Teacher Attrition: Motivations & Solutions

1. Teacher Attrition:Motivations & Solutions Ashley Clemmons Fort Dorchester Elementary School Math Intervention

2. Mission and Vision Mission: Dorchester School District Two leading the way, every student, every day, through relationships, rigor, and relevance. Vision: Dorchester School District Two desires to be recognized as a “World Class” school district, expecting each student to achieve at his/her optimum level in all areas, and providing all members of our district family with an environment that permits them to do their personal best.

3. Agenda Explanation of Purpose Discussion of Existing Literature Methodology Findings: Ultimate Factors & Underlying Motivations Discussion Solutions, Implications for Advocacy, & Next Steps

4. Purpose • The intended purpose of this qualitative interview study is to identify and describe the reasons for teacher attrition among seven former teachers from three states in the southeastern United States. • Participants were chosen through nonrandom purpose sampling, which is a limitation of the study.

5. Attrition • Wearing Down • Wearing Away • Reduction • Decrease

6. National Center for Education Statistics • Schools & Staffing Surveys • Data was collected 6 times from 1988-2009 • 88-89 Attrition Rate of 5.6% from 2,386,500, approximately 132,300 teachers • 08-09 Attrition Rate of 8.0% from 3,380,300, approximately 269,800 teachers • 08-09 Follow-Up Survey- varying reasons reported • Assignment & credential factors, salary & benefits, classroom factors, school factors, student performance factors • Largest Reported Percentages: Personal Life & Other Factors, leaves much room for interpretation

7. Categories of Turnover • Transfer • Migration • Attrition Transfer & Migration are problematic- Attrition is permanent. Boe, Cook, & Sunderland, 2008 Turnover due to retirement is relatively minor compared to other factors such as job satisfaction & the pursuit of other careers (Ingersoll, 2001).

8. Far-Reaching Effects • Students- especially low-income, high minority areas • Monetary costs • 2005 American Association of Educators: $2.2 billion (Watlington, Shockley, Guglielmino, & Felsher, 2010) • Time & other Non-renewable Resources “Filling a Leaky Bucket” Darling-Hammond, 2010

9. Reported MotivationsExisting Literature • School Facility: Health & Safety • Salary • Administration: Relationships & Collaboration • Colleague Relationships • Self-Efficacy • Predetermining Factors

10. Interview Outline • Why did you become a teacher? • What were the most profound experiences you had? • What types of support systems for teachers were available? • Were you involved in decision making processes? If so, how? • Describe your relationship with school administration. • Describe your relationships with colleagues? • Describe your confidence level during your years of teaching. • What defining moments led you to the decision to leave? • Under what circumstances might you have stayed or would you return to the profession?

11. Findings • Ultimate Motivations: Three Categories • Fundamental Disagreement with the System • Family Commitments • Other Career Opportunities Ultimate grounds for attrition were reinforced by conditions that existed throughout careers. Common themes emerged from the experiences of each teacher interviewed.

12. Fundamental Disagreement with the System • Personnel Decisions • Curriculum • Discipline • Focus on Assessment

13. Fundamental Disagreement with the System • Amy: 8 years of teaching experience in 3 different southeastern states, general education music grades 6-8, early childhood regular education classroom “I understand the emphasis on budget and test scores, but if the focus is on the children, the rest will follow.” • Annie: 1 year of teaching experience in 4th grade ELA & SS, urban Title I school on state’s intervention plan (2 years of accountability failure) “I don’t want any part of it. I was just another teacher who was phased out and the kids are the ones paying.”

14. Family Commitments • Relocation of Family • Bread-winning Spouse’s Career • Underlying motivations made the decisions easier.

15. Family Commitments • Debbie: 5 years experience as a PE teacher, moved to be closer to family, no jobs available for more experienced (i.e. expensive) teachers in her field • Caroline: 3 years experience in middle & high school Business Applications, was looking to make a move when she needed to help out with husband’s business “How helpful will I be if I have no motivation?” • Alex: 4 years in the general education elementary classroom, first changed to a technology position, husband’s career moved the family out of state and provided the opportunity to stay home with newborn “I wasn’t as happy as I used to be, but I would have had to stick with it simply because I had to. I was no longer waking up, thankful for a job I enjoyed, I was just thankful for a job.”

