Early-career teachers are entering the profession via an expanding variety of pathways. Do certain pathways provide more support than others? Do some entry routes into teaching yield higher rates of teacher retention? Why has early career teacher retention dipped so low and what can we do to change that?

A research partnership between SREB and Vanderbilt University explores these questions and more by analyzing state administrative data, survey results, and teacher interviews across three states in the South.

This report combines and synthesizes the findings in two working research papers produced by Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education, in partnership with SREB:

• Does Teacher Retention Vary by Preparation Pathway? Insights from Tennessee and Kentucky
• Beginning Teachers’ Experiences Across Three Southern States

Introduction to the Insights

To support education leaders and policymakers in making evidence-based decisions, SREB and Vanderbilt University formed a research partnership in 2023 to study the teacher labor market trends of the last several years in two states. Among our findings, we learned that program completion and hiring from alternative or non-traditional teacher preparation pathways increased in recent years, and that early career teachers reported feeling less prepared and having less support than they did before the pandemic.

Now, in the second phase of our research, we focus on further understanding early career outcomes for teachers entering teaching via an expanding variety of pathways. Do certain pathways attract different individuals, provide more support and yield higher retention of early career teachers? Why has early career teacher retention dipped so low and what can we do to change that? We used state administrative and survey data and teacher interviews in Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas* to help answer these questions.

We find that traditional pathways tend to better prepare and support aspiring teachers, while non-traditional pathways attract an increased variety of individuals to the profession and fill specific teacher shortages. In addition, retention of new teachers is influenced by certain preparation program qualities, career support and working conditions.

See our previous study findings: Review of existing literature on teacher labor market trends before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and on recruiting the next generation of teachers Statewide data analysis from Kentucky and Tennessee to investigate Gen Z’s interest in the teaching profession and deepen our understanding of teacher labor market trends from 2017 to 2023

 

Why Focus on New Teachers?

Nearly half of teachers leave their position within their first five years on the job, with 20% leaving after the first year. In the South, average teacher attrition is around 18%.To help create a sustainable educator workforce, we seek to better understand the high attrition rate among new teachers and support state and district leaders in making informed decisions to increase retention in the profession. This report focuses on enrollment into different teacher pathways, retention of teachers in different pathways and additional factors that affect retention of early career teachers.

 

Preparation Pathways

Both Kentucky and Tennessee have a variety of preparation pathways for prospective teachers to obtain their initial teaching license and enter the profession. These pathways are commonly classified as either traditional educator preparation programs that lead to an undergraduate or graduate-level education degree, or non-traditional programs (sometimes labeled “alternative certification”) for prospective teachers who do not hold a degree in education.

Identifying traditional program completers in both states is relatively straightforward. But classifying non-traditional program completers is more challenging due to differences across states. See the Tennessee Education Research Alliance working paper section ‘”Categorizing Educator Preparation Pathways in Tennessee and Kentucky’” for more information on each state’s pathways.

We use the following categories throughout this report to classify preparation pathways:

 

FINDING 1: ENTRY TRENDS BY PREPARATION PATHWAY

Newly hired teachers entering through non-traditional routes are more likely to be male, non-white, and older than those entering through traditional routes. Non-traditional route teachers are also more likely to have middle or secondary endorsements.

The charts in this report are best viewed via computer. Hover over a chart to see specific data.
 

FINDING 1A
More newly hired teachers are entering the profession through non-traditional routes.

In the teacher preparation landscape, the relative importance of non-traditional university-based routes has shifted, growing in proportion every year.

In Tennessee in 2017, 31% of newly hired teachers completing an in-state program came through a traditional route. By 2023, that proportion was just 20%. Teachers completing either a job-embedded or other non-traditional route made up 12% of newly hired teachers from in-state programs in 2017. By 2023, this number climbed to 21%. The data is offset by a majority of new teachers for whom preparation data is missing, likely a proxy for being prepared out-of-state.

In Kentucky, non-traditional route teachers nearly doubled between 2017 and 2023 (19% to 37%). During the same period, the fraction of teachers entering through traditional routes fell from 74% to 51%.

 

FINDING 1B
Non-traditional completers are more likely to be male compared to traditionally prepared new teachers.

A larger proportion of newly hired teachers who complete non-traditional preparation programs are male, compared to traditionally prepared new teachers. Newly hired teachers completing in-state, non-traditional routes average 70% female and 30% male in Tennessee, 61% female and 39% male in Kentucky. In comparison, the percentage of newly hired teachers who complete an in-state traditional route are 79% female and 21% male in Tennessee, and 78% female and 22% male in Kentucky.

