A WAR OF ATTRITION. Andrew T. Vestich

Transcription

1 ATTRITION 1 A WAR OF ATTRITION Andrew T. Vestich SUBMITTTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF EDUCATION SPECIALIST IN EDUCATION AT NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY August 30, 2009 APPROVED BY: Derek L. Anderson, Ed.D. DATE: August 31, 2009

2 ATTRITION 2 ABSTRACT A WAR OF ATTRITION by Andrew T. Vestich Across America, teachers are leaving the education profession - up to one-half of new teachers are leaving their classrooms within the first five years of their careers (Lambert, 2006). The costs of such constant turnover are skyrocketing national financial estimates have reached over $2 billion per year (Alliance, 2005). It is apparent that a solution must be found. Nationally, over the past ten years, surveys of teachers, administrators, and parents have been carried out by organizations such as MetLife, Phi Delta Kappa, and the National Center for Education Statistics, in order to collect data on this subject. Their findings show that there are many reasons why teachers quit teaching, including frustration with students, administrators, and parents, a lack of respect for teachers as professionals, dissatisfaction with salary-levels, and the amount of personal time that must be sacrificed in order to do the job well. The author conducted independent research to collect local data on the subject. The focus of this paper is to compare how teacher s reasons for leaving the profession in Michigan s Copper Country compare with the available national data.

3 ATTRITION 3 Table of Contents Abstract Chapter I: Introduction Statement of Problem Research Question(s) Chapter II: Review of Literature Defining the problem. The 39 th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll A National Priority: Americans Speak on Teacher Quality Teachers; who they are and what they want. NCES s Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) Teacher Attrition and Mobility The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher A Sense of Calling: Who Teaches and Why Costs of teacher attrition. Teacher Attrition: A Costly Loss to the Nation and to the States The Cost of Teacher Turnover in Five School Districts Chapter III: Explanation of Independent Data Collection Chapter IV: Explanation of Results of Independent Data Collection Chapter V: Conclusion Conclusion Recommendation References... 55

4 ATTRITION 4 Appendix: Charts and Graphs... 57

5 ATTRITION 5 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem Since the 1970 s, educators have realized that the loss of classroom teachers from the education profession, or teacher attrition, is a problem (Mark & Anderson, 1978). According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 8.4% of public school teachers left their classrooms in 2005 alone (Marvel, Lyter, Peltola, Strizek, & Morton, 2007). In schools across the country, experienced teachers are leaving, to be replaced by recent college graduates. Oftentimes, the most qualified are the ones to leave, because they have the easiest time finding more lucrative employment in the private sector (Alliance, 2005). This is a costly situation. Students find themselves being taught by less experienced teachers, while school districts have to pay to recruit and train replacement teachers. Estimates for the nation s total financial cost in replacing these teachers have risen to over $2 billion per year (Alliance, 2005). Research Question This research project will focus on one specific question How do the reasons for leaving the education profession of teachers in Michigan s Copper Country compare with the national data?

6 ATTRITION 6 CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW Over the past ten years, different organizations have commissioned research regarding teachers, the education profession, and the costs of teacher attrition. Chapter Two contains a literature review of eight selected sources. The first two selections - The 39 th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll and A National Priority: Americans Speak on Teacher Quality, help to bring clarity to the problem of attrition. The next four sources - NCES s Schools and Staffing Survey, Teacher Attrition and Mobility, The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, and A Sense of Calling: Who Teaches and Why, focus on the feelings and experiences of America s teachers. The final two selections - Teacher Attrition: A Costly Loss to the Nation and to the States and The Cost of Teacher Turnover in Five School Districts center around the costs associated with recruiting and training replacement teachers.

7 ATTRITION 7 The 39th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. In 2007, Phi Delta Kappa (PDK), an international organization for educators, completed the 39 th edition of their annual education survey. PDK s sample group consisted of 1,005 adults, eighteen years of age or older, selected from the Gallup Organization s 48,000-member household panel. Individuals were recruited through random-digit dialing methods, and the obtained sample was then weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population. While this edition s focus was the No Child Left Behind Act, a good portion of the data collected pertains to the topics of teachers and teacher attrition. To begin with, the Gallup survey showed that the average American s beliefs about the role of the public school may be a cause of teacher attrition. Over the years, the responsibilities of the public school system, and therefore of teachers, have certainly expanded, and according to Rose and Gallop, (2007) that is exactly what the American public have wanted. Their data shows that at the time of their survey 67% of Americans felt that schools should be responsible for a variety of activities beyond the academic, such as addressing the social and emotional needs of children (p. 41). Such an expansion in the role of educators adds stress and reduces preparation time two factors that are commonly cited by those who leave classroom teaching. The PDK survey also shows however, that Americans did realize that retaining good classroom teachers is important. According to their data, the vast majority of Americans were in favor of a litany of incentive plans aimed at retaining qualified classroom teachers. As can be seen in Table 40 of the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll section of Appendix 1: Tables and Graphs, 95% of the American adult population believed that smaller class sizes would be somewhat or very effective at enticing teachers into staying in the classroom, while 92% felt that

