School Health Index · Domain 05
Talent
A school cannot outperform the people in it. BetterEd assesses how a school attracts, selects, develops, and retains educators, and whether a leadership pipeline exists.
Why this domain matters
Vacancies and turnover reset instruction every year. Schools that build deliberate hiring, onboarding, and development systems convert average markets into strong teams — and stop paying the annual cost of starting over.
Related BetterEd solutions
What organizational health looks like
- A hiring calendar that starts early and a defined selection process.
- Structured onboarding extending well past the first week.
- Development differentiated by career stage.
- Retention of effective educators above local comparison rates.
- An identified internal pipeline for leadership roles.
Common warning signs
- Late-summer scrambling to fill classrooms.
- Selection based on availability rather than evidence of effectiveness.
- New teachers left without a mentor or clear expectations.
- Exit patterns concentrated among strong performers.
- External hiring for every leadership vacancy.
What BetterEd assesses
- Recruitment pipeline, sourcing channels, and hiring timeline.
- Selection process rigor and consistency.
- Onboarding and mentoring structures.
- Professional development design and differentiation.
- Retention and exit data, disaggregated by performance and role.
- Leadership pipeline depth and readiness.
How BetterEd diagnoses root causes
- Review of hiring timelines, vacancy history, and selection artifacts.
- Analysis of retention and exit data with stay and exit interviews.
- Observation of onboarding and professional learning sessions.
- Comparison of compensation and role design against local market conditions.
How BetterEd delivers support
- Talent acquisition strategy, sourcing, and selection design.
- Onboarding and mentoring program build-out.
- Leader development programming for aspiring and current leaders.
- Retention strategy grounded in the school's own exit data.
Typical deliverables
- Talent health findings report.
- Hiring calendar and selection protocol.
- Onboarding and mentoring plan.
- Retention strategy and leadership pipeline map.
Measures and indicators
Progress in this domain is tracked against indicators the school already collects or can begin collecting without new burden.
- Percentage of positions filled before the school year begins.
- First- and second-year educator retention.
- Retention of highest-performing staff.
- Percentage of leadership vacancies filled internally.
Relevant evidence
BetterEd publishes outcomes for this domain only after the underlying data is verified and the school has granted written permission. Verified evidence for this domain is available on request during a transformation conversation.
Frequently asked questions
- Does BetterEd make hiring decisions for the school?
- No. BetterEd builds the process, sources candidates, and strengthens selection practice. Hiring decisions remain with the school or system.
- How does a school begin?
- Most schools begin with a School Health Index review, which produces a domain-level picture of current conditions. BetterEd then proposes a scope of work matched to the findings and the school's capacity, timeline, and budget.