Legislature(2019 - 2020)DAVIS 106

03/18/2020 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

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Audio Topic
08:12:18 AM Start
08:15:12 AM Presentation: Educator Retention and Turnover in Alaska: Magnitudes and Related Factors
08:55:18 AM Presentation: Teacher Retention and Recruitment in Alaska
09:46:26 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Presentations: TELECONFERENCED
- "Educator Retention & Turnover in Alaska:
Magnitudes & Related Factors" by Dr. Hella Bel
Hadj Amor & Dr. Ashley Pierson, Regional
Educational Laboratory Northwest at Education
Northwest
- Teacher Retention & Recruitment in Alaska by
Diane Hirshberg, UAA Institute of Social &
Economic Research
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                         March 18, 2020                                                                                         
                           8:12 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Harriet Drummond, Co-Chair                                                                                       
Representative Andi Story, Co-Chair                                                                                             
Representative Chris Tuck                                                                                                       
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky (via teleconference)                                                                            
Representative Mike Prax                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Grier Hopkins                                                                                                    
Representative DeLena Johnson                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
PRESENTATION:  EDUCATOR RETENTION AND TURNOVER IN ALASKA:                                                                       
MAGNITUDES AND RELATED FACTORS                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PRESENTATION:  TEACHER RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT IN ALASKA                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
No previous action to record                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
ASHLEY PIERSON, PhD, Senior Researcher                                                                                          
Education Northwest                                                                                                             
Portland, Oregon                                                                                                                
POSITION STATEMENT:  Co-provided a PowerPoint presentation,                                                                   
entitled "Educator Retention and Turnover Under the Midnight                                                                    
Sun."                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
HELLA BEL HADJ AMOR, PhD, Senior Researcher                                                                                     
Education Northwest                                                                                                             
Portland, Oregon                                                                                                                
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Co-provided  a  PowerPoint  presentation,                                                             
entitled  "Educator Retention  and  Turnover  Under the  Midnight                                                               
Sun."                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
DAYNA DEFEO, PhD, Research Assistant Professor of Education                                                                     
Institute of Social & Economic Research                                                                                         
University of Alaska Anchorage                                                                                                  
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Co-provided  a  PowerPoint  presentation,                                                             
entitled "Teacher Retention & Recruitment in Alaska."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
DIANE HIRSHBERG, PhD, Professor of Education Policy                                                                             
Institute of Social & Economic Research                                                                                         
University of Alaska Anchorage                                                                                                  
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION  STATEMENT:     Co-provided  a  PowerPoint  presentation                                                             
entitled, "Teacher Retention & Recruitment in Alaska."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:12:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STORY called  the  House  Education Standing  Committee                                                             
meeting  to order  at 8:12  a.m.   Representatives Zulkosky  (via                                                               
teleconference), Prax,  Drummond, and Story  were present  at the                                                               
call to  order.  Representative  Tuck arrived as the  meeting was                                                               
in progress.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
^PRESENTATION:    Educator  Retention  and  Turnover  in  Alaska:                                                               
Magnitudes and Related Factors                                                                                                  
   PRESENTATION:  Educator Retention and Turnover in Alaska:                                                                
                 Magnitudes and Related Factors                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:15:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be a  presentation on educator  retention and turnover  in Alaska                                                               
by Dr. Ashley Pierson and Dr.  Hella Bel Hadj Amor from Education                                                               
Northwest.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:15:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ASHLEY  PIERSON,  PhD,  Senior Researcher,  Education  Northwest,                                                               
stated that she and Dr. Hella  Bel Hadj Amor would be providing a                                                               
PowerPoint   presentation,  entitled   "Educator  Retention   and                                                               
Turnover Under the Midnight Sun."   She indicated that they would                                                               
share an overview  of their recently released report  by the same                                                               
name,  which  examines  trends   and  relationships  in  teacher,                                                               
principal, and superintendent movement in Alaska.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:16:16 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:17:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  PIERSON  reviewed the  agenda  for  the presentation,  which                                                               
included  sharing an  overview of  Alaska  State Policy  Research                                                               
Alliance  (ASPRA)  and  findings   from  the  study  on  educator                                                               
retention  and turnover  (slide 2).   She  directed attention  to                                                               
slide 3, and  explained that in Alaska,  the Regional Educational                                                               