 

FINDING 1C
Non-traditional program completers are more likely to be from different racial or ethnic backgrounds, compared to newly hired teachers from traditional pathways. White teachers still make up a majority across all pathways.

Compared to traditionally prepared new teachers, a greater proportion of non-traditional completers in both Tennessee and Kentucky are Black, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, or another race or ethnicity. Of the newly hired teachers, Black teachers were four times more likely to enter the profession through a non-traditional pathway, while all other races and ethnicities entered through traditional and non-traditional routes at equal rates.

On average, white new hires still outnumber Black, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, and new hires from another race or ethnicity when combined across all pathways: In-state traditional route teachers are 73% white in Tennessee and 93% white in Kentucky, while in-state non-traditional route teachers are 65% white in Tennessee and 80% white in Kentucky.

 

FINDING 1D
Aside from traditional-BA routes and Teach For America, most newly hired teachers are older than 25.

The age of teachers trends younger for incoming teachers from traditional-BA and TFA routes. On average, the percentage of traditional-BA completers who are 25 or younger when they begin teaching is 56% in Tennessee and 48% in Kentucky. Among TFA teachers, 59% in Tennessee and 67% in Kentucky are 25 or younger when they begin teaching.

Non-traditional routes target people who already hold non-teaching degrees or are switching careers. As a result, newly hired teachers completing these routes trend older. Notably, the proportion of incoming teachers in Tennessee age 45 or older has grown significantly over time across all pathways, raising the average age of newly hired teachers overall. Kentucky is not experiencing the same growth in newly hired teachers age 45 or older.

Between 2017 and 2022, the average age of out-of-state incoming teachers in Kentucky decreased from 40 to 34. During the same period, the average age of non-traditional, university-based teachers increased slightly from 31 to 33.

 

FINDING 1E
Non-traditional routes produce a greater proportion of teachers with middle and secondary endorsements.

In Tennessee, traditional-BA routes produce the greatest proportion of early childhood and elementary endorsements for newly hired teachers. Roughly 45% of traditional-BA completers hold an early childhood or elementary endorsement when they begin teaching. Conversely, traditional-MA+ and non-traditional routes produce a greater proportion of newly hired teachers with middle and secondary endorsements.

Non-traditional-other pathways produced a greater proportion of teachers with English endorsements than other pathways. Incoming teachers trained in-state with special education endorsements primarily come through the traditional-BA route. (Note: A large proportion of newly hired teachers with special education endorsements are classified as “missing preparation” in Tennessee due to coming from out of state.)

In Kentucky, traditional-BA, traditional-MA+ and non-traditional-other routes produce large proportions of teachers who hold elementary endorsements. Conversely, incoming teachers who hold special education endorsements are less likely to have completed a traditional preparation program.

 

FINDING 2: SCHOOL PLACEMENT PATTERNS

Newly hired teachers entering through non-traditional preparation pathways are more likely to teach in upper grades and in schools serving more economically disadvantaged students and students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

The charts below are best viewed via computer. Hover over a chart to see specific data.
 

FINDING 2A
Teachers entering through non-traditional preparation pathways are more likely to teach in urban areas in Tennessee. In Kentucky, some teachers who enter through non-traditional routes have no option for urban placement.

There are differences in placement locale type across preparation pathways for newly hired teachers. This may be partially explained by geographic availability of various pathways. In Tennessee, some non-traditional routes, such as district residency programs and Teach For America, are clustered in urban school districts. (TFA placements in Tennessee are only in Nashville and Memphis.) These programs target teacher placement in high-need, urban schools, which is reflected in the sorting patterns.

Rural and town schools hire a greater proportion of teachers from traditional-BA pathways than urban and suburban schools. In urban and suburban schools, half of newly hired teachers are missing preparation data — this suggests that half of the teachers working in these schools were trained out-of-state.

In Kentucky, greater proportions of teachers from TFA and non-traditional-university-based programs are initially working in rural schools. TFA in Kentucky targets placement in Appalachian schools. By design, there are no TFA teachers starting in urban schools. Other pathway completers find placements similar to those entering through traditional routes. No other stark differences are found in sorting across locale types and preparation pathways for newly hired teachers in Kentucky.

 

FINDING 2B
Over half of traditional-BA completers initially work in elementary schools.

