Salary and Program Quality Measures: Influences on Early Childhood Education (ECE) Teacher Persistence

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Early Educator Persistence and Turnover (Table 8)

Abstract

Although new ECE teachers enter the field in large numbers, the attrition is higher than almost any other field. This worker churn at the ECE center door impacts the stability and collegiality of ECE programs. It can also have a negative influence on teacher relationships with children, families, communities, and other educators, but most critically on children’s outcomes. This study uses Poisson multiple regression analysis to examine potential influences of salary, three sets of program quality assessment items, and the size of 123 ECE centers on the number of years teachers and assistant teachers report being employed by their current ECE center. Salary was significant factor for teacher persistence, but not for assistant teachers in this study.

Author

• Ryan Belew, University of Missouri - Kansas City