Laboratory    a  federal program    supports  ASPRA's work.   The                                                               
goal  of  ASPRA  is  to  produce and  share  evidence  on  Alaska                                                               
education issues that  matter most.  She noted that  the study on                                                               
educator  retention and  turnover came  at the  request of  ASPRA                                                               
stakeholders.   Slide  4 listed  the ASPRA  leadership team:  The                                                               
Department  of  Education  &  Early  Development  (DEED),  Alaska                                                               
Council of School Administrators,  University of Alaska (UA), and                                                               
Regional Educational  Laboratory (REL) Northwest.   She explained                                                               
that   REL  Northwest   is  one   of   10  Regional   Educational                                                               
Laboratories in  the U.S. that  serves its  respective geographic                                                               
region.  The  REL program's goal is to help  states and districts                                                               
use  data  to  address  policy  issues  and  improve  educational                                                               
practices.   She noted that  the Institute of  Education Sciences                                                               
(EIS) at  the U.S. Department of  Education selects organizations                                                               
to  operate  each  REL through  a  competitive  bidding  process;                                                               
Education Northwest  holds the contract for  the Northwest region                                                               
(slide 5).                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:19:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HELLA   BEL  HADJ   AMOR,  PhD,   Senior  Researcher,   Education                                                               
Northwest, turned  attention to  the study on  educator retention                                                               
and turnover  in Alaska,  conducted by  REL Northwest  (slide 6).                                                               
Slide 7 highlighted the research  focus: educator turnover rates;                                                               
community,   school,   educator,  and   student   characteristics                                                               
associated    with    turnover;   and    relationships    between                                                               
superintendent,  principal,  and  teacher   turnover.    Slide  8                                                               
provided the timeframe and key definitions as follows:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
         Educators refers to teachers, principals, and                                                                          
     superintendents                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     ? Turnover refers to educators leaving their positions                                                                     
     at schools and districts                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
        ? Retention refers to educators staying in their                                                                        
     positions at schools and districts                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     ? Timeframe was 2012/13 to 2017/18                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
DR. BEL HADJ AMOR noted  that turnover includes three categories:                                                               
same district  movers, other district  movers, and leavers.   She                                                               
directed attention  to slide  9, which  highlighted that  half of                                                               
Alaska's teachers  and one-third  of its principals  are employed                                                               
in  urban areas;  furthermore,  half of  the  students in  Alaska                                                               
attend schools  in urban  areas.  She  explained that  states and                                                               
school districts are finding it  increasingly difficult to retain                                                               
educators, and efforts  to recruit and retain  teachers in Alaska                                                               
are complicated by the  state's unique characteristics, including                                                               
geographic remoteness and a challenging natural environment.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:24:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  BEL HADJ  AMOR continued  to slide  10.   She said  national                                                               
research  suggests  that  educator turnover  is  associated  with                                                               
lower  student outcomes,  including lower  test scores  and lower                                                               
proficiency on  state math  and reading  assessments, as  well as                                                               
higher  turnover in  high-poverty schools,  as educators  tend to                                                               
leave  higher-poverty  schools  for   lower-poverty  ones.    She                                                               
indicated that turnover is costly for schools and districts.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:25:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  PIERSON shared  findings  from the  study  on retention  and                                                               
turnover trends  in Alaska (slide  11).  She explained  that most                                                               
of Alaska's turnover involves "leavers"    educators who retired,                                                               
left  Alaska,  or  remained  in  the  state  but  are  no  longer                                                               
educators.  Turnover rates in  Alaska for 2017/2018 indicate that                                                               
13 percent of teachers were  leavers, while 9 percent of teachers                                                               
were "movers"   individuals who went  to a new district or school                                                               
but remained in the Alaska public  school system (slide 12).  She                                                               
reported that  the percentage of  teachers who did not  return to                                                               
their school or  role has been steady over time.   From 2012/2013                                                               
to 2017/2018, the statewide teacher  turnover rate varied between                                                               
21 and  24 percent each year;  the leaver rate varied  between 12                                                               
and 15  percent; the mover rate  between 8 and 10  percent (slide                                                               
13).  Overall, she said,  Alaska has higher teacher turnover than                                                               
the national  average, which in  2017, was 16 percent.   Alaska's                                                               