Certain pathways tend to prepare incoming teachers for certain types of teaching positions. A focus of many non-traditional programs is placing teachers in high-need or hard-to-staff schools. This likely explains many of the school sorting patterns shown in the data.

In Tennessee, over half of traditional-BA completers work in schools serving grades K-5. While a significant proportion of newly hired teachers across all routes work in primary schools, a greater proportion of completers from non-traditional routes work in middle and high schools. When sorting by school type, schools serving grades 9-12 hire more teachers who complete non-traditional, university-based programs than other schools.

In Kentucky, over half (57%) of traditional-BA completers initially work in primary (Pk-5) schools. On the other hand, greater proportions of traditional-MA+, non-traditional completers, and out-of-state teachers work in secondary (6-12) schools.

 

FINDING 2C
Non-traditionally prepared teachers work in schools with greater proportions of students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

In Tennessee, teachers who complete traditional-BA programs work in schools with the greatest proportion of white students. Completers of non-traditional routes work in schools serving larger proportions of Black, Hispanic, Asian and students of another race or ethnicity. (This is particularly true for TFA teachers in Tennessee.) These sorting patterns can be attributed to the distribution of students across schools: Black, Hispanic, Asian, and students of another or multiple races and ethnicities tend to be clustered in urban districts where many non-traditional pathway programs are also located.

In Kentucky, non-traditional-other completers tend to work in schools with greater proportions of Black and Hispanic students and students of another or multiple races or ethnicities. Teachers completing these routes go through local district training programs and are placed in schools with staffing needs. TFA teachers work in schools with greater proportions of white students, which is reflective of Appalachian region demographics, where Kentucky’s TFA placement sites are.

 

FINDING 2D
Teachers who enter through TFA and non-traditional-other programs serve greater proportions of students who are economically disadvantaged.

TFA teachers predominantly work in schools serving high proportions of economically disadvantaged students. This is reflective of the program’s target of placing teachers in high-need schools. Non-traditional completers tend to work in schools in the geographic area where their pathway program is located, and many of these programs are centered in economically disadvantaged areas.

 

FINDING 3: NEW TEACHER RETENTION

A teacher’s preparation pathway is a significant predictor of their likelihood of staying in the profession within their first five years.

The charts below are best viewed via computer. Hover over a chart to see specific data.
 

FINDING 3A
By the start of year five, 70-75% of traditional-BA completers are still working as teachers. Non-traditional teachers in Tennessee and out-of-state teachers in Kentucky have lower retention rates.

 

In Tennessee, 70% of traditional-BA completers are still working as teachers in the state by year five. Exit rates are relatively stable throughout the first five years for traditionally prepared teachers. Although we observe low retention among TFA teachers after their second year, this is somewhat expected as part of the program’s design.

In Kentucky, 75% of traditional-BA completers and 80% of non-traditional-university-based teachers are still working in the state by year five. Non-traditional routes (other than TFA) have the highest retention rates by a teacher’s fifth year. As shown above, by the start of year three, about 50% of out-of-state teachers are no longer working in the state.

 

FINDING 3B
Some preparation pathways are significantly associated with teacher retention even when controlling for individual and school characteristics.

 

In both Tennessee and Kentucky, a teacher’s preparation pathway can alter their risk of attrition within their first five years in the profession. In both states, newly hired teachers who complete traditional routes have the lowest risk of attrition.

In Kentucky, traditional-MA+ completers exhibit the highest retention rates. In Tennessee, TFA teachers have a higher risk of attrition. In Kentucky, those who enter through TFA or non-traditional-other pathways, as well as those who come from out-of-state, have a greater risk of attrition.

School characteristic measures are associated with the risk of turnover for early career teachers:

• In Tennessee, teachers who initially work in lower performing, high poverty schools or schools with lower proportions of white students are less likely to be retained.
• In both states, teachers in secondary schools have a greater risk of not being retained compared to teachers who work in elementary schools.
• In Tennessee, the risk of turnover is greater among less effective teachers. (This data is unavailable in Kentucky.)
• In both states, a newly hired teacher’s age is associated with retention — older teachers have a lower risk of turnover than newly hired teachers in their twenties.
• Newly hired teachers with higher salaries are more likely to be retained.

 

FINDING 3C
Beginning teachers who plan to remain in the profession enjoy working with students, find support through colleagues and prioritize their work-life balance.