8 ATTRITION 8 performance-based financial incentives would be somewhat or very effective. Eighty-seven percent believed that higher starting salaries for teachers would be somewhat or very effective (Rose & Gallop, 2007). The PDK/Gallup survey also examined the public s beliefs regarding the biggest problems facing public schools. According to their findings, in 2007 both adults with no children in school and public school parents gave the most votes to a lack of funding. That was the only selection that they agreed on, however. Public school parents gave the second highest percentage of votes to overcrowded schools, the third highest percentage to violence in schools and the fourth highest to a lack of discipline. Adults with no children in school gave the second highest percentage to lack of discipline, the third highest percentage to overcrowding, and the fourth highest percentage was a tie between violence in schools and difficulty in attracting good teachers (Rose & Gallop, 2007). This shows the somewhat polar mentality of the American public when it comes to our schools most Americans favor a broad range of incentives to keep qualified teachers in their classrooms, yet only 5% of the nation listed finding/retaining quality teachers as a top problem.

9 ATTRITION 9 A National Priority: Americans Speak on Teacher Quality In 2002, Hart and Teeter also carried out nationwide research on Americans beliefs regarding the quality of education and teachers in the American public school system. Their research was carried out for the Educational Testing Service (ETS), and their survey s sampling group consisted of over 1000 adults 407 parents of school-aged children, 409 educators, and 203 education policymakers. Coldwater Corporation did not attempt to do a survey that was proportional to the demographics of the United States. Instead, they oversampled specific demographics (parents of school-aged children, educators, policymakers) to ensure that the data received was pertinent to their discussion. Individuals were sampled through personal surveys, as well as focus groups carried out in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Baltimore, Maryland. Hart and Teeter found that a majority of Americans 52% felt a need for comprehensive reform within the public education system. These feelings were particularly strong in urban and suburban areas, as well as with college graduates. During the course of the interviews, individuals were asked about specific areas of reform school accountability, teacher quality, and increases in funding for public schools. Nearly 2/3 of participants responded favorably to each of the three (Hart & Teeter, 2002, p. 7). Their research also shows that both teachers and parents place a portion if the blame for such a need on the lack of parental involvement. When questioned regarding the most serious issues facing the American education system, 39% of parents and 58% of educators from the sample group placed a lack of parental involvement in either first or second place. To put this into perspective, 21% of parents and 18% of educators put lack of classroom discipline in first

10 ATTRITION 10 or second place, and 13% of parents and 26% of educators voted for excessive class sizes as first or second in importance (Hart & Teeter, 2002, p. 6). They also assert that Americans relate educational efficiency with teacher quality. According to their findings, a majority or near-majority of their sample population somewhat or strongly favored nearly every offered reform in the teacher quality category. For example, 70% of respondents strongly favored and 93% somewhat favored the concept of subject area knowledge tests for teachers, while 50% of respondents strongly favored and 80% somewhat favored increasing salaries for teachers, even if taxes had to be increased in order to pay for it (Hart & Teeter, 2002).

11 ATTRITION 11 Characteristics of Schools, Districts, Teachers, Principals, and School Libraries in the United States : Schools and Staffing Survey. The National Center for Education Statistics has conducted its own data-mining regarding schools and teachers in the United States. This information collection has been conducted five times: in school years , , , , and again in It is one of the most complete demographic studies of teachers and administrators that can be found. The Schools and Staffing Survey, or SASS, included data from three main areas public schools, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools, and private schools. Within each of these sectors, data were compiled regarding school demographics for teachers, principals, districts, and library media centers. Public schools were selected from the Common Core of Data. The private school sampling came from the Private School Survey. The sampling frame for BIA schools came from a CCD list of elementary, secondary, and k-12 schools that were funded by the BIA during the school year. Random sampling occurred within the sampling frames; however, certain guidelines were established. For example, they mandated that there be a minimum of 2300 new teachers surveyed, by sector. Also, a minimum of one teacher and maximum of 20 teachers would be selected from each school in the sampling frame. The survey went out to 5,400 public school districts, 13,300 schools, 13,300 principals or building leaders, 62,000 teachers, and 9,400 school libraries or media centers. The SASS utilized a quantitative approach, where they gathered information through a series of surveys, carried out by the United States Census Bureau, on behalf of The National Center for Education Statistics. These questionnaires were designed to obtain