teacher mover rate is comparable  to other states, but the leaver                                                               
rate  is  higher  (slide  14).   In  contrast  to  teachers,  the                                                               
percentage of  principals who did  not return to their  school or                                                               
role varied over  time and is generally higher than  the rate for                                                               
teachers.   From 2012/2013 to 2017/2018,  the statewide principal                                                               
turnover rate  varied between  23 and 33  percent each  year; the                                                               
leaver  rate varied  between 17  and 25  percent; the  mover rate                                                               
between 6 and  9 percent (slide 15).  Overall,  Alaska has higher                                                               
principal  turnover  than  the national  average,  which  was  18                                                               
percent  in  2017;  however, Alaska's  principal  mover  rate  is                                                               
comparable to  other states (slide  16).  Similar  to principals,                                                               
the percentage  of superintendents  who did  not return  to their                                                               
district or  role has  varied over time  and is  generally higher                                                               
than the  rate for  teachers.  From  2012/2013 to  2017/2018, the                                                               
statewide superintendent  turnover rate varied between  19 and 40                                                               
percent  each year;  the leaver  rate  varied between  13 and  36                                                               
percent; the mover rate between 4  and 8 percent (slide 17).  She                                                               
noted that  Alaska's superintendent  mover rate is  comparable to                                                               
other states (slide  18).  Overall, she  said, statewide turnover                                                               
rates from  2012/2013 to 2017/2018  remained steady  for teachers                                                               
but varied for principals and superintendents.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:31:47 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. BEL HADJ  AMOR continued to address study  findings and break                                                               
them down  by locale.   She turned  attention to slide  19, which                                                               
showed a  map of  schools in  Alaska.   She explained  that rural                                                               
schools have higher teacher and  principal turnover than urban or                                                               
urban-fringe  schools.     Average  annual  turnover   rates  for                                                               
teachers during  the study  timeframe were  36 percent  in rural-                                                               
remote schools,  25 percent in  rural-hub/fringe schools,  and 19                                                               
percent in both  urban-fringe and urban school  types (slide 20).                                                               
Furthermore, a higher percentage of  educators in rural schools -                                                               
compared to  those in  urban schools  - did  not return  to their                                                               
school or  role; the  teacher leaver  rate varied  from 11  to 23                                                               
percent,  while  the teacher  mover  rate  varied  from 8  to  13                                                               
percent (slide  21).  She  noted that 64 percent  of rural-remote                                                               
teachers and 68 percent of  rural-remote principals who turn over                                                               
leave the  state or the  profession.   She continued to  slide 22                                                               
and stated that  the majority of teachers from  rural schools who                                                               
moved  across districts  moved to  another rural  district.   She                                                               
added that the  study did not find a large  migration of teachers                                                               
from rural schools to urban schools in the data.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:36:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  PIERSON  directed  attention   to  slide  23  and  addressed                                                               
turnover and educator characteristics.  She reported that first-                                                                
year turnover rates among teachers  were higher than later years;                                                               
the  turnover  rate for  teachers  in  their  first year  was  35                                                               
percent compared  to a turnover  rate of 19 percent  for teachers                                                               
beyond  their first  year.   Data  showed  little difference  for                                                               
principles  (slide 24).   Additionally,  teachers and  principles                                                               
who prepared  outside Alaska had  higher turnover  rates compared                                                               
to those prepared  in Alaska.  Average annual  turnover rate from                                                               
2012/2013 to  2017/2018 was 18  percent for teachers  prepared in                                                               
Alaska  compared  to 24  percent  for  teachers prepared  outside                                                               
Alaska.  The  average annual turnover rate for  principals was 24                                                               
percent for those  prepared in Alaska compared to  34 percent for                                                               
those  prepared  outside  Alaska  (slide 25).    She  noted  that                                                               
teachers  prepared  outside  Alaska had  higher  turnover  rates,                                                               
especially  in   rural-remote  schools,  possibly   because  more                                                               
teachers  in rural-remote  areas are  prepared outside  the state                                                               
compared  to  other  locales  (slide 26).    She  explained  that                                                               
sometimes,  teachers from  outside Alaska  have a  difficult time                                                               
adjusting and  require additional support  to acclimate to  a new                                                               
community and  unfamiliar living  conditions.  The  variation for                                                               
principles  in rural-remote  schools  was  even more  pronounced.                                                               
Rural-remote principles prepared outside  Alaska had a 20 percent                                                               