“Kids that I had last year, they come see me every day and talk to me in the hallway. I’ve just really developed that bond with them.”

Teachers who plan to stay in the profession long-term expressed finding joy from working with students. Other teachers planning to stay until retirement emphasized how rewarding the relational aspect of teaching is, including the opportunity to be a positive role model for their students.

Those intending to stay also noted supportive and positive relationships with their colleagues and feeling set up for success.

“You can build a community and team around you, which is ultimately what I had to do. I don’t have behavioral support from administration. I have behavioral support from my co-teachers, who I set up a buddy classroom with. When a student needs to take a break, I can send them to that classroom.”

Those who had prior careers but now planned to stay in teaching acknowledged that all jobs have stressors and seemed more comfortable with balancing or prioritizing the demands of the job.

Notably, several teachers who plan to stay explained they may want to change positions, such as moving to an administrative role or switching to a more “laid-back” teaching position. A few others were considering administration roles, which they found appealing in part due to greater authority and influence

 

FINDING 3D
Beginning teachers who plan to exit teaching or are undecided about their plans cite workload challenges, student behavior, lack of autonomy and support, and a lack of resources and pay as key factors.

“There’s so much work that needs to be done all the time, but there’s no time to do it.”

Several teachers noted unsustainable workloads as a primary reason they plan to leave teaching or are undecided about staying. One teacher who was interviewed even shared that they submitted a resignation that day. Several teachers described feeling overworked, saying they are constantly being asked to “do more with less.”

One teacher shared that it often feels like the expectation is that you’re ”not a good teacher unless you’re willing to slog for hours each night after work ends.” Professional development opportunities, such as conferences and meetings, can feel like extra work on top of already full classroom responsibilities.

“I would do this until they wheeled me out of here if I had enough time — if I either had a smaller caseload or more planning time.”

Beginning teachers planning to exit teaching cited the need for more support and assistance with student behavior and classroom management. Teachers in their second and third years did not feel better prepared than they did during their first year, especially when it came to classroom management.

Beginning teachers planning to exit teaching also cited a need for more resources and support both from their schools and colleagues. A traditionally certified teacher in their late 20s noted not getting much support from her mentor: “She says, ‘I have the same amount of hours in the day that you have. I have the same amount of things that need to be done, and I’m not being paid more.’”

Several teachers described feeling financially stretched, not only due to dissatisfaction with their salaries, but also due to a lack of resources available to support classroom instruction that left them purchasing learning materials with their own money.

Others noted that the social climate contributed to feelings of disrespect, frustration and a lack of support for the profession more broadly. For the teachers who felt this way, the lack of public respect made the role feel even more unsustainable long term.

“I would love for the attitude culturally towards educators to change. I feel like until that happens, a lot of teachers are going to continue to face uphill battles with parents, community members and image problems.”

 

FINDING 4: EFFECTS OF PREPARATION SUPPORT ON RETENTION

Beginning teachers feel better equipped to deal with challenges related to entering and remaining in the profession when fully supported by their preparation program.

FINDING 4A
Preparation program support for navigating certification and hiring processes is helpful for beginning teachers — but not all programs provide this support.

Both traditional and non-traditional beginning teachers expressed mixed feelings about their certification and hiring processes. Some teachers described the processes as streamlined, while others found them complex and stressful. Those who felt the processes were smooth often credited the support they received from their preparation programs. Similarly, teachers who transferred from out of state also described smooth experiences when their preparation programs facilitated the licensure transition.

Teachers whose preparation program offered support during the hiring process reported smoother transitions into their teaching roles. They highlighted formal and informal pathways, including recommendations from professors, program-sponsored recruitment events and district partnerships. Teachers whose preparation programs had direct relationships with districts felt their hiring processes were expedited. One non-traditionally certified teacher described how an early interaction with district personnel during her preparation program interview ultimately led to her being hired.

Overall, teachers who received program support during the certification and hiring processes experienced fewer barriers as they transitioned into the classroom than those who didn’t receive support. This disparity highlights the value of consistent, structured program support in ensuring a smoother entry into the teaching profession.

“There is a lot of communication going on all the time. [My preparation program supervisor] was constantly sending us emails — ‘Make sure you’re doing the preps for your PRAXIS, make sure your PRAXIS is done by these dates and make sure that you’re turning it in by these dates.’

It was great, because to be honest, with everything else we had going on, we didn’t understand that process. They gave us very great, explicit instructions.”

