The purpose of this quantitative investigative examination was to look at how the four-day school week impacts teacher retention, specifically in Idaho rural school districts. The research question studied was what is the relationship between the four-day school week and teacher retention in rural school districts? Within the quantitative research…

Teacher attrition has been a leading issue within the United States for several decades, especially among novice Title I teachers (Farmer, 2020; Madigan & Kim, 2021). Projections of novice teacher attrition rates show that schools will continue to see a significant increase in rates after the 2021 to 2022 school year due to changes in…

The rural setting is one that must be better understood because of the broader discussions of changing demographics, growing diversity, the need for economic development, and community engagement. Additional research is needed to understand the interconnection of rural spaces and teacher retention. The purpose of this study was to understand the…

When engaging in the process of opening a new school, leaders have endless planning and details to consider. One of the most important considerations lies in assembling a strong team of professionals and working to develop positive school culture. School leadership has a critical impact on the development of culture, and studies have shown that…

Teacher turnover is an issue not only in the state of Idaho but across the nation. This study examined the attrition outcomes of 6,572 beginning teachers in Idaho that were trained in one of four types of teacher preparation programs and started teaching between the 2014-15 and 2019- 20 school years. Teachers in the ABCTE preparation program were…

Salaries are one of the most powerful policy levers states and school districts can use to attract qualified, effective, and diverse teachers. What role do states play in supporting strategic use of salaries? This report examines the state teacher compensation policies that influence districts' potential strategic use of teacher pay. It analyzes…

A four-day school week (4dsw) is becoming more common, especially in areas across the western United States. States with large rural areas are spearheading this change. For example, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Dakota have more than 500 districts using a 4dsw. The transition to the 4dsw and the debate over…

The four-day school week (4dsw) is growing in popularity, especially in rural areas across the western United States. RAND Corporation researchers addressed knowledge gaps about the 4dsw by conducting a large-scale study of the implementation and outcomes of the 4dsw that involved the collection of original data in numerous districts across Idaho,…