Teacher turnover costs districts billions annually and harms student achievement¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2016 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2021: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Replacement costs per teacher ranged from $4,366 in a small rural district to nearly $18,000 in a large urban district in 2007, at a national cost of $7.3 billion a year. → Podolsky 2016 q2 i? A study of 850,000 New York City 4th- and 5th-grade students over eight years found teacher turnover has a significant negative effect on student achievement, affecting stayers and new teachers alike. → Podolsky 2016 (2)

Evidence¶

Podolsky 2016¶

Podolsky, A., Kini, T., Bishop, J., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2016). Solving the Teacher Shortage: How to Attract and Retain Excellent Educators. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/solving-teacher-shortage doi:10.54300/262.960

q2 · i? · review · r2

A cost-analysis study of district data cited in the report's turnover-costs section. The report states replacement costs "ranged from $4,366 in a small rural district to nearly $18,000 in a large urban district in 2007", about $8.5 billion today adjusted for inflation.

"replacement costs for teachers ranged from $4,366 in a small rural district to nearly $18,000 in a large urban district in 2007—at a national price tag of $7.3 billion a year."

Podolsky 2016 (2)¶

Podolsky, A., Kini, T., Bishop, J., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2016). Solving the Teacher Shortage: How to Attract and Retain Excellent Educators. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/solving-teacher-shortage. doi:10.54300/262.960

q2 · i? · review · r2

An eight-year study of 850,000 New York City 4th- and 5th-grade students cited in the report. It found turnover's negative effects "reached the students of 'stayers'" and new teachers alike; no effect size is printed.

"A recent study of 850,000 New York City 4th- and 5th-grade students over an eight-year period found that teacher turnover has a significant negative effect on student achievement, particularly in schools serving large populations of low-performing students and students of color."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• High teacher attrition, near 8% annually, is the largest share of teacher demand, and halving it could virtually eliminate shortages — related
• Texas teacher turnover cost estimates exceed $10,800 per teacher in rural districts, $13,200 in suburban districts, and $25,200 in urban districts — related
• Teaching has a relatively high turnover rate compared to nursing and national employee turnover benchmarks — related
• Principal turnover often has negative effects on student achievement, teacher retention, and school culture unless a much more effective principal replaces the prior one — related
• High teacher turnover rates may be costly to school districts, disrupt operations, and lower student achievement — a broader claim this one bears on
• Texas teacher attrition exceeds the national average by over 50%, with about 12% of teachers exiting districts before the 2023–24 school year — related
• Educational opportunity and achievement gaps impose large societal costs, including an estimated $156 billion loss in tax revenues and income per yearly cohort of nongraduates — related
• Principal turnover is common: 18% of principals leave schools each year and half of new principals leave within three years, with cascading consequences — related
• Teachers reporting higher leadership effectiveness and supports have lower predicted turnover (9.0% vs. 18.7% for low-leadership teachers) — related
• Occupational commitment is the strongest positive consequence and turnover intentions the strongest negative consequence of teacher wellbeing — related