After decades of growth, the number of special education teachers (SETs) has begun to decline. In 2009, U.S. schools employed 13% fewer SETs than in 2006. The number of annual new hires of SETs also dropped dramatically in some states. The onset of these declines predated the economic downturn of 2008 and resulted in part from a steady decline…

The purposes of this research were to quantify trends in three components of teacher turnover and to investigate claims of excessive teacher turnover as the predominant source of teacher shortages. Attrition and teaching area transfer rates were comparable in special and general education and increased substantially from 1991-1992 to 2000-2001.…

This report contains national trend and predictor data for the attrition of teachers from public schools. Data come from three large, national probability samples of teachers taken over 6 school years between 1987 and 1995. Data are based on questionnaire reports of teachers from the Public School Teacher Questionnaires of the Schools and Staffing…

The Teacher Followup Survey of 4,798 public school teachers found higher annual turnover for special education teachers than for general education teachers, in both attrition from public school teaching and transfer among public schools. General and special education teachers who left did not differ significantly in postteaching activities or…

This study used existing databases to analyze, from a national perspective, the specific components of retention, transfer, and attrition of special education teachers (SETs) in comparison with general education teachers (GETs). The study used data from the 1990-1991 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and the 1992 Teacher Followup Survey (TFS).…

The Teacher Followup Survey of 4,798 public school teachers found that teacher turnover decreased as the following variables increased: age, the number of dependent children, the level of certification, the number of years since the last degree was earned, teaching experience, and salary level. Strategies to maximize teacher retention are…

This study evaluated turnover of special education teachers by providing national estimates of the numbers of special education teachers who (1) were retained by their school, (2) were reassigned to a different school within the district, (3) migrated to another district, or (4) left public school teaching. Numbers were drawn from the 1987-88…

This report presents national trend data on the supply and turnover of public school teachers in K-12 special and general education. Data were derived from three large national probability samples of teachers taken over a six-year period from 1987 to 1994. A summary of the results is in two sections. The first section, on trends in teacher supply,…

A continuing concern in a number of teaching fields is the shortage of fully qualified teachers. The decisions of fully qualified teachers to continue in their teaching assignments (retention), to transfer to another assignment (transfer), or to leave the profession for some other activity (exit attrition) are the major determinants of the degree…

This study used existing databases to analyze, from a national perspective, the turnover of special education teachers (SETs) at the district level due to district migration, teaching field transfer, and exit attrition. The study also investigated district retention of SETs as a function of district location and teacher experience. The study used…