 

FINDING 4B
Entering teachers with less preparation program support faced increased challenges.

Teachers without structured program support were more likely to encounter challenges with the steps to enter the profession, including confusion around certification requirements and a lack of preparation for the hiring process.

Both traditionally and non-traditionally prepared teachers described challenges with their preparation programs submitting certification paperwork to the appropriate state departments. Although many teachers were able to resolve these certification issues on their own, the lack of program support created additional hurdles, particularly for those moving from out of state. One traditionally certified teacher described their preparation program as being helpful with in-state certification but not being aware of out-of-state processes. This new teacher had difficulties transferring their Illinois licensure to Tennessee and had to retake Praxis exams due to differing requirements. 

Teachers without program support during the hiring process described it as intimidating and stressful. They felt unprepared for interviews and took longer to secure a teaching position.

“Interviewing to be a teacher is unlike any hiring process I’ve ever dealt with because on top of bringing a CV or a resume, you need to bring lesson plans you have made. You have sell yourself as a teacher. But having been somebody who has never taught, it was super stress inducing. I had no clue what to bring. I wish that was something my university would have covered and touched on.”

 

FINDING 4C 
The expectation that teachers sacrifice personal time for their work often begins in preparation programs and continues into their early careers, making the job less sustainable long term.

Beginning teachers struggle with work-life balance. The persistent struggle to juggle priorities and expectations highlights a systemic issue in the teaching profession. Teachers’ experiences reveal that a demanding culture often begins during preparation programs and carries over into their early careers. Despite their passion for teaching, the overwhelming workload left many questioning their ability to remain in the profession long term.

Even teachers who plan to stay in the profession noted challenges with the demands on their time. Teachers regularly mentioned working more than 40 hours a week. One teacher shared that she often works 60-70 hours per week doing lesson planning, meetings, grading and conferences, on top of teaching.

“I often think that too much is expected of and handed to teachers. We think, ‘We can do it, we’re teachers, we’re miracle workers.’ But I think we need acknowledgment that we’re humans. We have our families. We have other priorities.”

Beginning teachers said that their preparation programs didn’t prepare them for how to balance and prioritize their workloads — several teachers even noted that unreasonable standards for work-life balance began in their preparation programs, where candidates are expected to juggle coursework, working full days in classrooms and sometimes full-time jobs.

Before even fully entering the profession, teachers had grown accustomed to sacrificing their personal time to adhere to assigned duties. Teachers in job-embedded and non-traditional programs seemed to feel this more acutely, as they often took classes while working full-time. Some career-switchers said they intentionally avoided selecting this type of program because of the time commitment. 

“It’s overwhelming… The third year gets easier, but those first two years are so hard. I’m a super organized, hyper-efficient human and I struggled, especially since I have a family. It’s just hard. It’s really hard.”

 

FINDING 4D 
Traditional route teachers say student teaching was more helpful than their coursework, although most beginning teachers say their preparation programs did not adequately prepare them for the realities of the job.

“I remember the first day of school, waiting in my classroom for my students to walk through the door and I started to think, ‘What if this happens, or what if that happens? I don’t remember this [scenario] happening during my student teaching. I don’t remember them telling me how to handle this. What am I going to do?’”

Beginning teachers who went through traditional routes noted that “on-the-job,” practicum opportunities that occurred through both classes and their traditional student teaching or clinical placements were more helpful preparation than their typical course requirements. One teacher described a course requirement that involved recording themselves teaching three lessons as being highly valuable. 

Despite their student teaching experiences, many traditionally prepared beginning teachers echoed sentiments of being ill-prepared to teach. They described student teaching scenarios as unrealistic when thinking about their current teaching context. One teacher described coursework assignments by sharing, “Every time I completed an assignment I’d think, ‘But this isn’t real life,’ and [my student teaching supervisor’s] response was, ‘Just do it as if it were a perfect world.’”

“I’ve had different jobs and this is the most difficult job to walk into and be able to complete. You’re supposed to walk in day one and know exactly what you’re doing — no other job is like that.”

Another traditionally prepared teacher described not getting a realistic experience in her student teaching placement because where she taught, they split students into small groups, so she only planned for small group instruction.

In general, new teachers noted that the expectation is that teachers are completely ready for the job on day one, which is impossible to simulate in preparation.

“There’s no way you can be prepared for doing your brand new prep, the testing, the administrative work you need to do, and the day-to-day conflicts with students, parents, coworkers and admin. There’s just no way you can simulate all of that in a program.”

