations to Know
- Mentoring New Teachers
- Communities of Practice
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