Factors Associated with the Retention of Rural Secondary Science and Mathematics Teachers in Illinois - Suggested Citation

Oct 15, 2026

Research report examines factors linked to the retention of rural secondary science and mathematics teachers in Illinois. It presents a study conducted with input from an external review advisory board and acknowledges collaboration between NORC at the University of Chicago and the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC). The document includes author biographies, a suggested citation, external review and acknowledgements, and an organized table of contents covering context, methods, and key findings relevant to educators and policymakers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages53

Reading Time2 h 14 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Educational Context in Illinois

Methods

Key Findings

Introduction

Overview of This Report

Characteristics of the Weighted Science and Mathematics Teacher Survey Sample

Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Current Working Conditions

School, District, and Community Characteristics Associated with Rural SMT Retention in Illinois

Research Report Factors Associated with the Retention of Rural Secondary Science and Mathematics Teachers in Illinois Part of the Series: Science and Mathematics Teacher Retention in Rural Illinois Molly F. Gordon1, Frances M. Reckers2, & Thao Tran2 1 External consultant for NORC at the University of Chicago and IWERC, University of Illinois 2 NORC at the University of Chicago Suggested Citation Gordon, M. F., Reckers, F. M., & Tran, T. (2026) . Factors associated with the retention of rural secondary science and mathematics teachers in Illinois. Part of the Series on Science and Mathematics Teacher Retention in Rural Illinois. Chicago, IL: NORC at the University of Chicago. Author Biographies Molly F. Gordon conducted this study as an external consultant for NORC at the University of Chicago and Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC), University of Illinois. She is currently a Senior Principal Researcher at the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) . Her primary work focuses on the PreK- 12 teacher and school leader workforce. Gordon holds a PhD in Education Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, and an MA in Educational Policy Studies and BA in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Frances M. Reckers is a Senior Research Associate at NORC at the University of Chicago. She primarily works on quantitative and mixed-methods education studies, with a focus on early care and education. Prior to NORC, Reckers was a Research Specialist in the Kable Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. Reckers holds an Education Policy M.S. Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and a B.A with Honors in Neuroscience from Swarthmore College. Thao Tran is a Data Scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago. Her research centers on the early care and education workforce, with a focus on retention, career progression, postsecondary pathways, and wage stability. Prior to NORC, she worked in research roles at Chapin Hall and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Tran holds a Master of Science in Statistics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master of Arts in Social Sciences with a concentration in Economics from the University of Chicago. External Review To ensure that this report's contents are rigorous, accurate, and useful to educators and policymakers with varying levels of background knowledge, NORC solicits feedback from experts. We thank the following advisory board member reviewers for providing valuable feedback on this report: Megan Cremeans, Mark Klaisner, Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, and Robert Mann. Acknowledgements This report is part of a collaboration between NORC at the University of Chicago and the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) at the University of Illinois. We are grateful to Jenny Seelig for her direction on the project as well as her helpful input and feedback. We also thank Angel Bohannan for her contributions to the survey design. We are also indebted to Ryan Buechel, Nada Ganesh, and Jiazhi Yang for their support with survey fielding and weighting. We also thank our collaborators at IWERC, including Shereen O. Beilstein, Stephanie Werner, Meg Bates, Haeyrun Kim, and Anna Barkley for their collaboration, support, review, and feedback. We also thank the following project advisory committee members for their input and review: • Dave Ardrey, Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools • Megan Cremeans, Rural School Collaborative • John Glasgow, Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools • Lisa Hood, Illinois State University • Erika Hunt, Illinois State University • William Hunter, Illinois State University • Mark Klaisner, Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools • Robert Mann, Western Illinois University • Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, Rural Schools Collaborative • Mary Reynolds, Illinois Department of Innovation and Te

FAQs

What topic does this report address?

The report addresses factors associated with retaining rural secondary science and mathematics teachers in Illinois.

Who conducted or supported the study?

NORC at the University of Chicago and the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) at the University of Illinois collaborated on the project.

How is the report organized for readers?

The report includes an executive summary and sections covering educational context, methods, key findings, and a table of contents that maps to specific content areas.

Oct 15, 2026

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