12 ATTRITION 12 information about teachers and their education and training, workload, certifications, and attitudes about their profession. Also, the SASS utilized a fully imputed data-set procedure. (Strizek et al., 2007). While the authors do not draw their own conclusions from the information that they gathered, the data obtained by the SASS is massive and the information does allow for certain demographic comparisons to be made regarding teachers and the teaching profession, ranging from ethnicity to average salaries. For example, the survey asked questions regarding job conditions, which can help explain some of the turnover seen within the profession. The data showed that teachers had limited preparation time, and needed to work outside of their posted work-hours. On average, public school teachers worked 38 hours by contract, 29 of which were spent on classroom instruction. These same individuals reported spending an average of 53 hours per week on teaching and school-related activities 15 hours more than their work week. The SASS also gathered information regarding salaries and benefits. Researchers found that the average public school teacher made $44,400 per year. Forty percent also reported earning extra pay from their districts for work involving extracurricular activities, averaging $2,700 per year (Strizek et al., 2007). As reported above, during the time of the survey 48% of teachers had attained a master s degree or higher. Between 1997 and 1999, the average salary for a full-time worker with a master s degree was $62,300 and $89,400 for someone with a PhD (Cheeseman & Newburger, 2002). This difference in pay-levels may also be a contributing factor in the loss of classroom teachers to alternate professions.

13 ATTRITION 13 Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results from the Teacher Follow-up Survey. The information gained from the SASS does not, however, come to its full usefulness for this study until it is utilized along with the National Center for Education Statistics SASS Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS). The TFS is a follow-up survey of selected elementary and secondary teachers who participated in the SASS. Out of the 51,223 public and private school teachers who were sampled in the SASS, 7,429 teachers were surveyed for the TFS. The sample was selected by using the SASS teacher base-weights, and has been divided into five categories for comparison: status (stayers, movers, leavers), sector (traditional, charter, private), teaching experience, grade level taught, and minority status. The TFS utilized a quantitative approach, where they collected information through another series of surveys. First, at the beginning of the school year, participating schools were mailed a teacher status form (TFS-1), which allowed the surveyors to determine who were stayers still at the same school, movers still in education but at a different district, or leavers those who had left the teaching profession. In January of 2005, one-third of the teachers were mailed follow-up questionnaires, while the other two-thirds were offered the option of completing the follow-up survey online. Finally, in April of 2005, each individual in the sampling who had not responded, was contacted and given another opportunity to complete the follow-up survey (Marvel, Lyter, Peltola, Strizek, & Morton, 2007). The TFS data create the most complete picture of the thoughts and feelings of the American teacher regarding their profession, and why some individuals choose to leave classroom teaching. To begin, the TFS shows that of the 3,214,900 public school teachers who were active during the school year, 84% remained in the same school or were stayers, 8% moved to a different school or were movers, and 8% left the profession altogether, and

14 ATTRITION 14 were classified as leavers, during the following year. This lends validity to the concept that teacher attrition is a problematic occurrence. It can also be seen that this is a long-term trend, not a short-term incidence. By looking at Table 1 of the Teacher Follow-UP Survey to the SASS section of Appendix: Tables and Graphs, it can be seen that turnover rates have increased over the life of the survey. After the school-year , 7.9% of teachers were movers, and 5.6% were leavers. After the school-year, 8.1% were movers, and 8.4% were leavers. Table 2 of the Teacher Follow-UP Survey to the SASS section of Appendix: Tables and Graphs takes the categories of stayers, movers, and leavers, and breaks the information down by demographics, which creates some very useful comparisons. For instance, the gender, religion, and school level do not seem to play a major role in affecting who stays or leaves, as their percentages remain relatively stable. 83.9% of male teachers stayed in their current districts, while 83.4% of women female teachers stayed. Also, 82.8% of elementary teachers were stayers, and 84.6% of secondary teachers stayed. The data suggest that some categories do play a larger role, however. For example, the amount of full-time teaching experience an educator has seems to be a primary factor. Nearly 20% of educators who had no full-time teaching experience left the teaching profession between 2004 and 2005, compared to 8.1% of those with one to three years of experience, 7.9% of those with four to nine years, 5.5% of teaches with 10 to 19 years, and 11.2% of teachers with 20 or more years of experience. Age seems to be another influencing factor, having its greatest affect on the leavers category. Of respondents over 50, 4.5% left their districts but stayed in teaching, while nearly 15% of teachers under the age of 30 were willing to change districts.

