Attrition of Newly Recruited K–12 Teachers in Pennsylvania: From 2011/2012 to 2017/2018

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Abstract

The present study uses survival analysis and longitudinal administrative records from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to investigate the attrition of K-12 teachers in the state’s public and charter schools. We calculate the median time a teacher is employed in the school where he or she was first hired and use Cox proportional hazard models to identify risk and protective factors associated with attrition. After 4.8 years, approximately half of newly hired teachers ceased to teach full-time at the school where they were first hired. Also, salary, professional development, and school size were found to be protective factors, while school demographics and teachers’ highest degree earned were found to be risk factors associated with teacher attrition.

Authors

• Claire Allen-Platt, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

• Sangbaek Park, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Jimin Oh, University of Pennsylvania

• Selene Sunmin Lee, Educational Testing Service

• Robert Boruch, University of Pennsylvania