New Report Findings from a Three-Part Study of Teacher Turnover in NYC Middle Schools
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Who Stays and Who Leaves? Now Available for Download
This paper
synthesizes findings from the Research Alliance’s investigation of teacher
turnover in New York City’s public middle schools. These years are widely
recognized as a critical turning point for students, and the NYC Department of
Education (DOE) is pursuing a range of middle school improvement initiatives.
The stability of the middle school teaching force has the potential to facilitate
or complicate these efforts, yet there have been few studies of the rates and
patterns of teacher turnover in the City’s middle schools.
This study
provides the most current, comprehensive look at middle school teacher turnover
to date. Drawing on a range of data sources—including DOE human resource
records from the last decade, a survey of over 4,000 full-time middle school
teachers, and in-depth case studies in four middle schools—this paper examines
how long middle school teachers remain in their schools, how long they intend
to stay, and what predicts whether or not they leave. It also explores how
various aspects of teachers’ work environment may influence these
decisions. Among the key findings: Among middle school teachers who entered
their school during the last decade, more than half left that school within
three years—significantly higher than the rates seen for elementary and high
school teachers. Of the teachers who
leave, most exit the NYC public school system altogether, and only about 1 in 10
transition to another grade 6-8 school. The findings point to several
strategies that may be useful for increasing middle school teachers’ lengths of
stay.
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| Survey Administrators Wanted |
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The Research Alliance is looking for a team of volunteers to administer student surveys in high schools across New York City. This is an opportunity for individuals interested in gaining valuable experience in the field of education research while working with NYC schools. Learn more about the position here, and apply by filling out this form. |
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The Research Alliance for New York City Schools is a non-partisan research center housed at the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. The Research Alliance conducts rigorous studies on topics that matter to the city’s public schools. The organization strives to advance equity and excellence in education by providing evidence about policies and practices that promote students' development and academic success.
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Over the coming months, the Research Alliance will be releasing a series
of short reports examining the structure and performance of NYC high
schools over the last 12 years. The first paper, which examines the trend toward smaller
schools of choice, as well as changes in key student outcomes, is being
released at a filled-to-capacity event CUNY's Roosevelt House on March 27. It will be available on our website on March 28.
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