Teacher Retention and Attrition in Missouri: Who Should Solve the Problem? A Three-tiered Analysis of Teacher Retention and Attrition in Missouri

AbstractTeacher attrition is an ongoing issue in the United States and more specifically in the state of Missouri. This dissertation, using a three-tiered analytical approach, offers suggestions, recommendations, and strategies, aside from raising salaries or increasing benefits packages, that schools, their districts, and leaders can implement to bolster teacher retention. The findings are based on the practices of successful districts, buildings, and leaders. The first level of research included semi-structured interviews with district level personnel to offer guidance and recommendations that can be implemented at the local school district level. Similarly, the second level of research utilized the same research method to uncover practices, programs, and policies implemented at the building level that increase teacher retention according to school leaders. For the third level of research, teachers in public schools that participated in the other levels of research completed an anonymous online survey to measure the impact that a variety of factors have on a teacher’s decision to remain in their current position. The recommendations and conclusions derived from each of these tiers of research are then further reviewed to provide insight into which level of education should be the driving force behind efforts to raise teacher retention and lower teacher attrition.