Putting the Horse Before the Cart: Developing the Teacher Turnover Policy Problem

• In Event: Roundtable Session 100
  In Roundtable Session: Policy Issues Related to Teachers’ Career Paths and Teacher Quality

Abstract

Using a public policy analysis framework, this paper describes the policy problem of high rates of school-level teacher turnover using longitudinal data from New York City’s secondary schools. To date, thousands of articles have studied the predictors of teacher turnover, yet there is little evidence describing the problem of teacher turnover, especially from a school’s perspective. This imbalance can lead to poor policy solutions and inefficient resource allocation. This paper develops the policy problem of teacher turnover by analyzing the prevalence of high rates of teacher turnover; the directionality of the relationship between rates of teacher turnover and school performance; and the severity of the relationship. It concludes with a discussion about policy implications at the district level.

Author

• Lisa Merrill, University of Pennsylvania