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MSDE presents data showing high attrition among some conditionally licensed cohorts; board votes to request statewide exit instrument
Summary
MSDE research staff presented multi‑year analyses showing many conditionally licensed teachers leave the profession within five to ten years and that attrition varies widely by LEA. The board voted to ask the State Superintendent to create a statewide avenue to collect reasons educators leave the profession; the motion passed with one abstention.
Dr. Matthew Duque, MSDE director of research, presented two cohort analyses and LEA disaggregations to the Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board on May 1.
Using a 2014–15 cohort of 871 conditionally licensed teachers tracked for roughly 10 years, Duque said that “2 years after that first year, almost half of them had earned a professional or advanced license,” but by the 10‑year mark a larger share had left classroom teaching (Duque described the leaving group increasing to roughly 60 percent over the period). He compared that to new hires in 2014–15 with professional credentials, who showed lower cumulative attrition (about 25 percent left by year five in that cohort).
A second, more recent look at a 2019–20 cohort (about 2,300 conditionally licensed teachers) showed lower early professional license attainment (less than a third after two years) and higher later attrition: by 2024–25 Duque said almost half of that cohort had left Maryland public school teaching. MSDE staff cautioned COVID and temporary licensure extensions complicate direct comparisons between cohorts.
Duque also presented LEA‑level attrition from the October staff collections: rates varied across districts, with a statewide average of about 10.5 percent of teachers not returning to the same LEA between the 2023–24 and 2024–25 October reporting points. He noted that National Board Certified teachers have lower observed attrition than the overall teacher population, and that NBCTs on average have more years of experience than other teachers.
Board members pressed for better information about why teachers leave. Chair Hornbeck and several members said existing exit reporting is limited: MSDE obtains a set of staff reason codes from LEAs but many entries are recorded as “unknown” or “other.” Board member Kim Moore moved a formal request that MSDE convene or create an instrument to gather clearer exit and at‑risk teacher data statewide. Dr. Taylor seconded the motion. The board agreed; Kelly Meadows recorded an abstention.
The motion as discussed requested that the chair and vice chair meet with the State Board president and the State Superintendent to request development of a statewide avenue — including anonymous and disaggregated data collection — to capture why educators leave (the board discussion referenced extending the request beyond conditional teachers to all educators and related licensure groups such as counselors). The board asked MSDE staff to return with options for data collection and potential instruments.