higher  turnover rate  than  their Alaska-educated  counterparts.                                                               
Overall,  she   said,  the  data   suggests  that   teachers  and                                                               
principals  who prepared  outside  Alaska and  teachers in  their                                                               
first year were more likely to turn over the following year.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. PIERSON turned  attention to slide 27  and addressed turnover                                                               
and  school  characteristics.   She  reported  that teachers  who                                                               
earned  lower  salaries had  higher  turnover  rates, with  a  29                                                               
percent turnover  rate for  the lowest  group of  teacher earners                                                               
compared to 19  percent turnover among the highest  earners.  She                                                               
noted that  at all salary  levels, turnover was higher  in rural-                                                               
remote areas  than in other locales  (slide 28).  The  study also                                                               
found a  correlation between principal and  teacher turnover: the                                                               
average annual  teacher turnover rate  was 25 percent  in schools                                                               
where  the  principal  left  compared  to  21  percent  when  the                                                               
principal stayed (slide 29).                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:41:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  BEL HADJ  AMOR continued  to slide  30 and  shared potential                                                               
recruitment  and  retention  strategies based  on  feedback  from                                                               
district leaders.  The first  strategy is to recruit continuously                                                               
for retention.  She conveyed  that hiring is a priority; further,                                                               
that  good  hires  are  favorable  to fast  hires.    The  second                                                               
strategy is  to build trust between  administrators and teachers.                                                               
She explained  that in a trusting  relationship, teachers discuss                                                               
challenges they  face before  deciding to leave.   They  are also                                                               
more open to support and  suggestions from leadership.  The third                                                               
strategy is  to recreate familiar  living conditions.   Living in                                                               
rural remote  Alaska can  offer a rare  opportunity to  make deep                                                               
meaningful  connections,  she  said.    She  recommended  careful                                                               
planning   and   realistic    expectations   to   help   minimize                                                               
frustration.  The  fourth strategy is to  support teacher growth.                                                               
Despite  limited budgets,  districts  try  to offer  professional                                                               
learning  opportunities,   such  as  paying  for   credit  hours,                                                               
scheduling  collaborative  time,  and  partnering  teachers  with                                                               
local  entities to  design and  deliver  courses.   Additionally,                                                               
three  districts  mentioned  having benefited  from  a  statewide                                                               
mentorship  program.   The fifth  strategy is  to treat  teachers                                                               
like  the  leaders  they  are.   Districts  offered  a  range  of                                                               
leadership opportunities,  including participating  in curriculum                                                               
mapping  and coding,  serving as  peer evaluators,  presenting at                                                               
conferences,  and  providing  input on  professional  development                                                               
offerings and district  programs.  The sixth strategy  is to make                                                               
up  for pay  that is  not competitive;  examples that  reportedly                                                               
helped  teacher   retention  include  a  generous   contract  and                                                               
benefits  package; longevity  bonuses and  bonuses for  providing                                                               
termination   notices  in   advance;  funding   for  professional                                                               
development; and flexibility  to live outside the  district.  The                                                               
seventh   strategy  is   to   find   pockets  of   cross-district                                                               
collaboration  in a  competitive  environment.   She pointed  out                                                               
that  districts  compete  for available  candidates;  however,  a                                                               
degree of collaboration exists, such  as applying for grants with                                                               
another   district   to   offer  teachers   common   professional                                                               
development.  Some teachers  suggested collaborating on marketing                                                               
and communication  materials that present living  and teaching in                                                               
Alaska  as an  attractive option.   Additionally,  systematically                                                               
tracking candidates  who may not be  a good fit for  one district                                                               
but could be for another (slides 31-37).                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:48:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. BEL  HADJ AMOR directed  attention to slide 38  and presented                                                               
two   categories  of   considerations  for   increasing  educator                                                               
retention  in  Alaska:  human resources  and  school  conditions.                                                               
Drawing on  the full  report, the  first consideration  for human                                                               
resources is to increase the  supply of Alaska-educated teachers.                                                               
She explained  that the number  of teacher  candidates graduating                                                               
from  Alaska education  programs has  decreased in  recent years;                                                               
however, UA has  set a goal to increase the  share of UA-educated                                                               
teachers  hired in  the  state  from 43  percent  in  2018 to  90                                                               
