UPDATES ON EDUCATION RESEARCH AND POLICY
NEW POSTS WEEKLY!
We want to help lawmakers, educators, and families make decisions about education by providing updates on national, regional and Missouri-specific research. While we strive to be objective, we want to facilitate discussion and will occasionally offer our own views on this blog.
New School Year Means New Faces as Teacher Turnover Remains High
As Missouri students start a new school year, many will find familiar faces missing from the front of the classroom. This is because teacher turnover in the state remains stubbornly high – more than twice the national average.
Teacher turnover in Missouri is at 14.6 percent, according to research from the PRiME Center. Meanwhile, the national average is roughly 7 percent.
Tackling Teacher Turnover
Several studies have connected teacher turnover to declines in student outcomes. First-year teachers are 70% more likely than the average teacher to leave Missouri public education. Fewer and fewer teachers persist through their early-career years, with only six in ten reaching their sixth year in Missouri public education. Policymakers and education leaders should strategize ways to improve early-career teacher working conditions, training, and professional opportunities.