Teacher Turnover in Rwanda

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Zeitlin
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teacher Turnover ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Early Career Teachers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Teacher Skills ◽  
Nationally Representative

Abstract Despite widely documented shortfalls of teacher skills and effort, there is little systematic evidence of rates of teacher turnover in low-income countries. I investigated the incidence and consequences of teacher turnover in Rwandan public primary schools over the period from 2016 to 2019. I combined the universe of teacher placement records with student enrollment figures and school-average Primary Leaving Exam scores in a nationally representative sample of 259 schools. Results highlight five features of teacher turnover. First, rates of teacher turnover are high: annually, 20% of teachers separate from their jobs, of which 11% exit from the public-sector teaching workforce. Second, the burden of teacher churn is higher in schools with low learning levels and, perhaps surprisingly, in low pupil–teacher-ratio schools. Third, teacher turnover is concentrated among early-career teachers, male teachers and those assigned to teach Math. Fourth, replacing teachers quickly after they exit is a challenge; 23% of exiting teachers are not replaced the following year. And fifth, teacher turnover is associated with subsequent declines in learning outcomes. On average, the loss of a teacher is associated with a reduction in learning levels of 0.05 standard deviations. In addition to class-size increases, a possible mechanism for these learning outcomes is the prevalence of teachers teaching outside of their areas of subject expertise: in any given year, at least 21% of teachers teach in subjects in which they have not been trained. Taken together, these results suggest that the problem of teacher turnover is substantial in magnitude and consequential for learning outcomes in schools.

Does New Teacher Induction Really Improve Retention?

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 394-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Ronfeldt ◽  
Kiel McQueen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Induction ◽  
Teacher Turnover ◽  
Beginning Teacher ◽  
New Teacher ◽  
Early Career ◽  
First Year ◽  
Induction Programs ◽  
New Teacher Induction ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Policy Trend

Policymakers have increasingly worked to combat teacher turnover by implementing induction programs for early-career teachers. Yet the existing evidence for the effects of induction on turnover is mixed. Drawing on data from the three most recent administrations of the Schools and Staffing and Teacher Follow-Up Surveys, as well as the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study, this study investigates whether different kinds of induction supports predict teacher turnover among nationally representative samples of first-year teachers. We find that receiving induction supports in the first year predicts less teacher migration and attrition, suggesting that using induction to reduce new teacher turnover is a promising policy trend. We also find that levels of induction support are fairly constant for different kinds of teachers and teachers in different kinds of schools. The exceptions are that teachers who are Black and who work in schools with more students who speak English as a second language report higher levels of induction supports.

scholarly journals A Garden-Based Intervention to Improve Dietary Diversity in Kenyan School Children: Results from a Natural Experiment

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 810-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Benjamin-Neelon ◽  
Tiange Liu ◽  
Eve S Puffer ◽  
Liz Turner ◽  
Daniel Zaltz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Food Group ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
School Gardens ◽  
Post Intervention

Abstract Objectives School gardens may improve child diet, but little is known about their effectiveness in rural areas in low-income countries. We evaluated the ability of school gardens to improve child diet in rural Kenya. We hypothesized that children in intervention schools would improve their dietary diversity and specifically their produce intake. Methods An non-government organization installed gardens in 2 primary schools. We selected 2 geographically proximal additional schools as comparisons. We conducted baseline assessments in 2013, prior to garden installation, and follow-up assessments a year later in 2014 in all 4 schools. We measured child dietary intake via a single 24-hour recall. We calculated dietary diversity using the women's dietary diversity score (WDDS) (continuous) and also examined each of the 10 food group components defined as adequate ≥15 g (binary). We conducted marginal linear or logistic regression models using a generalized estimating equation and included an exposure x time interaction to assess differences in outcomes between intervention and comparison schools from baseline to follow up. We controlled for child age, gender, and orphan status. Results We assessed 855 children (n = 438 intervention; n = 417 comparison) at baseline and 688 children (n = 383 intervention; n = 305 comparison) at follow up. Children in intervention schools were 51.8% male, compared to 56.5% in comparison schools. Mean (standard deviation) age was 11.6 (2.1) years in intervention and 11.8 (2.3) years in comparison schools. All children's WDDS worsened post-intervention. In adjusted difference in difference analyses, WDDS did not differ in intervention vs. comparison schools pre- to post-intervention (β 0.04, CI −0.19, 0.27). However, we observed less of a decrease in meeting adequate intake for pulses (OR 2.18, CI 1.18, 4.01) and other fruits (OR 1.55, CI 1.00, 2.40) in intervention versus comparison schools. Conversely, children in comparison schools had less of a decrease in meat, poultry, and fish compared to children in intervention schools (OR 0.67, CI 0.45, 0.99). Conclusions Children's WDDS worsened in all 4 schools, likely due to a severe drought that affected the region in 2014. We observed some differences in intervention vs. comparison children, but cannot attribute these improvements to school gardens. Funding Sources Duke Global Health Institute.