percent  by  2025.   The  state  could also  consider  increasing                                                               
efforts to  recruit educator preparation program  candidates from                                                               
rural Alaska  and provide them  with tailored support  for living                                                               
in different  conditions, as well  as providing them  with online                                                               
opportunities.   One caveat, she  said, is that more  evidence is                                                               
needed on whether  candidates from rural areas tend  to return to                                                               
rural  areas to  teach or  lead schools  (slide 39).   The  final                                                               
considerations for human resources are  to find the right fit for                                                               
educators  regarding the  district and  community they  work for,                                                               
and to advertise Alaska (slides 40-41).                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:50:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. BEL HADJ  AMOR turned attention to  considerations for school                                                               
conditions, beginning  with additional support for  rural schools                                                               
to bolster educator retention.   She pointed out that teachers in                                                               
rural schools face geographic,  social, cultural and professional                                                               
isolation;  a high  cost  of living;  the  inability to  purchase                                                               
housing;   burdensome  workloads;   and  few   opportunities  for                                                               
professional growth.   Furthermore, many historically underserved                                                               
students  in Alaska  are  concentrated  in rural-remote  schools;                                                               
therefore, targeting  resources to those schools  would allow for                                                               
a  more equitable  use  of  limited resources  (slide  42).   The                                                               
second  school-related  consideration is  to  build  trust and  a                                                               
sense   of  belonging.     Potential   methods  of   accelerating                                                               
educators'  sense   of  belonging  include  connecting   them  to                                                               
colleagues,  friends,  and  local  activities  in  the  community                                                               
(slide  43).   The  third  consideration  is to  offer  educators                                                               
financial  and  nonfinancial  incentives.    She  explained  that                                                               
increasing  salaries is  an effective  tool  to retain  teachers,                                                               
especially in  rural-remote schools; nonetheless, it  may need to                                                               
be combined  with other strategies to  improve working conditions                                                               
in  these  schools.   She  suggested  reallocating  resources  to                                                               
targeted  schools to  alleviate conditions  related to  turnover,                                                               
such  as  reducing  the  need   for  teachers  to  hold  multiple                                                               
positions or  teach at multiple sites.   She noted that  the full                                                               
report mentions a  review of legislative efforts  in other states                                                               
to support and fund financial  incentives (slide 44).  The fourth                                                               
school-related  condition is  to focus  on principal  support and                                                               
retention.    She  reminded  the  committee  of  the  correlation                                                               
between   principal  and   teacher   turnovers.     Consequently,                                                               
improving  working conditions  for  principals  may improve  both                                                               
teacher and principal retention.   National research cited in the                                                               
full  report  suggests  ways  to  increase  principal  retention,                                                               
including   providing   principals   with   professional   growth                                                               
opportunities  and manageable  workloads and  increasing autonomy                                                               
and salaries (slide 45).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:54:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
^PRESENTATION:  Teacher Retention and Recruitment in Alaska                                                                     
   PRESENTATION:  Teacher Retention and Recruitment in Alaska                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:55:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY  announced that the  next order of  business would                                                               
be a  complementary presentation by  the Institute of  Social and                                                               
Economic Research  (ISER) at the  University of  Alaska Anchorage                                                               
(UAA).                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:56:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAYNA  DEFEO, PhD,  Research  Assistant  Professor of  Education,                                                               
Institute  of Social  & Economic  Research, University  of Alaska                                                               
Anchorage,  co-provided   a  PowerPoint   presentation,  entitled                                                               
"Teacher  Retention  & Recruitment  in  Alaska,"  with Dr.  Diane                                                               
Hirshberg.  She directed attention  to slide 2 and explained that                                                               
the UAA  Center for Alaska  Education Policy Research  (CAEPR) is                                                               
an  education   policy  clearing  house  within   ISER  with  the                                                               
objective to  conduct nonpartisan  research that's  applicable to                                                               
Alaskans  and supports  policymaking.   She  stated that  CAEPR's                                                               
work falls  into three categories: college  and career readiness,                                                               
arctic and indigenous education, and teacher supply and demand.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:57:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DIANE HIRSHBERG,  PhD, Professor  of Education  Policy, Institute                                                               
of Social  & Economic Research,  University of  Alaska Anchorage,                                                               
