Retention, Mobility, and Attrition among School and District Leaders

Educator decisionmakers in Colorado, Missouri, and South Dakota share concerns about the mobility and attrition of school and district leaders and an interest in better understanding the factors that contribute to these phenomena. A new report from REL Central examines data from 2015/16 to 2018/19 and provides information about the percentages of school and district leaders who remained in a leadership position in the same school or district (stayers), who transferred to a leadership position in a different school or district (movers), and who took a nonleadership position or left the state public school system (leavers) after one year and after three years. The report also describes the characteristics of principals, their schools, and their districts that are associated with principal mobility and attrition. Primary findings include: Across the three states, the percentages of school and district leaders who were stayers ranged from 77-82 percent after one year and from 51-56 percent after three years. After three years, younger principals were more likely to be a mover than a stayer, and older principals were more likely to be a leaver than a stayer. Principals who identified as a racial/ethnic minority and those who earned a lower salary were also more likely to be a mover or leaver than a stayer. Principals were more likely to move from or leave schools that the state had identified as needing additional support for improvement and schools in lower-performing districts.