Improving Teacher Recruitment and Retention in North Carolina

Why It Matters
High-needs schools have the most difficulties recruiting the well-prepared and experienced teachers they need to help ensure academic success for all students. Consequently, many of these schools rely on higher proportions of under-qualified and inexperienced teachers, who are more likely to leave the profession after only a short time. Such turnover is costly to districts, both in terms of recruiting new teachers and the detrimental effects on students.

What We’re Doing
The Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), in collaboration with the North Carolina Public School Forum, is conducting a three year field research, policy development, and technical assistance effort to inform and improve teacher recruitment and retention efforts in the schools that struggle most to attract and keep the teachers they need.

The initiative focuses on recruitment strategies and retention incentives in the North Carolina districts receiving Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Funds (DSSF). CTQ has documented recruitment and retention strategies in all 16 DSSF districts and is conducting more in-depth case studies in three districts to examine strategies that work and provide focused technical assistance on recruitment and retention problems the districts face. Case study work includes a survey of all teachers to gather views about school climate, incentives that would influence employment decisions, and future employment plans, in addition to exit surveys of teachers who leave the district. CTQ also conducted focus groups with select teachers and interviewed a sample of school administrators.

Participating districts will receive comprehensive information about the effectiveness of their teacher recruitment and retention strategies, resources and customized technical assistance to help them make informed decisions about incentives to improve teacher retention, and opportunities to network with other districts facing similar challenges.

Additionally, the initiative aims to effect change at the policy level, as it creates a deeper understanding among state and local policymakers about these districts’ challenges and needs to improve teacher recruitment and retention. Through workshops and policy forums the initiative will generate greater support among policymakers, practitioners, and communities for reforms that ensure quality teachers for all students.

This work is funded by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, the Payne Family Fund, and the Charles & Mary Grant Foundation.