Teacher Retention: Important Considerations for Rural and Urban Districts in Texas

Abstract

Keeping quality teachers in schools is paramount to student achievement. Thus, in this study, the authors explore an intersection of research on factors that contribute to why teachers choose to leave a teaching role in urban and rural school districts in Texas. This is an important area for empirical research because the loss of effective teachers has a significant impact on student achievement and since 1989, the national teacher attrition rate in the United States has increased 50% and remains steady at approximately 8%. Furthermore, in Texas, teachers leave the classroom at more than twice the national average. Findings of a regression analysis highlight the importance of focused support and training for teachers who work with students who are identified as At Risk and/or served by special education in both the rural and urban settings. Findings also illustrated some factors have a different impact on retention of teachers depending on whether the district is in a rural or a major urban setting for both the percentage of a district’s employees who are in a school leadership role and for the percentage of a district’s teachers in their first five years of service. Implications will be explored.