The impact of work-life balance is imposing a significant strain on faculty in higher education. Much of the literature suggests faculty are not satisfied with their jobs and do not feel a sense of belonging, and the results show negative impacts on faculty well-being. Results from a 2015 Gallup survey of faculty workplace engagement showed…

The purpose of this mixed-methods research study in Southeast Louisiana was to explore factors that impact certified public elementary school teachers' decision to remain in the education profession focused on how these factors contribute to teacher retention through job satisfaction or lead to teacher attrition through job dissatisfaction. Phase…

Special education teachers play a crucial role in supporting the academic and social development of students with disabilities. However, many states, including Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana (the four states), have been experiencing a shortage of special education teachers in recent years, and retaining experienced teachers has become an…

Dating back to the late 1980s in the United States, a popular assertion in the field of education has been that about half of all new teachers will leave the profession within their first five years. The lack of quality new-teacher retention programming contributes to the qualified teacher shortages faced by many school districts across the…

This brief provides a systemwide look at early childhood teacher turnover using data from all publicly funded, center-based early childhood programs in Louisiana, including subsidized child care, Head Start, and pre-kindergarten. It provides new evidence on the prevalence of turnover and explores whether teachers who leave differ from those who…

There are few areas where American teachers are as united as they are in their dissatisfaction with their professional learning and advancement opportunities. The lack of meaningful offerings affects states' ability to attract, develop, and retain strong teachers, which in turn impedes schools' ability to help students fulfill their potential.…

The ability to retain higher education followers (faculty and staff) is extremely important. Much of the literature and data suggest a problem exists due to the number of followers that are departing higher education. The literature indicates that leadership style and motivation impact a follower's decision to leave their institution.…

The academic and economic benefits of school spending are well-established, but focusing on these outcomes may underestimate the full social benefits of school spending. Recent increases in U.S. child mortality are driven by injuries and raise questions about what types of social investments could reduce child deaths. We use close school district…

Psychological flexibility (PF), teaching resiliency (tRES), and sense of purpose (SOP) are characteristics that influence physical education teaching sustainability. The study's purpose was to validate an instrument measuring PF, tRES, and SOP relative to teachers' intent to remain teaching (IRT) in high poverty (>60% low-income) schools and…

Teacher shortages continue to be a challenge for state policymakers, and while national media coverage paints a picture of widespread shortages, a closer examination reveals that shortages tend to be concentrated in specific subjects and schools. The primary policy response to shortages is often to recruit more teachers, but research demonstrates…

While the majority of U.S students are children of color, only 20% of teachers are people of color. What's more, 40% of the nation's public schools do not have a single teacher of color on record. Research shows that all students, regardless of race or ethnicity, benefit socially, emotionally, and academically from a diverse teacher workforce.…

Attrition is a major cause of the teacher shortage, threatening the educational future of America's youth. Teachers' decisions to leave are based on motivation/demotivation, school climate, and students' attitudes and behaviors; however, the relationships among these factors require further study. The purpose of this quantitative, predictive…

STEM teachers are in short supply due to attrition and teacher shortages. In Louisiana, over 20% of math and science classes are taught by educators who do not possess the proper certifications and over 40% of departing teachers have less than five years of teaching experience (Louisiana Department of Education, 2019). Research suggests that low…

Background/Context: School districts across the United States face persistent difficulties recruiting and retaining teachers (García & Weiss, 2019; Schmitt & deCourcy, 2022). Over the last decade, every state in the south has faced a growing teacher shortage, with some facing shortages in all grades and subjects (U.S. Department of…

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…