For more than 50 years, the RELs have collaborated with school districts, state departments of education, and other education stakeholders to help them generate and use evidence and improve student outcomes. Read more
Home Publications Supports Associated with Teacher Retention in Michigan
Statewide teacher shortages are hindering Michigan's efforts to ensure that all students have equitable access to qualified teachers. Implementing teacher supports—which may be policies, practices, or programs—to increase teacher retention offers a way to alleviate shortages. This study identified supports implemented by local education agencies (traditional school districts and charter schools) that are associated with teacher retention. The study examined local teacher retention rates from 2013/14 to 2018/19 and teachers' responses to a survey about teacher supports in their local agencies and their perceptions of those supports.
Average annual teacher retention rates among Michigan's local education agencies ranged from 33 percent to 100 percent in the six-year period. The likelihood that teachers would remain teaching in their local education agency was higher in local education agencies that served lower percentages of students who were economically disadvantaged, higher percentages of students who were White, and higher percentages of students proficient in English language arts. And the likelihood was higher in agencies that had regular supportive communication between new teachers and school leaders, implemented mentoring programs, provided new teachers with an orientation to their school, allowed teachers to set goals in their evaluations, and provided teachers with sufficient instructional resources. The study also found that supports associated with teacher retention varied by the type of local education agency and the percentage of students who were economically disadvantaged. Findings from this study can help education agencies in Michigan prioritize which of 30 teacher supports examined merit more rigorous investigation. This document presents the following three appendixes that accompany the study: (1) Methods; (2) Detailed findings; and (3) The Michigan Department of Education's Teacher Survey on Teacher Supports. [For the full report, see ED614815. For the Study Snapshot, see ED614817.]
Online Availability
ERIC Descriptors
Age Differences, Beginning Teacher Induction, Charter Schools, Compensation (Remuneration), Disadvantaged Youth, Educational Resources, Elementary Secondary Education, English Language Learners, Enrollment, Ethnicity, Faculty Development, Labor Turnover, Mentors, Public Schools, Racial Differences, Regional Characteristics, School Districts, Special Education, Student Characteristics, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Certification, Teacher Characteristics, Teacher Education Programs, Teacher Evaluation, Teacher Persistence, Teacher Shortage, Teaching ConditionsPublication Information
Midwest | Publication Type: Descriptive Study | Publication
Date: September 2021
Connect with REL Midwest