15 ATTRITION 15 Teaching status and certificate type also seem to play a role. Part-time teachers stayed less than full-time (71.6% vs. 84.7%), and left the profession in greater numbers (16.9% vs. 7.5%). Also, people who had no teaching certificate or were granted an emergency certificate had significantly lower rates of retention within their districts than those with a probationary or regular certificate, and left the teaching profession altogether at much higher rates (Marvel et al., 2007). The TFS study showed the different reasons given as to why individuals in the movers category decided to leave their school districts, which are summed up in Table 4 of the Teacher Follow-UP Survey to the SASS section of Appendix: Tables and Graphs. The top reasons given by public school teachers were Opportunity for a better teaching assignment, Dissatisfaction with support from administration at previous school, and Dissatisfaction with workplace conditions at previous school. More that 30% of the teachers sampled rated each of these three as very important or extremely important in their decision to change districts. 46.4% of private school teachers ranked Better salary or benefits as very important or extremely important, and more than 30% of public school teachers cited Opportunity for a better teaching assignment and Higher job security as very important or extremely important. The Follow-Up Survey also explored the different reasons given as to why individuals in the leavers category decided to leave the teaching profession altogether. The highest percentage of public school teachers rated Retirement, as very important or extremely important; however, over 25% of respondents within the leaver category cited To pursue a position other than that of a k-12 teacher as very or extremely important. Other top reasons were pregnancy, other family reasons, and job dissatisfaction. The highest percentage of private school teachers rated To

16 ATTRITION 16 pursue a position other than that of a k-12 teacher and Other family or personal reasons as very important or extremely important (Marvel et al., 2007, pp ). The TFS project looked into the occupation and job status of those individuals who left the teaching profession after the base year. The data show that 30% of leavers retired, nearly 30% were still working within education but not as a classroom teacher, and 12% were working in an occupation outside of the field of education. Of those individuals working outside of the field of education, 62.7% were employed by a private company, business, or individual. This information must be viewed with caution, however. According to Marvel et al. the standard error for this graph is equal to 50% or more of the estimated value, which severely limits the statistical relevance. Finally, the TFS compiled data regarding aspects of the leavers current occupations, as compared to their previous position of classroom teacher, which can be found in Table 8 of the Teacher Follow-UP Survey to the SASS section of Appendix: Tables and Graphs. Twenty different job aspects were compared and graded as either better in teaching, better in current position, or not better or worse. The data were further dissected into working in a position in the field of education but not as a classroom teacher, and working outside the field of education. Most of the individuals who were still working in a position in the field of education but not as a classroom teacher found that the benefits and job security were superior as a teacher, or not better or worse. However, large numbers of former teachers viewed the Intellectual challenge, general work conditions, manageability of work load, support from managers/administration, opportunity for advancement, and amount of control that they had over their own work as more preferable in their new position.

17 ATTRITION 17 The data also show that many of the individuals who left the teaching profession found that the benefits and opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others were superior within the field of teaching. In all other 18 categories however, more of the individuals who left the teaching profession voted better in current position than better in teaching. There were wide discrepancies in some areas: In Professional prestige, 47% said better in current position while only 27.7% said better in teaching; In General working conditions, 60.9% said better in current position while only 14% said better in teaching; In Manageability of workload, 65.4% said better in current position while only 17.6% said better in teaching; In Ability to balance personal life and work, 64.7% said better in current position while only 14.1% said better in teaching. These responses go far in explaining the thought processes of those who decide to leave classroom teaching (Marvel et al., 2007, p. 16).

18 ATTRITION 18 The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Expectations and Experiences. Since 1984, MetLife has conducted a series of surveys designed to gather data regarding education, education processes, and the American teacher. In 2006, MetLife carried out the 23 rd edition of this series. A nationally representative sample of 1,001 public school k-12 teachers from throughout the continental United States were interviewed between March 8 th, 2006 and March 30 th, 2006, by Harris Interactive, Inc. Also, 500 public school k-12 principals were interviewed between March 15 th, 2006 and April 5 th, 2006 and 200 deans and chairpersons of education departments were interviewed between March 15 th, 2005 and April 6 th, In order to ensure that the sample was representative of the overall education population, the sampling data were weighted to the following four key demographics school level, gender, religion, and size of place. Data were collected through two different sources, and contained both qualitative and quantitative elements. First, a quality-control monitored telephone interview system was employed, called the CATI system, or computer-assisted telephone interviewing system. The questionnaires were programmed into the system with seven specific quality checks, including question and response series questions, range checks, and consistency checks. Average completion time was approximately 16 minutes (MetLife, 2006). The second data collection method employed was focus groups. Harris Interactive, Inc carried out a series of online bulletin board focus groups. Twenty-four prospective teachers individuals who were in an education department and planned on taking a classroom position within two years - were recruited for the first focus group. Twenty-four former teachers individuals who had taught in the k-12 public school system and had left within the last five

