ERIC Number: ED673450
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Feb
Pages: 39
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
South Carolina Teacher Attrition, Mobility, and Retention Report for 2023-24. Educator Pipeline Research
Svetlana Dmitrieva; Angela Starrett; Brian Cartiff
SC TEACHER
This report takes a comprehensive look at South Carolina's public school teacher workforce through the lenses of attrition (when teachers leave the profession or the state), mobility (when teachers move between districts or schools), recruitment (when new and returning teachers enter the workforce), and retention (when teachers continue working in the state). The analyses in this report draw on educator-level data provided by the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) for 6 consecutive academic years (2018-19 through 2023-24). For each year, the main variables of interest were district, school, and educator position codes. This report first examines retention over time at the state, district, and school levels to reveal meaningful trends. It then explores how teacher retention patterns differ across school characteristics, such as poverty and organizational levels. The report also delves into statewide dynamics around attrition, mobility, and recruitment in traditional and charter districts. Key findings reveal that while state-level retention remains relatively stable, localized turnover can present nuanced challenges. High schools exhibit the highest retention rates, while elementary teachers show greater mobility within the state. Teacher exit points from the district pipeline, whether through leaving the profession, lateral movement, or role changes, highlight the importance of addressing working conditions and district-level stability. Meanwhile, types of teachers entering the workforce, including novice educators, returning professionals, and support staff transitioning into teaching, underscore opportunities to strengthen the pipeline. These insights offer administrators and policymakers a foundation for data-driven strategies to improve recruitment efforts, enhance teacher retention, and ultimately support a sustainable, effective workforce across South Carolina schools.
Descriptors: Faculty Mobility, Teacher Persistence, Public School Teachers, Elementary School Teachers, Secondary School Teachers, Teacher Recruitment, Educational Trends, Institutional Characteristics, Poverty, School Districts, Charter Schools, Reentry Workers, School Personnel, Teaching Conditions
SC TEACHER. USC College of Education, 820 Main Street, Wardlaw 201A, Columbia, SC 29208. Tel: 803-777-3023; e-mail: SCTinfo@mailbox.sc.edu; Web site: https://sc-teacher.org/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: Administrators; Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: SC TEACHER; University of South Carolina, Yvonne & Schuyler Moore Child Development Research Center
Identifiers - Location: South Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A