Ute Kaden (Associate Professor STEM , UAF-SOE) ukaden@alaska.edu Teacher Retention –A wicked problem Factors Related to Teacher retention in Arctic Alaska Ute Kaden (Associate Professor STEM , UAF-SOE) ukaden@alaska.edu

Wicked Problem Teacher retention and teacher effectiveness is a multilayered and complex phenomenon shaped by the socio-cultural context of the schools, State policies, labor marked forces, and individual connections with students and community. This study suggests that personal career decisions do not depend on a single factor. Policies will require a systems approach that entails analysis of the multiple interacting variables and development of a blend of solutions tailored for individual school settings.

Teacher Retention, AK 2000-2012 Despite a variety of efforts and programs to retain teachers in Arctic Alaska schools, the overall picture of teacher turnover has not changed in recent years (ISER, 2014)

Research Questions What are the trends in current teacher retention rates over the last four years in Arctic districts and schools? To what extent are these trends different in rural Arctic districts compared to other regions in Alaska? What factors are related to the retention and teacher turnover trends?

Cooperating School Districts Bering Straits School District Denali Borough School District Iditarod Area School District Nenana City School District Nome City School District North Slope Borough School District Northwest Arctic Borough School District Tanana School District Yukon/Koyukuk School District Yukon Flats School District

Methods This study uses a concurrent, triangulation mixed methods approach to identify and understand factors that contribute to teacher retention in Arctic Alaska’s public K-12 schools (Creswell, 2007; Kleinsasser, 2000; Miles & Huberman,1994) Instrumentation Online Survey (Participation critical) Personal Interviews with School Staff Personal Interviews with Community Members (e.g., Elders, parents) Identifying and Interviewing ”Leavers” Focus groups Review of Archival Data Sets (DEED, Dept. of Labor) Participants Teachers, administrators, and community members of the districts Data Analysis Descriptive and inferential data analysis to discover trends and themes

Retention Rates Compared to State Average

Where are the teachers from and did receive their initial teacher training? Most of our respondents (84%) received their teacher preparation training in the US but outside of Alaska.

Do you teach at least one multi-grade class? 70% of the teachers teach at least one multi-grade class. This is an area of teacher preparation that seems to be lacking in most programs, yet, it is extremely important for teaching in rural Alaska.

How many different preps (courses for different subjects or grade levels) do you currently teach? Only 13% of respondents state that they have to prepare for only one course or grade level. A majority (56%) report having to prepare for anywhere from 4 to 7 courses or grade levels on a regular basis. Nearly one in ten teachers (9%) must prepare for 10 or more classes or grade levels on a regular basis.

Living in a rural community

Job Satisfaction

Community member focus groups Care about our kids We want teachers that care about our kids. They need to make sure that they have order in the classroom and that the school is a safe place. I also like to know how I can help my kid to be successful. Example: Community based learning and curriculum Collaboratively our teachers and Elders developed and implement an animal health and dog-mushing curriculum. It not only engaged our students, and prevented sure dropouts of students but also revitalized dog mushing in our village. Dog-mushing has always been part of our culture and was on the brink of fading away. Now you can see our young people caring for the dogs and raising and running the dog teams.

Preliminary Findings that may influence retention Differentiation, multi-grade levels in one class room, multi subject, out of content area teaching assignments Degree to which teacher housing and overall living conditions vary (availability, quality, water quality, etc.) Community integration varies Special education training and services are problematic Internet and communication availability Administration/Leadership support Overall preparation for village teaching Tenure Policies Changing school enrollments Attendance

Capricious administrative decisions (hiring, firing, curriculum, testing, etc.) Dramatic variance of community support for the school and teachers Struggle to deliver college prep/career oriented classes/programs Racism Huge differences in integrating local culture/ language into the schools and curriculum Variance in implementing science and art curriculum (at some grade levels ELA/Math are the only subjects taught) Indication of interest in regional boarding schools and different attendance schedules

Rural small school teachers succeed through individual determination, long hours at school, and intimate professional commitment to their students. This approach is not sustainable and may be, in fact, the formula for early attrition.

“Stayers” and “leavers” are not uniform groups Struggle with the demands of teaching in a small school, living in a rural remote Arctic community, and learning how to integrate into an Indigenous community Most committed teachers and teachers new to the profession seemed to be at risk of burnout, facing colossal demands with few boundaries in place to protect their time

Data also indicate that state tenure laws and increasing school demands that new teachers immediately demonstrate on-the- job performance encourage practices of letting teachers go often after only two years in the classroom instead of providing appropriate support in the process of learning to teach in the specific local context.

How can we support teachers? Better communication patterns and shared responsibilities between rural school districts, local administrators, teachers, community members, and university based teacher preparation programs need to be established.

AK Education Excellence AK UA School of Education The perfect storm Currently NCTA/CAPE accredited university programs failed to increase diversity in the teaching force. Native teachers are 4% and secondary education less than 1% of the workforce. Alaska educates just 30% of the Alaskan teacher workforce Teacher education takes place in urban Alaska like Anchorage and surrounding areas and Fairbanks The employer (School district/schools), the university (teacher educator) and DEED (Licensing agency) are not acting as partners or collaborators COMMUNICATION and COLLABORATIOM for AK Education Excellence AK UA School of Education

AK Education Excellence AK UA School of Education COLLABORATION AK Education Excellence AK UA School of Education Tribal leadership/communities/parents University teacher education programs School districts/schools Department of Education

Ideas for discussion- Imagine … Core courses required for effective teachers Multiple entry points to teacher education Student teaching in rural schools Flexible programs and delivery for teacher aids and rural students Dual enrollment credits for HS students PD and induction for teachers (mix) AK School of Education with stable core programs and specialty tracks (e.g., STEM, Spec. Ed, En/Reading)

How can we support teachers? This study confirms that the teacher turnover rates in schools and districts vary widely over time and is a complex-wicked problem. Future K-12 districts, university, and community collaboration for recruitment, initial teacher training, induction, and ongoing professional development Rural teaching experience as part of initial teacher certification programs Certification program for local school leadership

Example for a Collaborative Rural Teaching Experience GeoSTEM -This three-year (2015-2018) NSF funded (# 1540674) project implements 2 to 4 weeks mentored teaching experiences for pre-service teachers in rural Alaska. Year one-YKSD supports placement and mentorship of 3 teacher interns. Interns are prepared by UAF-Scientists and UAF-education faculty to deliver place-informed lessons that fit in the current district curriculum. Rural K-12 students will be involved in hands-on STEM activities to gain knowledge and increase engagement in learning for the future of their villages.