scholarly journals Are Student Absences Worth the Worry in U.S. Primary Schools?

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth Gershenson ◽  
Alison Jacknowitz ◽  
Andrew Brannegan
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
English Language Learners ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Nationally Representative

Student absences are a potentially important, yet understudied, input in the educational process. Using longitudinal data from a nationally representative survey and rich administrative records from North Carolina, we investigate the relationship between student absences and academic performance. Generally, student absences are associated with modest but statistically significant decreases in academic achievement. The harmful effects of absences are approximately linear, and are two to three times larger among fourth and fifth graders in North Carolina than among kindergarten and first-grade students in the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. In both datasets, absences similarly reduce achievement in urban, rural, and suburban schools. In North Carolina, the harm associated with student absences is greater among both low-income students and English language learners, particularly for reading achievement. Also, in North Carolina, unexcused absences are twice as harmful as excused absences. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Leaving School Early: An Examination of Novice Teachers’ Within- and End-of-Year Turnover

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 204-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Redding ◽  
Gary T. Henry
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Novice Teachers ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teacher Turnover ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Early Career Teachers ◽  
School Year ◽  
Early Career Teacher ◽  
Turn Over ◽  
Career Teacher

Most prior research measures teacher turnover as an annual event, but teachers actually leave their positions throughout the school year. We use data from North Carolina to measure teacher turnover monthly throughout the entire year and conduct an analysis of their persistence to examine the differences in early career teacher turnover. Annually, 6% of early career teachers turn over during the school year. Teachers trained in traditional, university-based programs are most likely to move schools, and alternate entry and out-of-state prepared teachers are more likely to leave teaching, both during and at the end of the school year. We discuss the implications within-year turnover has on creating disruptive learning environments, particularly in underserved schools.

scholarly journals The trouble with teacher turnover: How teacher attrition affects students and schools

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desiree Carver-Thomas ◽  
Linda Darling-Hammond
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
English Language ◽  
School Effectiveness ◽  
Teacher Turnover ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
Teacher Salaries ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Support Teacher

Addressing teacher turnover is critical to stemming the country's continuing teacher shortages. It is also important for school effectiveness, as the academic and financial costs of teacher turnover to student learning and district budgets are significant. Using the most recent nationally representative data from the National Center for Education Statistics' Schools and Staffing Surveys, the authors detail which teachers are leaving, why, and which students are most impacted. The study finds higher turnover rates in the South; among mathematics, science, special education, English language development, and world languages teachers; in schools serving students of color and from low-income families; and among teachers of color. The study also finds that several factors are associated with higher turnover rates, including lack of administrative support, teacher salaries, and alternative certification. The paper reviews policy strategies that can address teacher turnover.

Curricular coaches’ impact on retention for early-career elementary teachers in the USA

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
David De Jong ◽  
Ayana Campoli
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Teacher Turnover ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Early Career Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Early Career Teacher ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Career Teachers ◽  
Career Teacher

