Washington state loses far fewer teachers to other states or professions than often believed, according to a new, in-depth study sponsored by the nonprofit Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession.

Only about a quarter of Washington's teachers, for example, leave the profession in their first five years, not half as often reported, according to the study.

In all, the state lost only about 20 percent of all classroom teachers in the five-year study period, from fall 1998 through spring 2003, and easily half of those retired, the study said.

The findings bust some of the myths about teacher turnover in Washington state, said Jeanne Harmon, executive director of the center, an independent organization that focuses on teacher quality.

While Rich Wood, a spokesman for the Washington Education Association, declined comment on the report's validity until the organization had more time to review it, he said the overall turnover rate is still proof that the state Legislature needs to address the issue of teacher pay.

"That's pretty substantial," he said of the 20 percent figure. "That is something we have to be concerned about."

University of Washington researchers conducted the study, examining personnel records of 49,000 classroom teachers.

According to the study:

• 80 percent of teachers working in Washington schools in fall 1998 were in the same district in some capacity five years later.

• 60 percent of those teachers remained in the same buildings.

The researchers looked closely at teacher retention in 20 districts, including Seattle, Bellevue, Lake Washington, Edmonds and Tacoma. Bellevue had the highest teacher turnover, keeping just 54 percent of its teachers over the five-year study period. (Seattle kept 67 percent, Edmonds 66 percent, and Lake Washington 72 percent.)

But Bellevue also had the highest percentage of novice teachers — 31 percent, compared with 20 percent in nearby Lake Washington and 23 percent in Seattle. The study found that novice teachers were more likely to move within their districts or leave the state's system entirely.

Stephen Miller, president of the Bellevue Education Association, the local teachers union, said teachers often leave because they can't afford Bellevue's high cost of living. But he also said new teachers sometimes struggle in Bellevue, one of the highest-achieving school districts in the state.

"It's the reason I chose this district — I knew this district would have high expectations," said Miller, who taught at Bellevue High School before heading the local union. "But if we don't have focused plans and programs of support ... we will create teacher burnout."

Miller said Bellevue administrators are eager to discuss ways to better support teachers. The hope, he said, is that together they can find ways to help new teachers, who are often overwhelmed in their early years.

Judy Bushnell, president of the Bellevue School Board, said the district also has a rigorous probation for novice teachers. She estimated that contracts aren't renewed after the probation period for 15 percent of teachers at the elementary level, and even more are let go at the secondary level.

"Our expectations are very high, and that makes for an excellent professional staff," Bushnell said.

In the past several years, Bellevue Superintendent Mike Riley has pushed to streamline the district's curriculum. That may alienate some teachers who crave more autonomy, he said. Additionally, the district has focused on college-level courses and other rigorous programs. "We have demanding standards — we're trying to get all of our kids to advanced levels of performance," Riley said yesterday in an e-mail from a conference out of state.

"Perhaps we are losing people because of the pressure the system places on them."

As for movement within the district, Riley said he often encourages teachers to switch schools until they find one that best suits them. The district has also been quick to promote young teachers to administrative positions when they are ready.

A full copy of the report is available at the center's Web site: www.cstp-wa.org

Linda Shaw: 206-464-2359 or lshaw@seattletimes.com