Assigned to ED FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
REVISED
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2608
teacher retention; study; report
Purpose
Directs the State Board of Education (SBE) to complete an annual study to determine the
retention rate of Arizona public school teachers and outlines study requirements. Adds the number
of current year full-time equivalent teachers to a public school's budget information.
Background
The SBE exercises general supervision over and regulates the conduct of the public school
system. Statute outlines the SBE's powers and duties, including requirements to: 1) supervise and
control the certification of persons engaged in instructional work; 2) prepare, publish and distribute
reports concerning the educational welfare of Arizona; and 3) recommend to the Legislature
changes or additions to the statutes pertaining to schools (A.R.S. § 15-203).
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) fiscal note estimates that the reporting
requirements would generate additional workload for SBE Staff and the SBE estimates that
H.B. 2608 would increase costs to create and maintain any collection system for the required data
and require an additional full-time equivalent position to collect, analyze and report the data, which
would generate an ongoing state General Fund cost of $175,000. JLBC estimates the cost would
range from minimal to the SBE's $175,000 estimate (JLBC fiscal note).
Provisions
Teacher Retention Study
1. Requires the SBE to conduct and complete a comprehensive study to determine the retention
rate of teachers in Arizona school districts and charter schools.
2. Specifies that the study must include:
a) the total number of teachers, retention rate and turnover rate for:
i. certificated teachers, by each type of teaching certificate;
ii. noncertificated teachers;
iii. teaching assignment, including subject area taught and grade level taught;
iv. location, including by school site, school district or charter school, city or town and
county;
v. the number of years of experience of each teacher;
vi. the number of teachers who, within their first three years of teaching, received formal
mentorship from an individual with five or more years of teaching experience; and
vii. any other category identified by the SBE;
b) the number of vacant teaching positions, including the average time to fill a vacancy, for: FACT SHEET – Revised
H.B. 2608
Page 2
i. teaching assignment, including subject area taught and grade level taught;
ii. location, including by school site, school district or charter school, city or town and
county; and
iii. any other category identified by the SBE; and
c) an analysis of data for each SBE-approved teacher preparation program, including:
i. data relating to program completion;
ii. program emphasis, if any, including subject area and grade level; and
iii. the number of years that individuals spend working as Arizona teachers after
completing the program.
3. Specifies that grade level data includes teachers who are assigned to kindergarten programs.
4. Requires the Arizona Department of Education and the Arizona State Board for Charter
Schools to collect and provide any data or information requested by the SBE for the study.
5. Requires the SBE, by December 31, 2024, and each year after, to annually submit the study
results and recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives and provide a copy of the report to the Secretary of State.
Miscellaneous
6. Adds, to the information contained in a school district or charter school budget, the number of
full-time equivalent teachers that the school included in the budget for the current year,
including the number of teachers included in the budget for each school site, if applicable,
disaggregated by subject area and grade level.
7. Makes conforming changes.
8. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Revisions
• Updates the fiscal impact statement.
House Action
ED 1/23/24 DP 9-0-0-1
3
rd
Read 2/6/24 45-10-2-0-3
Prepared by Senate Research
March 13, 2024
MH/slp