A Closer Look at Black Teacher Retention Using a National Data Set

• In Event: Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: An Investigation of Teacher Retention Plans Among Special Populations Using the 2007-2008 Schools and Staffing Survey

Abstract

Teacher retention in the United States is a complex problem with significant obstacles and risk factors underlying potential solutions. The proposed paper addresses the differences of African American teachers and the issue of teacher attrition. Assisting with retention involves helping teachers, schools, and districts identify resources in order to improve retention of African American teachers. Often, even if teacher induction services are available in a community, social, organizational, and cultural barriers exist that limit the utilization of services by African American teachers (Milner, 2003). Harrell (1999) describes a Manichean society where people (e.g. colleagues, students, administrators) see white actions, culture, and people as inherently more competent. This may lead Black teachers to question their own competence in teaching when compared to their white counterparts. Defining the problem, identifying risk factors, and hearing voices of Black educators has been largely ignored and is warranted since most research focuses on higher education faculty, adolescents or students (Jay, 2009).

Knowles and Harleston (1997) cite several studies which show a positive relationship between minority representation on teaching faculties and minority student success (Barajas and Pierce, 2001; Irvine, 1989; Meier and Stewart, 1991; Polinard, Wrinkle, and Longoria, 1990; Polinard, Wrinkle, and Meier, 1995; Wright, Hirlinger, and England, 1998). Additionally, during the K- 12 years, teachers act as mentors, role models, and provide a sense of connection which students of color often lack from white teachers (McCray, A.D., Sindelar, P.T., Kilgore, K.K., & Neal, L., 2002). Therefore, the role of African American teachers in the classroom is instrumental to student overall success (Oates, 2003). Understanding how the support systems in place can buffer the impact of variables, like stress, on the well-being of African American teachers may be used to address teacher attrition. In short, racial identity appears to be an important construct for the retention of African American teachers. This paper examines how teacher retention varies among Black teachers and what implications this variation has for attrition rates using a national dataset, the 2007-2008 Schools and Staffing Survey. African American teachers have been identified as important in reducing the achievement gap among African American youth and providing mentorship, belonging, and increased confidence (Oates, 2003).

The proposed paper has two goals: 1) To assess demographic variables (i.e., age, gender, ethnicity) and contextual variables (i.e., classroom and neighborhood diversity) as covariates of the racial identity classes among teachers and 2) To determine whether the racial identity classes moderate the relationship between retention indicators among African American teachers. Chi-square or ANOVA procedures were used to examine the relationship of demographic differences on the questions of interest. Next, to test the hypothesis that the components of retention are distinguishable from one another for African American teachers, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses with Amos (Arbuckle, 1999). Multiple linear regression was used to determine predictors of retention when the African American participants began the position. As permitted, qualitative data about reasons for leaving were coded and categorized for themes and then analyzed using chi-square comparisons between racial and gender groups.

Author

• Johnavae Campbell, University of North Carolina