16. Other Career Opportunities • Careers outside of public education system, still utilizing teaching skills • More opportunities for autonomy, validation, and collaboration

17. Other Career Opportunities • Rachel: 11 years in middle school reading intervention, trained through an MAT program, has an Ed.D. as well, moved into educational consulting & teacher specialist positions “I would be overqualified ( and quite expensive) as a classroom teacher…” • Katie: 3 years in 4th Grade ELA & reading intervention, sought out career as a corporate software trainer in an effort to find greater validation and self-satisfaction “After a year and a half away I cannot think of one reason I should have stayed. I was not happy and it was not right for me. How could I do right for the students?”

18. Underlying motivations • Administration: visibility, relationships, lack of collaboration, inconsistency • Support Systems: requests for support unheard, lack of collective responsibility, isolation & alienation of new teachers • Fiscal Issues: disagreement with budgetary decisions, budget dictates allocations • Differences in Philosophy: government expectations, lack of autonomy, personal beliefs • Immobiltiy: stagnant working environment, lack of validation for ideas

19. Administration • Relationships “I never felt like he believed in me.” • Visibility “Just seeing them around made a big difference in how approachable they seemed.” • Competitive Environment “Competition was bred. It was everyone for themselves so people didn’t want to get to know each other.” “I felt like I could never make a mistake.”

20. Support Systems • Accessibility “I was assertive enough to find help, others were not as successful.” • Novice Induction Programs “I felt like I was being patronized” “I was completing the same activities I just did in college when I didn’t know what the heck I was doing in my own classroom.” • Prescribed Support Programs: TAP • Parents “I was frustrated with some of the helicopter parents who were always around, making excuses for the children and not letting them learn by making their own mistakes.”

21. Fiscal ISsues • Curriculum decisions “I felt tired and untrusting of it all.” • Budget before Children “The bottom dollar was more important than the kids.” • Staffing decisions “When principals are looking at budgets, it’s less expensive to hire a teacher with one to five years of experience versus one with twenty years and a Doctorate degree.”

22. Differences in philosophy • Politics > Children “…children first, numbers second.” • Assessment Pressure “Administration puts pressure on the teachers, who in turn put pressure on their kids.” • Communication “I was able to see how broken the system was.” • Personal Beliefs “I would take a massive cut in pay to work where my beliefs would be supported.”

23. Immobility • Professional Fulfillment “I felt trapped. The only option was to leave or I would be stuck in a place that would have completely shattered my confidence. I left while I could still utilize the confidence I had.” • Validation “I didn’t feel the desire to collaborate before because nothing came out of it for the greater good.” • Spinning Wheels “I did not want to turn into a teacher who was stuck, waiting for retirement.” “I could only do so much. It was time to go and find a different way to help before I turned into one of those teachers who hate teaching.”

24. Discussion • Decision making in the classroom (Ware & Kitsantas, 2007) • Opportunities to experience effectiveness (Scheopner, 2010) • Lower Salaries in exchange for better working conditions (Hanushek, Kain, and Rivkin, 2004) • Autonomy, Mastery, Sense of Purpose (Pink, 2009) • Undervalued, Treated Unprofessionally, Voices Unheard (Certo & Fox, 2002) • Collaborative Problem Solving (Fry, 2010; Certo & Fox) • Inconsistency in Feedback (Fry) • Collective Responsibility (Allensworth, Ponisciak, & Mazzeo, 2009) • Isolation & Alienation (Schlichte, Yssel, & Merbler, 2005) • Social Cognitive Learning (Bandura, 1997; Ross & Bruce, 2007) • Rewards & Incentives with negative consequences (Pink, 2009)

25. Discussion (Cont) • Politics & Money > Effective Practices (Darling-Hammond, 2010) • Salary not significant (Kelly, 2004) • Less experience = less expensive (Darling-Hammond, 2010) • Alignment & Assessment = less autonomy (Ware & Kitsantas, 2011; Pink, 2009) • Validation leads to greater professional fulfillment (Scheopner, 2010) • Teaching Environment has a greater effect on teacher retention than salary (2011)

