The Relationship Between Colorado Teacher Salary and Colorado Teacher Turnover

This secondary research study used quantitative research methods to gather and analyze statistical data on specific factors that have been demonstrated to impact teacher retention and assessed their relative importance in impacting teacher turnover. The data utilized for this study were peer-reviewed, publicly available, government data collected by the Colorado Department of Education. The time period examined in this study was the school years of 2015-2019. The study found teacher salary was a significant determinant of teacher retention in Colorado. When controlling for other potentially important factors, such as academic performance, English language learners, socioeconomic status, minority students, and setting of school district, the study found a $1,000 increase in teacher salary was associated with a .25% decrease in teacher turnover. The study also found that teacher salary was more important for retaining teachers than other factors. Some factors that still had an impact on teacher turnover were socio-economic status of the student population, academic performance, and the region in Colorado in which a district was located. The study\u27s findings are important for policymakers and school administrators who are interested in reducing teacher turnover in Colorado. The study\u27s findings suggested that increasing teacher salary was one way to reduce teacher turnover but districts should also consider other factors when developing strategies to retain teachers