A Cross-National Comparison of Teacher Attrition in the United States and the Netherlands

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: International Teachers

Abstract

This study uses nationally-representative labor force surveys from the United States and the Netherlands to examine teacher attrition for primary and secondary teachers. Attrition is examined both overall and by specific reason for leaving (left the labor force, unemployed, and left for a new profession). The total teacher attrition was higher in the United States than in the Netherlands for both elementary and secondary teachers, driven primarily by a higher percentage of U.S. teachers who left the labor force. Attrition was relatively stable over time for most groups, with the exception of primary teachers in the Netherlands. Cross-national comparisons of attrition such as this one can help inform generalizability of research studies as well as potential policy decisions.

Authors

• Lauren Elizabeth Musu-Gillette, National Center for Education Statistics

• Thijs Noordzij, Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science

• Cristobal de Brey, National Center for Education Statistics