Relationship Between Select Variables and Teacher Retention

The major purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between selected variables and teacher retention. 503 students who had passed the Professional Development (PD) Examination for Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) between September 1, 1996 and August 30, 2000 were identified. Five research questions were developed for the study. Research questions numbers one, two, three, and four addressed descriptive characteristics of different groups of participants. Research question number five addressed the relationship between the selected variables and teacher retention. A point-biserial correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between the following variables and teacher retention: PD ExCET scores, age, TASP reading scores, and GPA; and a phi coefficient was used to determine the relationship between the following variables and teacher retention: ethnicity, teacher education program completed and gender. The results of the study show that there is no relationship between the selected variables and teacher retention.