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Analyzing Teacher Mobility and Retention: Guidance and Considerations
Education policymakers rely on teacher mobility and retention rates to guide hiring, plan professional development, and identify areas of need. Yet there are often gaps in understanding between analysts and policymakers on how these rates are calculated and how the results can inform policy. REL Northeast & Islands has written two reports to bridge those gaps:
Report 1: This first report provides the foundational information needed to answer policy-relevant research questions related to teacher mobility and retention and presents the decision points and steps necessary for conducting basic mobility and retention analyses.
Report 2: This second report presents guidance on how to interpret differences in mobility and retention rates by teacher, school, or district characteristics; analyze year-to-year trends in mobility and retention; compare mobility and retention rates across districts or states; and examine how the implementation of a policy related to teachers might be associated with teacher mobility or retention.
The reports emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach consisting of policymakers, program managers, data managers, and data analysts. Data analysts will also find the reports useful for improving communication with policymakers.