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Educator Engagement and Retention

USD 501 - Board of Education

Dr. Bret Church

March 21, 2024

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Organizational Psychologist with 15 years of experience with clients ranging from non-profit organizations to Fortune 500 companies.

Developed curriculum for and instructed post-graduate classes in analytics.

21 Years in K-12 Education in a Variety of Roles

Currently Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Emporia State University

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KTRI

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2021		2023
20,000 (50% Response Rate)	Total Survey Responses	24,536 (60% Response Rate)
143 (50% of Districts)	Qualified for Standard Report (30%+ Response Rate)	175 (61% of Districts)
48%	Districts with Over 50% Response Rate	50%

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DRIVER

Our analysis reveals that certain aspects of teachers' experiences significantly predict both teacher engagement and retention at a p-value threshold of .01, indicating a 99% confidence level in the observed relationships. This robust association underscores the importance of these specific 'Drivers' in influencing teachers' likelihood of being engaged in their work or considering leaving the profession.

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STAFF EXPERIENCE FACTORS (SURVEY ITEMS)	DRIVER
Ability to Secure a Substitute	ER
Support for Handling Challenging Student Behaviors	ER
Your Class Size	ER
Supports in Place to Meet Student Social-Emotional Needs	ER
The Quality and Cost of Health Insurance Benefits	ER
Society’s View of the Teaching Profession	ER

2021 LOW ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION DRIVERS

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STAFF EXPERIENCE FACTORS	STRATEGIC ACTIONS
Ability to Secure a Substitute	Continued successful partnership with Morgan Hunter Fill Rate 90% Outsource Contract (No Additional Cost)
Support for Handling Challenging Student Behaviors	District Provided Professional Development (FREE) Spring 2023: Hire 2 New Assistant Principals ($200K)
Your Class Size	Created consistent District Teacher to Student Ratios (FREE) Hired 4 New Teachers to reduce Class Size ($320K)
Supports in Place to Meet Student Social-Emotional Needs	District Provided Professional Development (FREE) Mental Health Therapists Available to Students at School (FREE)

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STAFF EXPERIENCE FACTORS	STRATEGIC ACTIONS
The Quality and Cost of Health Insurance Benefits	Focus of the Negotiations Package with the Teacher’s Association (Budgeted Negotiations Package)
Society’s View of the Teaching Profession	District and building outreach & communication to community to show support of teachers. (Free) $100 enrollment credit for each child of a district employee living in the district. Remove the cap on years of experience that transfer in, when a teacher joins the district.

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STAFF EXPERIENCE FACTORS	DRIVER 2021	DRIVER 2023
Ability to Secure a Substitute	ER		+48%
Support for Handling Challenging Student Behaviors	ER		+20%
The Quality and Cost of Health Insurance Benefits	ER		+17%
Your Class Size	ER	RR	+15%
Supports in Place to Meet Student Social-Emotional Needs	ER	RR	+11%
Society’s View of the Teaching Profession	ER	ER	+3%

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DISTRICT

EXAMPLE

Balanced Score Card tied to Strategic Plan for BOE & Staff

Budget Planning

Staffing Priorities for HR

Negotiations

Teacher Recruitment Fairs

Staff Recognition and Convocation (PRIORITY!)

Planning for Teacher Professional Development

Administrative Team Professional Development

Communication with Community; Community Outreach

Partnership with Education Foundation

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Discovery and Planning Phase	Timeline
Utilize Longitudinal Data to Create a USD 501 Profile	March/April
Identify USD 501’s Drivers of Engagement and Retention from 2021/2023 Data	March/April
Create a Benchmark Comparison Group for 2023 Data	March/April
Conduct Focus Groups (4) to Contextualize Survey Results	April/May
Half Day Strategic Planning with District Stakeholders	June-July
Development of District-Wide Communication Summarizing the Discovery and Planning Phase	June-July
Provide a Proposal for Partnership from 2024-2027	August

Proposed Partnership Framework

March-August 2024