continued  to  slide 3  and  provided  the context  within  which                                                               
Alaska's teacher turnover occurs.   She reported that the current                                                               
workforce  is composed  of 7,900  teachers, of  which 15  percent                                                               
were new  to Alaska in 2017-2018.   Also, 53 percent  of teachers                                                               
prepared  in Alaska  institutions work  in urban  schools and  24                                                               
percent   teach   in    rural-remote   schools.      Furthermore,                                                               
inexperienced (first year) teachers are  2.5 times more likely to                                                               
be in high-poverty than low-poverty schools (slide 4).                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:59:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. DEFEO  conceptualized Alaska's teacher turnover  context as a                                                               
"perfect storm,"  primarily for three reasons:  Alaska's economic                                                               
downturn, teacher shortage in the  lower 48, and an economic boom                                                               
in  the lower  48 (slide  5).   Slide 6  illustrated an  economic                                                               
perspective  on  teacher turnover.    She  pointed out  that  the                                                               
national demand  for teachers  is high while  the supply  is low;                                                               
while  in Alaska,  the supply  and demand  are relatively  flat                                                                 
except for a consistently high  demand for out-of-state teachers.                                                               
She  noted  that Alaska  was  producing  a consistent  number  of                                                               
teachers  until  UAA,  the state's  largest  teacher  preparation                                                               
program, suspended  admissions in  2019.  Teacher  turnover rates                                                               
are high  in both the  nation and Alaska.   She indicated  that a                                                               
lower competitiveness is the differing  factor between Alaska and                                                               
the  lower 48  (slide 6).   Dr.  DeFeo continued  to address  the                                                               
context   for   demand,    supply,   turnover,   retention,   and                                                               
competitiveness  in  Alaska, beginning  with  supply.   She  said                                                               
teacher  supply   has  two  primary  sources:   Alaska's  teacher                                                               
education programs and out-of-state hires (slide 7).                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:04:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. HIRSHBERG  stated that  Alaska is  experiencing a  decline in                                                               
the number  of teachers produced  by the University of  Alaska in                                                               
2020.   She reported that prior  to the closing of  UAA's teacher                                                               
education  program,  the  state  was  producing  between  230-275                                                               
teachers each year.  Due to  the closure of the initial licensure                                                               
programs in  2019, that number  dropped to  186.  She  noted that                                                               
projections  estimate  166  teachers will  graduate  this  coming                                                               
fiscal year.   The number of in-state graduates is  not likely to                                                               
increase for  several more years  (slide 8).  She  questioned how                                                               
to  get more  students  into the  teacher  education pipeline  to                                                               
reverse the trajectory and increase numbers (slide 9).                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:07:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  DEFEO  continued to  slide  10,  which  provided a  list  of                                                               
reasons  why people  become  educators:  experience working  with                                                               
youth;  a  personal  connection  to an  educator;  working  as  a                                                               
paraprofessional; and  taking a career  exploration course.   She                                                               
said widening  the pipeline requires increased  opportunities for                                                               
these   exposures  and   experiences.     Slide  11   highlighted                                                               
discouraging  factors  that  augment the  decline  in  nationwide                                                               
interest in  the teaching profession.   She suggested considering                                                               
opportunities  for compensation,  workload, competitiveness,  and                                                               
status.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:11:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  HIRSHBERG  highlighted  in-state  initiatives  to  grow  the                                                               
workforce,   including   Preparing    Indigenous   Teachers   and                                                               
Administrators   for   Alaska's  Schools   (PITAAS),   Indigenous                                                               
Scholars   Program,  Educators   Rising  Alaska,   district-based                                                               
paraprofessional  to teacher  pathways,  and teacher  recruitment                                                               
initiatives.     She  noted  that  none   of  the  aforementioned                                                               
initiatives are directly supported by the state (slide 12).                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:14:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  DEFEO  continued  to  slide 13  and  addressed  hiring  from                                                               
outside Alaska.  She explained  that hiring out-of-state teachers                                                               
places a  work and resource  burden on rural  superintendents and                                                               
districts  as   they  are  responsible  for   communicating  with                                                               
candidates  and  must  help  them  find  housing  and  engage  in                                                               
professional networks.   She further noted that  hiring the right                                                               
teacher is  not just about  credentials, he  or she must  fit the                                                               
community.     Out-of-state  teachers  require   orientation  and                                                               
training  to  adjust to  village  living  and Alaska's  cultures.                                                               
