NORC at the University of Chicago and IWERC at Discovery Partners Institute, part of the University of Illinois System, to lead the 3-year study
CHICAGO (May 30, 2024) – NORC at the University of Chicago and the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) at Discovery Partners Institute, part of the University of Illinois System, are proud to announce their selection for a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to investigate and identify effective retention strategies for science and math teachers (SMT) in high-needs school districts in rural Illinois. This three-year study will be conducted in collaboration with the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools to directly inform and impact teacher retention strategies.
The study will be guided by two primary questions:
- What organizational and community characteristics are associated with rural SMT retention and effectiveness?
- What school and district policies, strategies, and practices contribute to rural SMT retention and effectiveness?
Rural areas experience teacher shortages that exceed the national average. Nonetheless, research on the retention of high-quality teachers – who are essential to student learning – in rural settings remains scarce. This study will help address that gap by examining what factors impact teacher retention in rural Illinois while carefully considering the context of these communities, including school-community relationships, the lingering impacts of COVID-19 on rural districts, and other unique factors.
“This joint award signals the collaborative nature of our work at IWERC in digging into the topics that matter to the future of Illinois,” said Meg Bates, director of IWERC. “We already know many rural districts are experiencing chronic teacher shortages and with this new study we’ll be able to identify the strategies that correlate to teacher retention in the communities that need it most.”
Find more about IWERC’s research on Illinois teacher shortages and retention here: https://dpi.uillinois.edu/applied-research/iwerc/current-projects/teacher-workforce-portfolio/.