26. Implication for Advocacy & Conclusions • Future Research Attempts • Continue qualitative, narrative research • Question a geographically widespread population • Attempt to find patterns of success

27. Implication for Advocacy & Conclusions • Differentiated, Relevant, and Meaningful Induction & Staff Development Activities • Strategic Mentoring • Mastery Experiences • Steps to Increase Efficacy • Administrative Interactions: Quality over Quantity • Action Research as Professional Development- Act on Results • Align with professional organizations- Form networks to help educate selves and the general public about issues.

28. Final thoughts • Teachers, administrators, policy makers, and community members must be willing to work together to support the education system and make their voices heard. • Education can be enhanced through students’ witnessing skills of collaboration, communication, and growth. These skills are crucial to the 21st Century Learner. • When we improve teacher retention we improve the education system as a whole.

29. Resources • Allensworth, E., Ponisciak, S., & Mazzeo, C. (2009). The schools teachers leave: Teacher mobility in Chicago public schools. Chicago, IL: Consortium on Chicago School Research. • Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. • Bandura, A. (1997) Selff-efficacy: the exercise of control. New York: Freeman. • Boe, E.E., Cook, L.H., & Sunderland, R.J. (2008). Teacher turnover: Exmining exit attrition, teaching area transfer, and school migration. Exceptional Children, 75(1), 7-31. • Buckley, J., Schneider, M., & Shang, Y. (2005). Fix it and they might stay: School facility quality and teacher retention in Washington, D.C. Teachers College record, 107(5), 1107- 1123. • Certo, J.L. & Fox, J.E. (2002). Retaining quality teachers. The High School Journal, 86(2), 57-75. • Coladarci, T. (1992). Teachers’ sense of efficacy and commitment to teaching. The Journal of Experimental Education, 60(4), 323-337.

30. Resources • Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). The flat world and education: How America’s commitment to equity will determine our future. New York: Teachers College Press. • DeAngelis, K.J. & Presley, J.B. (2011). Toward a more nuanced understanding of new teacher attrition. Education and Urban Society, 43(5), 598-626. • Devos, C., Dupriez, V., & Paquay, L. (2012). Does the social working environment predict beginning teachers’ self-efficacy and feelings of depression. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(2), 206-217. • Dey, I. (1993). Qualitative data analysis: A user-friendly guide for social scientists. New York:Routledge. • Elliott, E.M., Isaacs, & M.L., Chugani, C.D. (2010). Promoting self-efficacy in early career teachers: A principal’s guide for differentiated mentoring and supervision. Florida Journal of Educational Administration & Policy, 4(1), 131-146. • Fry, S.W. (2010). The analysis of an unsuccessful novice teacher’s induction experiences: A case study presented through layered account. The Qualitative Report, 15(5). 1164-1190. • Gay, L.R., Mills, G.E. & Airasian, P. (2012). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and application (10th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill

31. Resources • Gilpin, G.A. (2011). Reevaluating the effect of non-teaching wages on teacher attrition. Economics of Education Review, 30, 598-616. • Hancock, C.B. & Scherff, L. (2010). Who will stay and who will leave?: Predicting secondary English teacher attrition risk. Journal of Teacher Education, 61(4), 328-338. • Hanushek, E.A., Kain, J.F., & and Rivkin, S.G. (2004). Why public schools lose teachers. Journal of Human Resources 39(2), 326-354. • Haun, D.D. & Martin, B.N. (2004). Attrition of beginning teachers and the factors of collaboration and school setting. Research in Middle Level Education, Online, 27(2), 1-7. • Ingersoll, R. (2001). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organizational analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 38(3), 499-534. • Kelly, S. (2004). An event history analysis of teacher attrition: Salary, teacher tracking, and socially disadvantaged schools. The Journal of Experimental Education, 72(3), 195-220. • Liu, X.S. (2007). The effect of teacher influence at school on first-year teacher attrition: A multilevel analysis of the schools and staffing survey for 1999-2000. Educational Research and Evaluation, 13(1), 1-16. • Lowe, J.M. (1990). The interface between educational facilities and learning climate in three elementary schools. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Texas A & M University, College Station.