19 ATTRITION 19 years - made up the second. Each focus group was run over a three day period, during which time members were asked to respond to pre-set questions, create group discussion, and respond to each others comments. These groups were moderated by a member of the Harris Interactive quality control staff (MetLife, 2006). The information obtained from MetLife s efforts is broad in scope, ranging from administrative perceptions on the quality of today s incoming teachers to career and job satisfaction numbers from current classroom teachers. The following information, graphs, and explanations will sum up the data that is pertinent to this thesis. According to MetLife s most current data, k-12 principals were quite satisfied with the quality and preparation of the America s newest teachers. According to Figure 1.4 (found in the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher section of Appendix: Tables and Graphs), 46% of principals gave incoming teachers a rating of excellent, while 45% gave a rating of very good. Teachers themselves however, seemed less sure. Many new teachers felt that their expectations did not match with the reality of teaching, which brings into questions their preparedness. For example, 58% found the number of hours a teacher works each weak to be worse than expected, 37% found the level of professional prestige to be worse than expected, and 33% found the pay and benefits to be worse than expected. The research also showed that more than ¼ of new teachers felt either not at all prepared or not too prepared to engage families or work with children of differing ability levels. One-fifth felt unprepared to maintain order and discipline within their classrooms. The MetLife survey also explored teachers feelings about the state of their profession, and their satisfaction or dissatisfaction levels. According to their research, teacher job satisfaction was near an all-time high when the surveys were completed. In 2006, 56% of

20 ATTRITION 20 teachers claimed to be very satisfied with their profession, and 34% stated that they were somewhat satisfied. In comparison, the numbers in 1995 were 54% and 33%, while in 1984, 40% were very satisfied, and 40% were somewhat satisfied (MetLife, 2006). Given this information, the data contained in MetLife s Figure 4.3 does not correlate. According to MetLife s data, almost 91% of American teachers are very or somewhat satisfied with teaching, but 26% are still very or fairly likely to leave the teaching profession within the next five years much like 1986, when 27% were very or somewhat likely. What then, is driving out those individuals who are satisfied with their jobs, but still plan to leave the profession? According to the MetLife study, there are a number of probable reasons. First of all, a majority of teachers do not feel that they are being compensated accordingly. The data show that 64% of teachers - nearly two out of every three feel that the compensation that they receive is not fair for the amount of work that they do. Many teachers also feel that they do not receive adequate support from the parents of their students. The MetLife data shows that approximately one-half of teachers feel that parental involvement and parental understanding of the school s curriculum is inadequate. Also, approximately one-third of teachers believe that parents do not support their school s discipline policy (MetLife, 2006). The survey also contains teacher feedback regarding the quality of their teaching experience, during the school year directly prior to the survey. Figure 3.9, found in the MetLife Survey of the American Teachers section of Appendix: Tables and Graphs, shows the accumulated data. As can be seen, 65% of teachers felt that they did not have enough time for planning and grading, and 60% felt that they did not have enough time to help their students on an individual basis. In fact, 34% felt that they did not have enough time to complete the classroom instruction that they desired.

21 ATTRITION 21 Finally, the surveys produced data on what teachers themselves believed would be most helpful in keeping good teachers from leaving the classroom: 92% believed that providing a commensurate salary would help a lot, 82% cited increasing society s respect level towards teachers and the teaching profession, 74% wanted to see an increase in the tools and supplies that teachers need in order to do their jobs, 67% wanted to see more parental involvement in their schools. It is interesting to note that there has been little change in teacher responses to these questions, over the years. In 1985, 94% believed that providing a commensurate salary would help a lot, 90% wanted to see an increase in society s respect level towards teachers, 69% wanted to see an increase in the tools and supplies that teachers need, and 56% wanted to see more parental involvement in their schools (MetLife, 2006).

22 ATTRITION 22 A Sense of Calling: Who Teaches and Why In 2000, Public Agenda, an independent research organization that focuses on public policy issues, carried out a survey-based research project on the state of teaching, and teachers, in America. Public Agenda s survey sample consisted of public and private teachers and administrators. Six hundred sixty-four public school teachers and 250 private school teachers were chosen through a random sample technique from the entire population of U.S. teachers. The survey focused on the experiences of newer teachers, and therefore screening questions were utilized to ensure that these teachers had not been in the profession for more than five years. Five hundred eleven public school administrators were also surveyed. These administrators were also chosen through random sampling; however, administrators from districts with more than 2,500 students were oversampled, in order to be more representative of American demographics. Finally, 802 college graduates below the age of thirty were surveyed. Three hundred twelve were chosen through a random-digit-dialing system. The other 490 participants were chosen from a list compiled by Survey Sampling, Inc. Public Agenda engaged in both quantitative and qualitative data collection. In order to gather broader, qualitative information, researchers utilized a focus group format. Six focus groups were carried out three with public school teachers, one with private school teachers, and two with young (under the age of thirty) professionals from outside the education profession. Also, telephone interviews were conducted with the public and private school teachers, administrators, and college graduates under the age of thirty. The interview procedures were designed by Public Agenda, and utilized questions and quotes gained during the previous focus groups.

