Attrition and Mobility: Analysis of the Educational and Employment History of Teacher Education Graduates at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The purpose of this study was to compare the employment retention and mobility patterns of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s fifth year post-baccalaureate intern program completers with those of the alternative C licensure program participants employed between 2001 and 2005 in Tennessee public schools. A comparison of program groups was conducted from the perspective of attrition, as well as mobility, and how this related to teacher preparation variables including grade point average, Praxis scores, and program type. Attrition was measured for each year as the number and percentage of each group or cohort not returning the following year to teach in a Tennessee public school and was disaggregated by and program type. A multi-year attrition rate for each program type group was also calculated for three and five year periods. The Socio Economic Status (SES) of initial and final school placements was analyzed and compared to determine the number and percentage of each cohort working in low socio-economic schools (as defined by the Title I participation/designation). Data related to school placement were also utilized to determine the number and percentage of those who transferred to or away from low socio-economic schools.