Identifying Schools With High Usage and High Loss of Newly Qualified Teachers

an article by Sam Sims and Rebecca Allen (UCL Institute of Education, London, UK) published in UCL Institute of Education. Volume 243 Issue 1 (2018)

Abstract

In England, teacher shortages have worsened in recent years and one contributor is the declining rates of retention among newly qualified teachers (NQTs).

We employ a method developed in the health-statistics literature to identify schools that both recruit an unusually high level of NQTs and lose an unusually high level of NQTs from the profession.

We show that this small group of schools, which are likely characterised by poor working conditions, are responsible for a disproportionately large amount of attrition from the teaching profession. This has a material effect on overall teacher shortages and comes at a high cost to taxpayers.

Policy solutions, including improving the flow of information to NQTs to help them avoid such schools, are discussed.

JEL classification: I21, D82, J45, J63

Hazel’s comment
If NQTs avoid these schools will they not fall further behind? Would it not be a more viable option to improve the schools?
Please note that I have only read the abstract to this article, it is possible that school improvement is suggested in the full article.

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