23 ATTRITION 23 The results of this study bring a different view to the discussion of teacher attrition. To begin, the authors of this study recognized that there is a nation-wide problem with the retention of teachers their research showed that 19% of teachers leave within the first few years. They do not however, believe that this problem is as severe as others make it out to be. Farkas and Foleno argued (2000) that while a significant number of teachers leave the profession, those that choose to stay are highly motivated and highly committed. Their survey of new teachers shows that 96% of respondents love teaching, and 80% would choose to become a teacher again, if they had the opportunity to start over. Of these respondents 83% also answered that loving the job is an essential characteristic of any profession that they would choose. They also found that while good teachers were leaving, good teachers were also taking their places. According to the school administrators surveyed, 39% felt that the quality of incoming teachers has stayed the same in recent years, while 52% felt that the quality has actually improved (Farkas & Foleno, 2000). Farkas and Foleno also gathered information on suggested methods for reducing teacher attrition, and increasing teacher quality. While 75% of respondents felt that teachers were seriously underpaid, increasing teacher salaries was not at the top of the list. According to their research, the number one suggestion to increase quality was to reduce class sizes with 86% responding that this would be a very effective measure. In second place, with 59%, came requiring teachers to teach in the content area that they majored in. Increasing teacher salaries came in fourth place. In fact, when given the choice between a school that paid significantly more and a school where student behavior and parental involvement were significantly better, 86% of the public school teachers and 91% of the private school teachers said that they would choose the second option (p. 20).

24 ATTRITION 24 Farkas and Foleno also studied the role of teacher training programs in this dilemma, surmising that inadequately prepared teachers would be more likely to feel the pressures and stresses that can cause attrition. In broad terms, new teachers felt that they were well-trained and prepared (71%), but further probing brought this result into question. When asked about specific aspects of their preparation, the survey results showed a different picture. Of new teachers 63% believed that their training program did a fair to poor job in preparing them to deal with the pressures and stresses of teaching, 57% believed that their training program did a fair to poor job in teaching them classroom management/discipline skills, and 30% felt that they were not adequately trained in teaching effectively (Farkas & Foleno, 2000). Superintendents and principals agreed with this assessment, as 75% noted that teacher training programs did a fair to poor job in preparing new teachers to deal with the pressures and stresses of teaching, 68% noted that they did a fair to poor job in teaching them classroom management/discipline skills, and 42% noted that new teachers were not adequately trained in teaching effectively (Farkas & Foleno, 2000).

25 ATTRITION 25 Teacher attrition: A Costly loss to the Nation and to the States. The primary concept of the Alliance for Excellent Education s policy brief is that the loss of talented teachers brings not only educational difficulties to school districts, but economic difficulties as well. Replacing experienced teachers can of course be difficult and time consuming, but many do not consider the cost involved in recruiting and training replacement educators. The Alliance for Excellent Education did not carry out primary research. Data for this policy brief came from a number of sources, most notably the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor. For example, the U.S. Department of Labor asserts that school districts experience a financial loss when teachers leave, equal to approximately 30% of their annual salary (Alliance, 2005). By applying this formula to teacher dropout rates acquired from The National Center for Education Statistics Teacher Follow-up Survey, The Alliance compiled a state-by-state listing of teacher attrition costs. They found considerable variance between states. According to the study s findings, the greatest loss was recorded by Texas, who had 19,034 teachers leave the profession and 25,768 teachers transfer to other schools, after the school year, for a total estimated cost of $504,917,385. The smallest financial loss was attributed to North Dakota, which had 398 teachers leave the profession and 554 teachers transfer to other schools, after the school year, for a total estimated cost of $8,529,097. The state of Michigan had 4,558 teachers leave the profession and 7,610 move districts after the school year, for a combined estimated cost of $179,028,746. Nationwide, the estimated non-retirement attrition cost was $4,867,879,421 (Alliance, 2005).

26 ATTRITION 26 The Alliance for Excellent Education s findings show that constant turnover within a district s classrooms can be financially costly; however, they do not address some important variables. First, the authors utilize an average-cost formula, which means that some district s costs will be above the 30% of a teacher s annual salary cited, while some will be lower. Also, they have accumulated state-by-state costs, but did not further dissect their information. Their study is simply not as effective as it could be, without knowing how their data demographically breaks down urban vs. rural vs. suburban, affluent vs. low-income, etc.

