Teachers' expectations about remaining in teaching: Share of teachers who plan to remain or quit, all schools and in low- and high-poverty schools
| All | Low-poverty | High-poverty | Gap (high- minus low-poverty school) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plans to remain in teaching (as of 2015–2016) | 72.6% | 73.3% | 72.4% | -0.9 ppt. |
| Plans to quit teaching at some point (as of 2015–2016) | 27.4% | 26.7% | 27.6% | 0.9 ppt. |
| Plans to remain in teaching (as of 2011–2012) | 76.0% | 77.2% | 75.4% | -1.8 ppt. |
| Plans to quit teaching at some point (as of 2011–2012) | 24.0% | 22.8% | 24.6% | 1.8 ppt. |
Note: Data are for teachers in public noncharter schools. Teachers were asked how long they plan to remain in teaching. Teachers plan to remain in teaching indefinitely if teachers responded that they planned to remain in teaching either as long as they are able, until they are eligible for retirement benefits from their current job or a previous job, or until they are eligible for Social Security benefits. Teachers plan to quit teaching at some point if they answered that they plan to remain in teaching until a specific life event occurs or until a more desirable job opportunity comes along, or that they plan to leave as soon as they can, or said they were undecided. A teacher is in a low-poverty school if less than 25 percent of the student body in his/her classroom is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch programs; a teacher is in a high-poverty school if 50 percent or more of the student body is his/her classroom is eligible for those programs.
Source: 2011–2012 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and 2015–2016 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) microdata from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
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