Do Higher Salaries Improve Teacher Retention? Examining Teacher Survival in the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Salary Schedule Shuffling: Drivers and Impacts of Teacher Pay Reforms

Abstract

Widespread shortages of teachers in the United States have prompted considerable research and policy discussion into the causes of low teacher retention, specifically how salaries and compensation influence teacher attrition. Using data from the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study (BTLS) and controlling for multiple factors, this study investigates how salaries and compensation affect beginning teacher retention. Results suggest that the higher the teachers’ base salary during their first three years of teaching, the less likely they were to leave the profession during their second through fourth years of teaching. And, teachers who supplement their base salaries by working extra jobs are more likely to leave the profession after their fourth year of teaching.

Authors

• Lisa McLachlan, Brigham Young University

• Ross Larsen, Brigham Young University

• Richard R. Sudweeks, Brigham Young University