The purpose of this study is to compare the teacher retention rates in public elementary and middle schools in Georgia that met or did not meet the academic performance component of Adequate Yearly Progress. The teacher retention rates were expected to be higher in schools that met the academic performance component of AYP and lower in the schools that did not meet the academic performance component of AYP. In order to determine whether or not teacher retention affects student academic performance in Georgia's public elementary and middle schools, the 2007-2008 school year's teacher retention rates and the academic performance component of AYP's status were analyzed for 1,597 schools. There were 1,165 elementary schools and 427 middle schools used in the study. The teacher retention rate or percentage of teachers remaining at their school was calculated for each school. The independent variable in this study was the teacher retention rates from each elementary and middle school in Georgia. The dependent variable in this study was the student academic performance on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test which determines the academic performance component of AYP's status on the Georgia School Report Cards. The researcher examined existing data from the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to see if there is a significant difference in the academic performance of students when teachers are retained or not retained in schools. The findings of this study revealed that there was significant difference found in teacher retention rates for elementary and middle schools that met and did not meet the academic performance component of AYP and the overall teacher retention. Significant difference was in elementary and middle, AYP status, and geographic regions. This study provided important data that can be used by administration, human resources, teachers, school districts, and the state and federal department of education to acknowledge the impact of teacher retention on student academic performance, in turn, improving teacher retention rates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]