 

Observations From our Findings

This study highlights a complex relationship between educator preparation pathways, beginning teacher experiences and early career retention. The following are aligned takeaways between the quantitative and qualitative findings: 

• New teachers have a wide range of motivations for entering teaching and do so through an increasingly diverse set of preparation pathways. Traditional preparation programs continue to be the dominant entry route. However, non-traditional pathways are expanding across states and increasing access to the profession — particularly for males, Black, Hispanic, Latino, Asian and native populations, and individuals from low-income backgrounds. 
• Non-traditional routes increase teacher supply, yet they do not always provide the same level of long-term stability within the workforce as traditional routes.
• Retention challenges are more pronounced in high schools, high-need subject areas, schools serving economically disadvantaged students, and among younger teachers and teachers from non-traditional routes. These trends indicate systemic issues that extend beyond preparation alone.
• Non-traditional pathways have successfully attracted career-changers with valuable real-world experience — but there is a need for these pathways to ensure adequate classroom readiness, especially in classroom management and student behavioral support.
• A large portion of beginning teachers feel under-prepared and under-supported during their first year of teaching. Teachers from traditional routes tend to view their student teaching experiences as the most valuable part of their preparation. 
• Educator preparation programs don’t only affect preparedness for teaching, they also play a role in candidates’ success getting certified and hired for their first teaching job. There are notable disparities in the support teachers receive from their preparation program during the certification and hiring processes across both traditional and non-traditional pathways.
• New teachers are overwhelmed — and if they don’t get support, they will leave. Consistent, high-quality support structures are needed for all incoming teachers throughout teacher preparation and the early years of teaching.
• The expectation for teachers to sacrifice personal time for professional responsibilities is deeply ingrained. It begins in preparation programs and extends into the early years of teaching, contributing to burnout and attrition.
• Positive student relationships, collegial support and manageable work-life balance are crucial drivers of teacher retention.

 

Implications for Leadership

State and local leaders should consider the following ideas to help support newly hired teachers and sustain a strong educator workforce:

1. Strengthen traditional and non-traditional educator preparation programs to better prepare and retain more novice teachers.

The quality of preparation programs’ content, pedagogical instruction and on-the-job learning components — as well as the amount of support provided for certification and securing employment — directly impacts the success of new teachers.

• Strengthen partnerships between preparation programs and schools to better prepare new teachers for the real-life demands of the job.
• Require rigorous, lengthy student teaching experiences that place future teachers with effective mentor-teachers. Consider year-long residency requirements for all teacher pathways.
• Encourage or require preparation programs to help their students prepare, complete requirements and file for state teaching certification. 
• Address barriers to licensure and reciprocity for non-traditional and out-of-state candidates from quality programs.

 

2. Strengthen support for beginning teachers, especially those from non-traditional pathways.

New teachers need help to be successful. They should receive a robust set of support and learning opportunities from district staff, school administrators, coaches, colleagues and a trained mentor.

• Provide better support for beginning teachers explicitly around classroom management, student engagement and workload expectations.
• Provide quality mentors for all novice teachers, as well as ample collaboration time to work with and learn from colleagues.
• Reduce workloads for all early career teachers, at least in the first year. For example, consider reduced student caseload, fewer courses, shared planning responsibilities and ways to streamline administrative tasks.
• Consider ways to improve work-life balance and autonomy for teachers to promote retention.
• Given the growing reliance on non-traditional pathways, states should enhance mentoring, professional development and financial incentives to ensure the long-term retention of these early-career educators.

 

3. Develop targeted teacher and leader retention strategies for high-need subjects and schools.

Schools with high attrition rates require targeted policies to attract and retain enough qualified teachers. Addressing these challenges calls for a multi-faceted approach.

• Provide increased resources and assistance to administrators in high poverty and high-need schools to support a systems approach to strong school leadership, such as creating collaborative environments, coherence and alignment and continuous improvement around workforce sustainability.
• Develop a cadre of effective mentors to coach newly hired staff and provide high-quality, differentiated instructional support.
• Adjust policies and funding to offer reduced class sizes, increased planning and collaboration time, and greater financial incentives for teachers working in high-poverty and other high-need schools.

 

4. Focus on staffing in rural schools.

Rural and isolated schools face increased challenges with recruiting and retaining staff and would benefit from targeted guidance.

