Making Do: Why Do Administrators Retain Low-Performing Teachers?

SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://sagepub.com

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4

Decision Making; School Administration; Principals; Assistant Principals; Beginning Teachers; Experienced Teachers; Teacher Effectiveness; Teacher Improvement; Value Added Models; Teacher Persistence; Low Achievement; Job Performance; State Policy; Educational Legislation; Federal Legislation

10.3102/0013189X211039450

0013-189X

Previous reports suggest that administrators rarely dismiss low-performing teachers despite the changing policy landscape allowing them to do so. This brief uses survey data from Tennessee to investigate the underlying reasons explaining administrators' decisions to retain low-performing teachers. The presented analysis suggests that administrators largely retain low-performing teachers due to a persistent belief that these teachers will improve with time; further analysis presents some evidence regarding observable improvement among low-performing teachers. The brief concludes with a brief discussion of implications for policy and practice.

As Provided

2022

EJ1322051