27 ATTRITION 27 The Cost of Teacher Turnover in Five School Districts: A Pilot Study In 2007, Barnes, Crowe, and Schaefer published the results of a survey project involving five different school districts, carried out for the National Commission on Teaching and America s Future (NCTAF). Barnes et al. collected financial and human resources data from three urban and two rural school districts. Prior to data collection, representatives from the NCTAF visited with the administration and/or human relations department at each of the five school districts. The meetings were held to explain precisely what data would be needed in order to complete the NCTAF pilot study. Each district was then left to accumulate the data as they wished. Data on teachers and teacher turnover were collected by each district for the and school years, in order to find those individuals who either moved within their districts, or left their districts completely. Financial statistics were compiled by each district for the school year, as resources expended during this time would be based on turnover from the previous year. According to the study s findings, each of the five districts showed significant turnover in their teaching staffs. Table T-4, found in the Cost of Teacher Turnover section of Appendix: Tables and Graphs, shows that between movers staff that changed schools within a district and leavers those that left their district altogether the overall turnover rates varied severely. The two smallest districts were at the extremes; the Jemez Valley Public Schools (JVPS) had a turnover rate of nearly 43%, and the Santa Rosa Public Schools (SRPS) had a compiled turnover rate of 15.5%. Turnover rates for the three urban schools came in at 16.5% for Granville County Schools (GCS), 17.4% for the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), and a startling 30.2% for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS).

28 ATTRITION 28 The NCTAF Pilot Study examined teacher turnover through number of different variables as well, including gender and age. The most germane data examined turnover rates as compared to levels of teaching experience. Table T-14 shows that the highest rates of turnover for each of the three urban schools came from those who had zero to five years of teaching experience. For the two rural schools, there was no such pattern. There is a problem, however, with the sample size involved with this study. The three urban schools had a significant data pool; however, JVPS had only 41 teachers, and SRPS had only 58, which are too small to be statistically relevant. Also, this study only deals with one year of data. Without corroborating information, it is difficult to draw specific conclusions. Barnes et al. also researched the costs that each of the five districts accrued due to teacher turnover. Each district was asked to compile all available information on eight different cost categories; recruitment, hiring, administrative processing, training for first-time teachers, training for new hires, training for all teachers, costs associated with the learning curve of new teachers, and the costs of transfers within the district. Also, four focus schools were chosen from each district, and each were asked to supply data on the same eight categories. Barnes et al. suggested that by taking the per teacher amount each district spent, and adding it to the average per teacher cost for the four focus schools, a total per teacher cost can be derived for each of the five subject school districts. The authors ran into serious problems when assessing the accumulated data. They were able to report that CPS had a per leaver average district cost of $9,501; however, they were not given any information from the four focus schools, and therefore could not report an accurate total per leaver cost. MPS were able to report a per leaver average of $8,371 for the focus schools, but only an $861 average from the district, because the district was unable to give an

29 ATTRITION 29 accurate account on most of the eight categories. SRPS were unable to report any data whatsoever, and therefore no estimate could be reached. Only two districts, the GCS and JVPS, were able to send a full financial report. The GCS found that they accrued $6,233 in district costs per leaver, and $3,642 in average costs from their focus schools, for a total per leaver cost of $9,875. The JVPS were able to report $4,366 in per leaver district costs. They had no focus school information, but are still considered to be fully reported. Due to the small size of their district (only 41 teachers in the entire district), all finances were handled at the district level (Barnes et al., 2007). It should be mentioned again, that the sample-size for the rural schools is rather small and the financial data reported were only from one year, which are major deficiencies in this pilot study.

30 ATTRITION 30 Synthesis of Literature After reviewing the available literature, certain themes and trends became apparent. To begin, there is a general agreement that teacher attrition is a problem in the education profession. For example, the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher found that even though 90% of teachers surveyed claimed to be either very or somewhat satisfied with the teaching profession, 26% said that they are still very or fairly likely to leave the teaching profession within the next five years (MetLife, 2006). In the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll, the great majority of respondents were in favor of a long list of efforts to keep experienced teachers in their classrooms. The information accumulated by the NCES in the Teacher Follow-UP Survey also showed that this has been a growing trend. As can be seen in Table:1 of the Teacher Follow-UP Survey to the SASS section of the Appendix, the percentage of people leaving the teaching profession has been growing. After the school year, 5.6% of the public school teaching population left the profession. After the school year, the number had climbed to 6.6%. By , the rate had reached 8.4%. The closest a source came to disagreeing with this was A Sense of Calling: Who Teaches and Why. The authors concluded that while a significant number of individuals are leaving teaching every year, those that stay are highly motivated and caring professionals. Also, there is a disconnect between perception and reality in many of the sources studied, or at least a level of confusion in their response data. In A National Priority, the most supported methods for improving educational effectiveness were improving teacher quality, increasing school accountability, and increased funding (p. 7). According to the same study however, the top answer to the question What is responsible for the schools problems? was Lack of parental involvement (p. 6). Also, in A Sense of Calling 71% of new teachers felt

