TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRITION IN PUBLIC-SCHOOLS - EVIDENCE FROM SASS91

Teacher retention and attrition were examined by conducting discrimina nt function analyses on data gathered from the 1990-91 Schools and Sta ffing Survey and the 1991-92 Teacher Follow-up Survey. The sample size of this study was 3,612 (weighted N = 2,401,592). Among the three gro ups of teachers who stayed in the Same school (stayers), moved to anot her school voluntarily (movers), or left teaching of their own accord (leavers) between the 1990-91 and 1991-92 school years, stayers can be statistically distinguished from movers and leavers on personal chara cteristics, school characteristics, and their perceptions of school- a nd profession-related issues. Policy suggestions based on the findings include building into teaching a career ladder, empowering teachers, providing incentives to teachers working in schools with more disadvan taged students, and taking a multiple-perceptive approach to the issue of teacher retention and attrition.