A study of factors affecting separation trends of Hawai'i Department of Education administrators

Much of the research on turnover for school administrators has been based on the results of surveys which gather perceptions regarding the causes of their leaving the school system. This study describes administrator (K-12 school, district, and state level) retirement and termination trends over fifteen years within one state using actual personnel records. The focus is to understand individual behavior and the exit trends within the context of the state's evolving educational policy environment. Two major research questions guided this study: (a) What are the trends of administrators exiting from the HIDOE over the past 15 years? and (b) Do demographic or employment characteristics interact with these trends? The state's current policies and practices affecting administrators were described and an in-depth review of five laws was conducted. Individual demographic (marital status, gender, age at exiting) and employment characteristics (position type, years of service as an administrator) were tested to determine whether they significantly affected retirement and/or termination trends. Findings indicate that both the retirement and termination trends are increasing over time. Gender, age at exiting, and years of service (as an administrator) were the variables that had a significant effect on retirement, while gender, age at exiting, marital status, and position type had a significant effect on termination. It is important that the state's education department closely monitor the impact of the recent laws on school administrators to ensure that the turnover which does occur allows the system to maintain its efficiency and vitality.