https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/44133 2026-04-05T20:39:00Z https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50687 Time to step in: Practical Interventions for Improving Teacher Retention in Alabama This report examines how interventions may be developed to reduce teacher turnover by identifying the warning signs and responses that may redirect the path along the process of job withdrawal and turnover. Presented here are the preliminary results and analysis of a statewide survey of the emotional state of teachers in Alabama. https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50683 Lessons from the Implementation of Virginia's Cell Phone Policy In April 2025, we conducted a follow-up survey of teachers from a school division in Southeast Virginia regarding the implementation of Virginia’s new cell phone policy. Teachers expressed strong support for the cell phone ban, citing increased student engagement and learning. Though a majority of teachers expressed support for the policy, teachers shared concerns regarding consistency in enforcing the policy. When comparing survey data from before the implementation of the policy to after, there were significant changes in teachers’ perspectives, including cell phones being less of a distraction in the classroom, teachers reporting less of a workload, and teachers feeling less supported by colleagues. https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50682 Alabama Charter School Parent Voice In 2015, Alabama became the 43rd state to establish charter schools as part of their public education system. To better understand if Alabama charter schools meet their objectives, we conducted a survey (and subsequent focus groups) of 460 parents across six Alabama charter schools during the 2023-24 school year. By large margins, parents expressed high satisfaction with their child’s school. Moreover, 87% indicated they would re-enroll their child at their school, and the same proportion gave their school a letter grade of A or B. Parents across all racial and special education groups similarly agreed that their child’s school leader and teachers were responsive and that their school was inclusive of all students. https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50679 Conecting Student Learning with Social Health This brief summarizes research in Alabama on the connection between learning outcomes and the neighborhood environment in which students grow up. Our research shows that social health factors—including positive health behaviors, prevalence of social supports, and strong infrastructure—contribute distally to improved learning outcomes. These results suggest that municipal level investments in infrastructure, community health centers, and transportation may also be investments in improved learning outcomes.