An Event History Analysis of Teacher Attrition: Salary, Teacher Tracking, and Socially Disadvantaged Schools

In this event history analysis of the 1990–1991 Schools and Staffing Survey and the 1992 Teacher Follow-up Survey, a retrospective person-year database was constructed to examine teacher attrition over the course of the teaching career. Consistent with prior research, higher teacher salaries reduced attrition, but only slightly so. Teacher attrition was no higher in socially disadvantaged schools, but poor behavioral climates did lead to greater attrition. Despite strong evidence on the effects of teacher tracking on satisfaction and efficacy, there was no evidence of higher rates of attrition among teachers who taught predominantly low-track classes. In general, school- and district-level effects were much weaker than individual-level effects.