Furthermore, teachers  hired from the  lower 48 usually  take the                                                               
job sight unseen because it's  too expensive to fly teachers into                                                               
communities for interviews; therefore,  they must rely heavily on                                                               
superintendents and district leaders  for a successful transition                                                               
(slide 13).                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:17:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. HIRSHBERG directed  attention to slide 14  to discuss demand.                                                               
She said  over 1,000 teachers  are consistently hired  every year                                                               
in Alaska and the demand,  which is driven by turnover, outweighs                                                               
the  state's own  supply.   Alaska's demand  for teachers  is met                                                               
with  particular challenges  making some  jobs more  difficult to                                                               
fill  than  others.   Positions  such  as special  education  and                                                               
secondary  math and  science  are  the hardest  to  fill, as  are                                                               
positions  in  schools  serving   low-income  and  high  minority                                                               
populations and  schools located in rural  and remote communities                                                               
(slide 15).                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:19:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  DEFEO addressed  turnover  and retention  (slide  16).   She                                                               
reiterated that in  Alaska, turnover contributes to  both the low                                                               
supply and high demand for teachers.   She explained that not all                                                               
turnover  is bad,  as  new  teachers can  bring  fresh ideas  and                                                               
invigorate  school   environments;  however,  high   turnover  is                                                               
problematic for  numerous reasons:  turnover impacts  the quality                                                               
of  instructions, erodes  school climate,  affects continuity  of                                                               
instruction,  impacts  professional  development,  and  leads  to                                                               
burnout  (slide 17).   Teacher  turnover is  also expensive.   In                                                               
2015, CAEPR  estimated that separation, recruitment,  hiring, and                                                               
orientation/training costs  $20,431 per teacher.   Costs excluded                                                               
from that  estimation include school  costs, such  as onboarding,                                                               
training, and  mentoring; state costs, like  higher education and                                                               
recruitment; teacher costs in time  and money put towards earning                                                               
a  degree;  and community  costs.    Consequently, the  long-term                                                               
costs  of  high teacher  turnover  are  teacher productivity  and                                                               
student proficiency (slide 18).                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:23:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  HIRSHBERG  remarked that  there  are  initiatives to  retain                                                               
educators in Alaska.  The  Alaska Statewide Mentor Program (ASMP)                                                               
-  currently funded  by the  university system  and some  federal                                                               
funding  -  is one  such  initiative.   Professional  development                                                               
efforts  also  exist,  including  the  Alaska  Staff  Development                                                               
Network and the Alaska Cross-Content  Conference.  She noted that                                                               
these  opportunities   are  continually  shrinking   as  district                                                               
funding  decreases.     Furthermore,  research   found  financial                                                               
incentives  and longevity  bonuses  as an  ineffective method  to                                                               
abate teacher turnover (slide 19).                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:26:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  DEFEO  addressed  Alaska's  competitiveness  by  considering                                                               
compensation  and work  environment (slide  20).   She emphasized                                                               
that  compensation  should  offer   a  large  enough  salary  and                                                               
benefits package  to recruit and  retain qualified  teachers that                                                               
fit the community (slide 21).   She explained that Alaska used to                                                               
pay the highest  average teacher salaries in the  nation, but now                                                               
ranks   seventh    without   adjusting   for    geographic   cost                                                               
differentials.   In 2015, CAEPR  calculated that  Alaska salaries                                                               
were 10 percent  lower than they should be.   Additionally, based                                                               
on CAEPR's  modeling, some districts  need to pay much  more than                                                               
they  currently do  if they  wish  to attract  and retain  highly                                                               
qualified  educators  (slide  22).   Regarding  Alaska's  teacher                                                               
benefits, Dr.  DeFeo said districts can  leverage their resources                                                               
to offer benefits  that have the most value and  utility in their                                                               
communities.   She pointed out  that a  2018 study found  that in                                                               
Alaska,  teachers value  tenure at  more than  $30,000; thus,  it                                                               
could  be  a  benefit  that creates  significant  savings.    She                                                               
indicated that  when used and  structured wisely,  benefits could                                                               
be  worth more  than  their  dollar value  and  in turn,  enhance                                                               
teacher  recruitment and  retention (slide  23).   She emphasized                                                               
that  teachers  weigh   compensation  packages  when  considering                                                               
