Teacher retention and mobility are part of a larger state and national conversation about trends in the teacher workforce. This study by Ana Elfers, Margaret Plecki, and Anna Van Windekens, examines the demographics of Washington state teachers and their retention and mobility patterns.
The researchers found that about a quarter of beginning teachers leave the state system after five years, a rate that has declined in recent years. Among other interesting findings: The poverty level of the school was not a consistent statistical predictor of teacher turnover or attrition for all teachers or for beginning teachers, a finding that differs from some other research in other locations.