Administrators in rural West Virginia schools leave their positions at rates higher than their peers in bigger and more urban districts, according to a .
The Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia studied retention, attrition, and mobility rates among teachers and administrators in West Virginia districts to determine how those rates vary depending on such factors as size and locale. The study found teachers’ movements were similar in different types of districts, but administrators were more likely to move if they were less experienced or in a smaller district. More than 12 percent of rural administrators left their districts, compared with about 8 percent of administrators in city schools.
Teacher retention, attrition, and mobility rates tended to differ based on experience level and salary, rather than district locale.