whether to work and where to  work.  Given Alaska's dependence on                                                               
out-of-state hires,  she said, competitive  compensation packages                                                               
are a necessity (slide 24).                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:31:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. HIRSHBERG  explained that working  conditions are  a stronger                                                               
predictor of  turnover than  compensation, particularly  in rural                                                               
schools.   Research indicated that  teachers were more  likely to                                                               
leave   without   support   from   parents   or   school/district                                                               
administrators.    Community  characteristics, such  as  housing,                                                               
recreation, and  transportation were  also significant,  but less                                                               
so  than community  relationships and  school leadership  issues.                                                               
She  said  the implication  is  that  educator retention  can  be                                                               
supported by other factors besides budget (slide 25).                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:33:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. DEFEO provided a brief  overview and key areas of opportunity                                                               
for the future (slide 26).   She reiterated that teacher turnover                                                               
is  not  unique  to  Alaska  and existed  prior  to  the  current                                                               
economic  recession.   Current challenges  include a  high demand                                                               
for  teachers and  an unprecedented  low supply  coupled with  an                                                               
unusually  high level  of competition  from the  lower 48  (slide                                                               
27).                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:35:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  HIRSHBERG said  opportunities  to grow  the pipeline  exist;                                                               
however,  these   initiatives  face  unstable   funding  sources,                                                               
especially  those reliant  on federal  funding.   She recommended                                                               
investing in  initiatives to  grow Alaskan-educated  teachers who                                                               
are  more  likely  to  stay   long  term.    She  also  suggested                                                               
developing  new initiatives  with community/tribal-based  teacher                                                               
preparation and  licensure models; alternative  certification for                                                               
career  changers who  may be  displaced by  the current  economy;                                                               
state-operated   loan   forgiveness  programs;   and   additional                                                               
opportunities for experienced educators.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
DR.  DEFEO   said  an  important   opportunity  is   to  increase                                                               
competitiveness.  She  recommended considering the attractiveness                                                               
of  the profession,  equitable incentives  to teach  in different                                                               
subjects  and  communities,  and  the ability  to  compete  in  a                                                               
national market (slide 29).                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:39:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. HIRSHBERG  added that addressing factors  that drive turnover                                                               
is  another key  opportunity.   She  said  local communities  and                                                               
schools  should work  together  to  strengthen relationships  and                                                               
create processes for mentoring and  inducting teachers into local                                                               
community   life.       Additionally,    statewide   professional                                                               
development  organizations  and university  education  leadership                                                               
programs could  work together on  strengthening the  capacity for                                                               
school   and  district   administrators  to   support  educators.                                                               
Finally, she  encouraged developing  infrastructure, such  as new                                                               
housing and schools, to assist in reducing turnover (slide 30).                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:42:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  DRUMMOND  inquired as  to  why  other states'  "leaver"                                                               
rates are not available.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:43:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  PIERSON  explained that  a  number  of turnover  studies  on                                                               
principals  did   not  breakdown   turnover  into   "movers"  and                                                               
"leavers," which is why the leaver rate is not available.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:44:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY stated  that children and youth  are Alaska's most                                                               
important resource.   She stressed  the importance  of supporting                                                               
educators  and providing  them with  a rewarding  environment and                                                               
proper compensation.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:44:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK commended the  presenters' research.  He also                                                               
emphasized  the  importance  of   ensuring  that  educators  have                                                               
meaningful  careers,   which  can   be  hindered  in   Alaska  by                                                               
uncertainty, insufficient  compensation, and  a lack  of respect.                                                               
He maintained that much is  gained by providing consistent career                                                               
paths dedicated to the state's education system.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:46:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 9:46 a.m.                                                                 

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
Education NW Educator retention and turnover 03.18.20.pdf HEDC 3/18/2020 8:00:00 AM
Presentation Teacher Retention and Recruitment
ISER Teacher recruitment & retention 3.18.20.pdf HEDC 3/18/2020 8:00:00 AM
ISER Teacher retention and recruitment
Education NW infographic ak-educator-retention.pdf HEDC 3/18/2020 8:00:00 AM
teacher recruitment and retention