• Help rural school leaders develop specific incentives to attract teachers, such as strong support, better working conditions and increased compensation.
• Provide targeted aid to rural districts for developing strategic staffing models and systems of support for all educators.
• Invest in and help rural communities develop high-quality, local teacher education programs that build community-based pipelines into the profession.

 

5. Use data to drive policy adjustments.

As states, regions, districts, and schools work to eliminate their specific challenges, continuous monitoring of teacher workforce trends can lead to targeted solutions and positive impacts.

• Collect, examine and disaggregate data on teacher retention rates by years of experience, preparation pathway, teacher characteristics and effectiveness level, school context and working conditions.
• Use teacher and principal surveys to identify the types of support provided to teachers and the quality of these supports — use this feedback to identify weaknesses, gaps and opportunities.
• Use the data to help refine and tailor policies that reflect and respond to local needs.

 

By addressing these policy and practice components, state and district leaders can improve teacher recruitment and retention to foster a more stable teacher workforce. Future research should continue to explore the long-term career trajectories of teachers from different preparation backgrounds who teach in different school types and experience different working conditions and support systems. Research should also continue to explore the types of impact retention-focused policies have on these teachers’ schools and students.

 

About This Report

Data and Methods

We used administrative data linking teacher preparation, licensure, and other staffing information from Tennessee and Kentucky. Both states’ data files report teachers’ individual characteristics (such as sex, race/ethnicity and age), school assignments and characteristics of those schools each year. They also contain teachers’ licensure status and information about the preparation programs associated with their licenses. We used this information to categorize teachers’ preparation pathways, as explained in the next section.

Data from both Tennessee and Kentucky spanned the 2016-17 to 2023-24 school years. We refer to school years by the spring year — for example, 2016-17 is 2017. We focused our analysis on newly hired teachers, or those who have no prior years of experience teaching within the state.

In our analysis of teacher retention, teachers are retained if they remain teaching within the state (and can be observed in our data) after five years. This includes teachers who moved to new teaching positions in another school or district within the state. To better understand what predicts a teacher’s likelihood of retention, we used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate the effect of a teacher’s preparation pathway on their attrition risk. A Cox proportional hazard model is a regression model that is designed for analyzing situations to understand how different factors influence the time until an event occurs. 

The combined research team interviewed over 30 early career teachers from Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee as a companion to our statewide secondary data analysis of teacher labor market patterns. Interviews were conducted in the fall of 2024 with teachers who have less than three years of classroom experience. We include teachers prepared through traditional educator preparation programs and via alternative pathways after pursuing non-education degrees or holding non-teaching careers. Teachers were asked about:

• Their teaching assignment and context
• Their interest in teaching
• Their preparation, certification and hiring experiences
• Their early career supports
• Their short- and long-term retention plans

Of the 30 interviewees, 90% were white, 83% were female and 60% were age 30 or older, with over one-quarter above age 40. Their teaching placements varied, with 14 teaching in elementary, 10 in middle or high school, and six in English as a second language or special education positions. One-third of those interviewed were in their first year of teaching.

For further detailed information on the quantitative and qualitative data, methodology and findings, or to explore five teacher profiles selected as a representative sampling of the interviews, see Beginning Teachers’ Experiences Across Three Southern States from the Tennessee Education Research Alliance.

 

Endnotes

*Arkansas statewide quantitative data analysis pending.

 

Contributors 

This report was made possible through a research partnership between the Southern Regional Education Board and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance at Vanderbilt University. It was produced with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

This version was produced by Megan Boren, Sheniqua Pierce and Jessica Nadzam from SREB, adapted from two Tennessee Education Research Alliance working papers co-authored by Laura Booker, Ashley Ellison, Raven Powell, Kaitlyn Dodgen and Jason A. Grissom from Vanderbilt University, and Sheniqua Pierce from SREB. These two working papers have not undergone external peer review.

SREB and Vanderbilt University thank the Tennessee Department of Education, the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYStats) and the Kentucky Department of Education for their participation. Additionally, we are grateful to various K-12 and higher education representatives from each state who provided feedback through the study’s research advisory committee. 

 

Suggested Citation

Pierce, S., Boren, M., Nadzam, J., (Eds.). (2025). New Teacher Pathways and Retention: Insights from Southern States. Southern Regional Education Board and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance at Vanderbilt University. https://www.sreb.org/publication/new-teacher-pathways

 

This report is licensed under CC BY 4.0.