32. Resources • Milanowski, A. & Odden, A. (2007). A new approach to the cost of teacher turnover. Working Paper 13. Seattle, WA: Center on Reinventing Public Education, School Finance Redesign Project. • Miller, D.M, Brownell, M.T., & Smith, S.W. (1999). Factors that predict teachers staying in, leaving, or transferring from the special education classroom. Exceptional Children, • 65(2), 201-218. • National Center for Education Statistics. (1991). Characteristics of Movers, Leavers, and Stayers: Results from the Teacher Followup Survey, 1988-89. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Education. • National Center for Education Statistics. (2010). Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results from the 2008-09 Teacher Follow-up Survey. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Education. • National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. (2012). TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement. Retrieved from http://www.tapsystem.org/ • Norback, D., Torgen, M., & Edling, C. (1990). Volatile organic compounds, respirable dust, and personal factors related to prevalence and incidence of sick building syndrome in primary schools. British Journal of Industrial Medicine, 47, 733-741.

33. Resources • Paris, L. (2010). Reciprocal mentoring residencies...better transitions to teaching. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 35(3), 14-26. • Pendergast, D., Garvis, S., & Keogh, J. (2011). Pre-service student-teacher self-efficacy beliefs: An insight into the making of teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(12), 46-57. • Phillips, R. (1997). Educational facility age and the academic achievement of upper elementary school students. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Georgia: Athens. • Pink, D.H. (2009). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. New York: Riverhead Books. • Ross, J. & Bruce, C. (2007). Professional development effects on teacher efficacy: Results of a randomized field trial. The Journal of Educational Research, 101(1), 50-60. • Scheopner, A. (2010). Irreconcilable differences: Teacher attrition in public and Catholic schools Educational Research Review, 5, 261-277. • Schlichte, J. Yssel, N., & Merbler, J. (2005). Pathways to burnout: Case studies in teacher isolation and alienation. Preventing School Failure 50(1), 35-40.

34. Resources • Smith, D.L. & Smith, B.J. (2006). Perceptions of violenceL The views of teachers who left urban schools. The High School Journal, 89(3), 34-42. • South Carolina Department of Education. (2012). District Teacher Salary Schedules. Retrieved from http://ed.sc.gov/agency/cfo/finance/SalarySchedules.cfm • Taylor, S.J. & Bogdan, R. (1998). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebookand resource. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. • Torres, A.S. (2012). “Hello, goodbye”: Exploring the phenomenon of leaving teaching early. Journal of Educational Change, 13, 117-154. • Ware, H.W. & Kitsantas, A. (2011). Predicting teacher commitment using principal and teacher efficacy variables: An HLM approach. The Journal of Educaional Research, 104(3), 183-193. • Watkins, P. (2005). The principal’s role in attracting, retaining, and developing new teachers. The Clearing House, 79(2), 83-87. • Watlington, E., Shockley, R. Guglielmino, P., & Felsher, R. (2010). The high cost of leaving: An analysis of the cost of teacher turnover. Journal of Educational Finance, 36(1), 22-37.

35. Resources • Whitaker, S. (2007). Advocacy for school leaders: Becoming a strong voice for education. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Education. • Wiebke, K. & Bardin, J. (2009). New teacher support: A comprehensive induction program can increase teacher retention and improve performance. Journal of Staff Development, 30(1), 34-38.

36. Session EvaluationParticipants are asked to complete a session evaluation for each session attended. Credit (attendance, renewal, and/or technology) will be added following evaluation completion. For each question, use 1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4=Agree, 5=Strongly Agree. Your responses will assist us in planning future professional development in Dorchester School District Two. • The instructor was well prepared for the workshop. • The materials for the workshop were appropriate. • The concepts presented were appropriate to my job. • I will benefit from attending this session. • I would recommend this training to others.

37. Contact Information Ashley Clemmons Math Intervention Teacher Fort Dorchester Elementary School aclemmons@dorchester2.k12.sc.us