The Effects of the Four-Day School Week on Teacher Recruitment and Retention

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Abstract

School districts across the United States are increasingly adopting the four-day school week,often in the hope of addressing teacher staffing challenges. We examine the effects of the four-day week on teacher recruitment and retention in Missouri, where three in ten districts currently use it. After presenting qualitative data showing that school and district leaders, and teachers, believe the four-day week improves recruitment and retention, we estimate the effects of the four-day week on these outcomes using difference-in-differences models. We find no evidence that the four-day school week improves teacher recruitment or retention.