Band Teacher Turnover and Its Relationship to Arizona Marching Band Participation

Teacher turnover is an important issue in education. Studies have reported that almost half of new teachers leave by their fifth year. The problem is being examined in a number of ways, including the preparation of new teachers, costs to school districts, the impact on student achievement, and models of supply and demand. In the current study, Arizona high school band teacher turnovers were tracked during a 4-year period to compare with national trends. Also during this period, the participation of marching bands was compared with the amount of band teacher turnover at each school to see if any relationships exist. Overall, results indicate that as the amount of band teacher turnover increases, marching band participation decreases. Schools with no band teacher turnover have the most consistent levels of student participation.