Changing school culture can impact teacher retention, student success

After Jeremy Baugh, principal of Lew Wallace School 107 in Indianapolis, implemented the Opportunity Culture initiative, he saw the school culture, teacher retention rates and student achievement improve, District Administration reports.In 2014, when Baugh came to the school, the teacher retention rate was low, only 22% of kindergarten students were achieving at grade level and the school was ripe for takeover by the state.After implementing the Opportunity Culture initiative, which pays excellent teachers more to serve as multi-classroom leaders mentoring several teachers, 97% of kindergartners were achieving at grade level and first year teachers had a 97% retention rate.