Retention and Attrition of Early-Career Music Teachers: A Survival Analysis

• In Event: Music Teacher Experiences and Retention

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the retention and attrition patterns of early-career music teachers. I analyzed employment records from a state longitudinal data system using descriptive statistics and discrete-time survival analysis. When teachers moved schools, they often moved from a lower-SES school to a higher-SES school. Nearly 80% of teachers who changed grade levels moved to a school serving an older student population. Approximately half of all teachers exited the profession within five years, and attrition rates varied across numerous background characteristics, including race/ethnicity, sex, certification pathway, student population characteristics, and school characteristics. Implications for policy and music teacher education are discussed.

Author

• David S. Miller, University of Kentucky