31 ATTRITION 31 that they were well-trained and well-prepared to enter the classroom as a teacher. 63% of these same respondents however, believed that their training program did a fair to poor job in preparing them to deal with the pressures and stresses of teaching, while 57% believed that their training program did a fair to poor job in teaching them classroom management/discipline skills. Thirty percent of this same group even felt that they were not adequately trained to teach effectively (Farkas & Foleno, 2000). In order to clarify this situation, there is a need for more point specific data, with guided research questions that address such inconsistencies. If these data conflicts persist, it may point to a need for an increase in efforts to educate the general public on educational topics. Another issue that has become apparent is the need for more research on teacher attrition. While researching the topic it would appear that dozens of sources can be found. Nearly all of these resources are secondary, however. Upon examination of their bibliographies, most cite the same small sampling of primary research data. There is a clear need for more financial data as well. The few studies that have attempted to put a monetary figure to the loss of experienced teachers are incomplete or statistically irrelevant. Some give state by state figures, but do not break the information down into counties or school districts. Others use small, statistically inconsequential samplings. It is also clear that the general population wants to see a solution to this problem, and is willing to sacrifice in order to achieve that solution. In the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll, pollsters found that Americans are in favor of a litany of reforms to keep teachers in their classrooms including smaller class sizes (95%), financial incentives for teachers (92%), increasing professional development opportunities (92%), and providing higher salaries for new teachers (87%) (p. 43). The authors of A National Priority found that not only did a vast

32 ATTRITION 32 majority of people favor an increase in continuing education courses for teachers, encouraging other professionals to enter teaching, and increasing teacher salaries, but 80% were in favor of increasing teacher salaries even if it meant that they would have to pay higher taxes because of it (Hart & Teeter, 2002). Teachers themselves want to see a solution to this problem, and have weighed in on what they believe would be the most effective in increasing teacher retention. Providing a decent salary was one of the most commonly cited solutions, but providing more respect for teachers in today s society, providing better tools and supplies teachers need to do their job, and reducing the amount of time teachers spend in non-teaching duties (MetLife, 2006, p. 90). Finally, upon reviewing the available literature it became clear that while many do choose to leave their classrooms, it is rarely because of the teaching aspects of the job. In fact, most teachers share an enthusiasm for their profession and a love of their students. The MetLife survey illustrates this point. According to the author s findings, in % of teachers were very or somewhat satisfied with teaching as a career. Their research data goes back to 1984, and the lowest rate was in 1985 at 79% (MetLife, 2006). Also, many of the top rated complaints registered by respondents to the MetLife survey had to do with limitations on their teaching effectiveness, such as not having enough time for planning, and not having enough time to give individualized aid to each student. In A Sense of Calling, 86% of teachers report that those who enter the teaching profession have a true sense of calling (p. 40). In the same study, the authors found that if teachers were given the choice between higher pay and a school with increased parental support, 86% said that they would prefer the latter. 82% would take a school with supportive administrators over higher pay. In the Teacher Follow-Up Survey... individuals who left the teaching profession rated the reasons for their departure. Dissatisfied with teaching

33 ATTRITION 33 as a career was one of the least cited reasons, at 14.6% (Marvel et al., 2007, p. 14). This trend is one of the most pertinent to the discussion of teacher attrition. It shows that while the problems facing teachers cause some to leave, the job itself is still considered worthy by those involved. Also, knowing that the act of teaching itself is not a cause of attrition can help guide the problem-solving attempts of districts and administrators, by focusing their efforts. Every part of the job does not need to change; however, certain aspects must be addressed. The resources outlined in chapter two put a face to the problem of teacher attrition by describing the experiences of thousands of American teachers. These statistics not only show the nationwide attitudes of American educators; they can be used for comparison to the independent and local research described in chapters three and four.

34 ATTRITION 34 CHAPTER III EXPLANATION OF INDEPENDENT DATA COLLECTION Reviewing the national statistics regarding teacher attrition helps to clarify the causes and effects of this dilemma; however, national data are not always reflective of local beliefs. In order to collect corresponding information at the local level, independent data collection occurred. Independent data were collected through two means an online survey of current teachers, as well as personal interviews with former k-12 classroom teachers who left the profession for reasons other than retirement. To begin, a survey was created and placed on surveymonkey.com. Administrators at the three largest schools in Houghton and Keweenaw counties were ed a request to inform their teaching staff about the survey, and ask them to go to the web site and take the voluntary, confidential survey. No names or identifiers such as social security numbers were asked for. Forty-nine people completed the survey. The survey consisted of the following questions: 1. How long have you been a k-12 teacher? At which grade level do you teach? 2. What is the highest degree that you have attained? 3. Have you ever, during your career, considered leaving the k-12 teaching profession? 4. If yes to #3 above, then what were the primary factors that lead to your considering leaving? 5. If yes to #3 above - why did you decide to stay in k-12 education? 6. Why did you originally want to go into education? 7. Before you became a teacher, what were you expectations regarding the profession? How did reality differ?