College of Education
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..
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Item PRIORITIZING NEW TEACHER RETENTION FOR PRINCIPALS IN HARD TO STAFF DIVERSE SCHOOLS(2024) Lane-Pettway, Kimberly; Eubanks, Segun; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Teacher attrition is a major challenge for public school districts across the country, especially in poor, urban and/or high needs schools. Sixty-one percent of school district superintendents identified teacher retention as a top concern. The majority of the teachers who leave are the new, well-prepared, successful teachers and the mid-career teachers. The study design used a mixed methods approach, with an improvement science methodology and an action research design to explore the principal’s role in the retention of non-tenured effective teachers. The design incorporated a focus group, implementing a teacher retention change strategy/change idea, and a survey to assess the potential influence of the teacher retention change strategy/change idea. The research was conducted in three phases. Phase 1 consisted of a qualitative focus group and brief training. Phase 2 consisted of a qualitative and quantitative implementation of a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle and the completion of a PDSA instrument. Phase 3 consisted of a quantitative survey. The findings supported that principals do consider the retention of effective teachers to be important, however they are not implementing effective strategies. Findings highlighted that when principals implement specific, research-based retention strategies it can enhance the focus on retaining effective teachers; and it shows promise that it may help to retain new teachers. Two recommendations of this study include identifying new and innovative teacher retention strategies and providing principals with targeted training opportunities in order to enhance collaboration and retention strategy implementation at the school level.Item An Analysis of Principal Attrition in a Large Urban School District(2016) Anthony, Douglas W; McLauglin, Margaret J; Norris, John; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Principal attrition is a national problem particularly in large urban school districts. Research confirms that schools that serve high proportions of children living in poverty have the most difficulty attracting and retaining competent school leaders. Principals who are at the helm of high poverty schools have a higher turnover rate than the national average of three to four years and higher rates of teacher attrition. This leadership turnover has a fiscal impact on districts and negatively affects student achievement. Research identifies a myriad of reasons why administrators leave the role of principal: some leave the position for retirement; some exit based on difficulty of the role and lack of support; and some simply leave for other opportunities within and outside of the profession altogether. As expectations for both teacher and learner performance drive the national education agenda, understanding how to keep effective principals in their jobs is critical. This study examined the factors that principals in a large urban district identified as potentially affecting their decisions to stay in the position. The study utilized a multi-dimensional, web-based questionnaire to examine principals’ perceptions regarding contributing factors that impact tenure. Results indicated that: • having a quality teaching staff and establishing a positive work-life balance were important stay factors for principals; • having an effective supervisor and collegial support from other principals, were helpful supports; and • having adequate resources, time for long-term planning, and teacher support and resources were critical working conditions. Taken together, these indicators were the most frequently cited factors that would keep principals in their positions. The results were used to create a framework that may serve as a potential guide for addressing principal retention.Item THE EFFECT OF TWO MENTORING MODELS ON TEACHER ATTRITION(2015) Kuhaneck, Michael Patrick; Strein, William; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This quantitative study employs Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) to complete a path analysis that determines the effect of two different mentoring models on teacher attrition in a local education agency (LEA). The research focuses on 38 comprehensive public schools to determine if teacher attrition was impacted by a countywide teacher mentoring model employed from 2007 to 2012 compared to a school-based teacher mentoring program employed from 2012 to 2014. The research also assessed if these models had varying impact based on the level of the school (elementary, middle, or high), the setting of the school (urban or rural), and the poverty level of the school as measured by free and reduced meal rate. The results illustrate there was no statistically significant correlation between teacher attrition and the mentoring model employed irrespective of the level, setting, or poverty rate of the school.