WORK – EPIC

EPIC WORK

EPIC launched the Kansas Teacher Retention Initiative in the summer of 2021. This initiative focuses on measuring, understanding, interpreting, and disseminating data-driven insights regarding the driving factors of teacher retention within school districts and across the State of Kansas.

In partnership with key organizations such as the Kansas Association of Schools Boards, Kansas National Education Association, United School Administrators, and Emporia State University, the Kansas Teacher Retention Survey is administered on a biennial basis. It is available to all teachers in Kansas.

2025 Kansas Teacher Retention Survey

Drawing on lessons from previous survey cycles, the 2025 KTRS provides a clear, data-driven picture of educator engagement and retention, supporting informed decision-making at the district and state levels.

Key Findings

We continue to see outstanding response rates across the state, with over 21,000 Kansas educators (a 55% response rate) sharing their experiences. This brings our total educator responses to over 60,000 educators over three cycles:

Teacher Engagement (actively engaged + engaged) increased 3% since 2023
Teacher Disengagement (actively disengaged + engaged) decreased 6% during the same time.
Retention Risk (teachers who are more likely than not to leave the profession at some point or retire in the next three years) declined by 4%.
Systemic pressure points include student behavior/safety challenges, teacher workload, concerns about compensation and salary growth, and declining societal respect for the teaching profession.
Teachers with 4-11 years of experience continue to be a demographic that is significantly more likely to leave the profession than other cohorts.

2023 Kansas Teacher Retention Survey

Building on insights from the inaugural Kansas Teacher Retention Survey, the 2023 KTRS offers a renewed perspective, aiming to amplify educators’ voices and examine trends longitudinally.

Key Findings

We saw a notable surge in participation from 2022, with over 24,000 Kansas educators contributing their perspectives, resulting in an overall response rate of 60%. Key findings related to satisfaction and engagement include:

27% of respondents were in the first 3 years of teaching
‘Being Connected’ remained the highest rated engagement item
20% increase in satisfaction with teaching compared to 2021 survey
30% increase in mental health support compared to 2021 survey

2021 Kansas Teacher Retention Survey

The inaugural KTRI was conducted between October and December of 2021, with more than 20,000 educators participating.

Key Findings

The 2022 Kansas Teacher Retention Survey found the following to be significant drivers of engagement, while also being areas of low educator satisfaction and indicators of educators likely leaving the teaching profession:

A district’s attention and approach to supporting educator’s mental and emotional health
Quality of professional development days/opportunities
Vision and leadership of the Board of Education
Society’s view of the education profession
Current salary
Ability to request and secure a substitute teacher for absences
Amount of planning time provided

Contact Us!

How can your district improve engagement with its most valuable resource? Let’s strategize together.