Purpose Researchers have found that curricular coaches have had an impact on student achievement by supporting classroom teachers in providing high-quality instruction. However, few studies examine the association between curricular coaches and teacher retention, especially in urban areas. Given the high cost of teacher turnover and the high percentage of early-career teachers who leave the profession each year, the purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the presence of curricular coaches in elementary schools reduces turnover among early-career teachers. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors analyzed the observational data from the 2007-2008 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). The SASS is a nationally representative cross-sectional survey that has been administered repeatedly to public and private kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers in the USA approximately every four years by the National Center for Education Statistics and the US Census Bureau. Findings The authors found that the presence of a curricular coach was associated with a substantial reduction in early-career teacher turnover. This finding suggests that curricular coaches could be a particular benefit to urban schools. Research limitations/implications This study was national in scope; therefore, it does not examine causes of attrition specific to local contexts. Practical implications Curricular coaches may indirectly save urban school districts thousands of dollars because of their impact on reducing early-career teacher attrition. Social implications In this study, the authors found a statistically significant and practically meaningful association between the presence of curricular coaches in schools and the retention of elementary teachers, especially in urban areas. Originality/value The model predicted that among early-career teachers, teachers in schools without curricular coaches are approximately twice as likely to leave the profession the next year compared to teachers in schools with curricular coaches.

Grade Repetition and Primary School Dropout in Uganda

2016 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 580-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Kabay
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
School Dropout ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Confounding Variable ◽  
Grade Repetition ◽  
Early School ◽  
Age Of Entry

Research on education in low-income countries rarely focuses on grade repetition. When addressed, repetition is typically presented along with early school dropout as the “wasting” of educational resources. Simplifying grade repetition in this way often fails to recognize significant methodological concerns and also overlooks the unique insight that can be gained by focusing on repetition. In this article, Sarah Kabay uses mixed methods research to investigate repetition and its association with later school dropout in Ugandan primary schools. In a representative sample of pupils from 136 schools, Kabay finds that in spite of a policy of automatic promotion meant to limit repetition, 88 percent of pupils had repeated a grade and 11 percent had repeated three or more times. Kabay identifies age as a confounding variable for the association between repetition and dropout, and argues that attention should be drawn to the age of entry into schooling and language policy.

The Inequitable Effects of Teacher Layoffs: What We Know and Can Do

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Matthew A. Kraft ◽  
Joshua F. Bleiberg
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Early Career Teachers ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Economic Downturns ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Career Teachers ◽  
Teacher Layoffs

Abstract Economic downturns can cause major funding shortfalls for U.S. public schools, often forcing districts to make difficult budget cuts, including teacher layoffs. In this brief, we synthesize the empirical literature on the widespread teacher layoffs caused by the Great Recession. Studies find that teacher layoffs harmed student achievement and were inequitably distributed across schools, teachers, and students. Research suggests that specific elements of the layoff process can exacerbate these negative effects. Seniority-based policies disproportionately concentrate layoffs among teachers of color who are more likely to be early career teachers. These “last-in first-out” policies also disproportionately affect disadvantaged students because these students are more likely to be taught by early career teachers. The common practice of widely distributing pink slips warning about a potential job loss also appears to increase teacher churn and negatively impacts teacher performance. Drawing on this evidence, we outline a set of policy recommendations to minimize the need for teacher layoffs during economic downturns and ensure that the burden of any unavoidable job cuts does not continue to be borne by students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.

‘Show me what it’s supposed to look like’: Exploring mindfulness-based support for early career teachers in an era of neoliberal reform

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 828-847
Author(s):  
Nicole Damico ◽  
Caitlyn McKinzie Bennett ◽  
Angelica Fulchini
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Turnover ◽  
Early Career ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Early Career Teachers ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Informal Group ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Neoliberal Reform ◽  
Career Teachers

In an era of top-down mandates and neoliberal reform policies, early career teachers must receive sustained social and emotional support as part of their regular professional development in order to navigate the murky waters of education that can sometimes feel disempowering and disillusioning. Teachers in high-poverty urban schools, who often deal with additional variables like student achievement gaps, disparate funding and high teacher turnover, among myriad other hurdles, are often highly impacted by these policies. This study examined the experiences of a group of early career teachers in an urban school district that participated in a mindfulness-based professional learning intervention. Findings show that participants not only experienced increased self-efficacy in assuaging personal and professional stressors, but also connected newly acquired strategies to the ways they supported the diverse students in their classrooms. Implications from this study suggest that learning about mindfulness-based strategies in an informal group setting can be beneficial for teachers, both personally and professionally, as they navigate the tensions of beginning their careers embedded in “the neoliberal program of reform”.

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