IMPROVING TEACHER RETENTION IN THE GRANVILLE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Abstract

Teacher attrition continues to be a problem in many communities throughout North Carolina and the United States. Research indicates salary, student discipline, and administrative support as leading causes of teacher turnover. This study is exclusive to the Granville County Public School District, located in north central, North Carolina. The Granville district has experienced two consecutive years of teacher turnover eclipsing 20%, causing much concern with school administration and within the community. This improvement study was conducted following a small-scale proof-of-concept, concentrated at a middle school within the district. Attempting to improve ill-structured problems such as teacher retention within a specific Local Educational Administration, forces one to investigate cause and effect, be it problem or solution. Supporting this investigation was Deming's approach of (a) systems, (b) variation, (c) knowledge, and (d) psychology, coupled with the methodology of Improvement Science. This study revealed the importance of principal leadership at the school level relative to teacher attrition, by evaluation of specific strategies enacted at a selected middle school to improve perceptions of teacher appreciation, student behavior, and communication. A sequential process to improve teacher retention was also created to help school administrators identify specific problems in their respective institutions, formulate and initiate strategies for improvement, as well as determine effectiveness, with the end goal of improving teacher retention at the school campus and within the district.