Degree Name

Education Specialist (EdS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1997

Thesis Director

Larry Janes

Abstract

The retention of quality teachers in small school districts is a challenge for superintendents. The continual loss of quality teachers can be damaging to the overall success of the small district. In order to avert the loss, superintendents need to be made aware of strategies that will assist in retaining quality teachers. The purposes of this study were to determine the frequency of quality teachers leaving small school districts and then to identify strategies that superintendents felt were useful in averting the loss.

The study was conducted during the summer of 1997. Superintendents of unit school districts with 1000 students or less were surveyed. Forty-three unit districts which lay south of Interstate 70 in south central Illinois were identified for the study. Responses were received from 38 of the 43 superintendents resulting in a response rate of 88%.

The specific research questions addressed by this study were:

1. What is the frequency of quality teachers leaving small districts to accept teaching positions in larger school districts.?

2. What do superintendents perceive as the reason(s) for the departure of quality teachers?

3. What strategies have been successfully employed by administrators to retain quality teachers?

Results showed that a retention problem existed with 71% of the superintendents responding that at least one quality teacher had resigned over a three year period. The reason most identified for the departure was low salary and fringe benefits (66%). Family considerations (11%) and leaving education (8%) were second and third as reasons for quality teachers resigning.

Retention strategies were then identified by superintendents. The four most common methods of retention were found to be: (a) better salary; (b) faculty collegiality; (c) small classes; (d) self direction.

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