Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Credit: The Philosophy And Practice Behind A College Freshman Literacy Intervention Course, Jeremy Logsdon, Daniel Super

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

READ 101 is a college freshman literacy intervention course at a southeastern U.S. regional university created to increase student retention and persistence and to serve as an alternative to the traditional developmental reading model. READ 101 was created within a dedicated university infrastructure and is a credit-bearing course that counts toward student GPA and graduation requirements and is taught by full-time credentialed faculty. It utilizes a philosophy of intervention instead of remediation, requiring that instruction be based upon where students need to be rather than the level at which they currently read. READ 101 is structured around research-based literacy practices. …

The Cost Of Student Mandatory Fees: An Examination Of The Longitudinal Growth In Student Mandatory Fees At Four-Year Public Universities In Texas And Their Impact On Student Retention Rates, Charles Matthew Crouse

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The ever-increasing costs and debt incurred by US college students is a hotly contested issue. In March 2022, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) released a refreshed strategic plan for the stateâ??s higher education: Building a Talent Strong Texas. The refreshed plan concentrated on access for minority populations, enhanced student completion goals, and expanded the focus on reducing student debt. Texas set out to lead the nation in the least college student debt reported. One of the least examined or understood college costs is student mandatory fees (Arnott, 2012; Black & Taylor, 2018; Kelchen, 2016; Reinagel & Cooper, 2020). …

“A Real Man . . .”: Deconstructing Machismo Heteronormative Standards With K–12 Latino Male Educators Through Dialogic Spaces, Mario Echeverria

Dissertations

In a K–12 educational landscape where 75% of educators are white women, recruitment of Latino male educators is crucial for diversification, yet these educators represent just 2% of the teaching workforce in the United States (NCES, 2020). These educators grapple with a layered sense of identity as they navigate expectations of hegemonic masculinity and machismo norms that dictate their roles as disciplinarians and saviors, especially for young boys of color (Brockenbrough, 2018; Lara & Fránquiz, 2015; Martino & Kehler, 2006; Mills et al., 2004; Singh, 2021). Unfortunately, Latino male educators leave the profession at twice the rate of their Latina …

Recognizing Teacher Burnout: Utilizing Teacher Retention Strategies To Help Work Life Balance Of Educators, Meghann Downer

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The ongoing shortage of special education teachers coupled with an increasing attrition rate has prompted many researchers to investigate why teachers are choosing to leave the field. Multiple studies (Lehmann 2008, et al Cheng 2022, et al Bryant 2023) have been conducted to determine the rates of attrition at multiple levels in education. Results of studies (Hughes 2012, et al Robinson 2019, et al Ogakwu 2022) indicate that there has been a statistically significant relationship between job satisfaction and burnout among special education teachers. This project provides a literature review focused on special education teacher burnout and attrition along with …

Efficacy Meets Inquiry: Impact Of Lesson Study And Reflective Inquiry On The Development Of Novice Teacher Self-Efficacy, Taylor B. Hering

All Dissertations

Novice teachers often struggle to meet the demands of an expansive workload in their first years in the classroom. As reality sets in, district, school, parent, and communal needs often diminish the excitement of their first classroom, thus leading to low rates of teacher efficacy and early-career burnout. This is an educational dilemma because teacher vacancies are rising in schools such as Mockingbird High, a southeastern school with high poverty rates and varying racial demographics. This study aimed to determine if Lewis and Hurd’s (2011) lesson study model, an instructional intervention, influences novice teacher efficacy during the transitional period from …

Teacher Retention: A Closer Look At Finding A Solution, Katie A. Adams

Education Theses and Dissertations

This is an improvement science dissertation in practice that spans over a two-year period that is designed to discover the impacts of teacher mentorship programs on teacher retention. The study occurred at an open enrollment public charter school that focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) by implementing project-based learning (PBL), problem-based learning (PrBL), and personalized learning. The evaluation study occurred within the first year of the study. Teachers that agreed to participate in the study were given qualitative and quantitative surveys to complete about the mentorship program in the current design. These surveys were used to understand the …

Beyond Certification: Innovative Strategies To Tackle The Teacher Shortage, Abbigail Lp Morris

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

This article challenges educational leaders to look beyond alternative routes for teaching certification and more towards an increased collaboration between districts and universities to help alleviate the teacher shortage issue in Kentucky. It specifically highlights the works of Omaha Public School District and the University of Nebraska Omaha as a model for proactive teacher pipeline.

First-Year Engagement And Intention To Return In Higher Education: A National Study Of Undecided Major Students, Jacqueline Galler

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Research suggests that a student’s persistence in higher education is influenced by their academic preparation, commitments, and involvement, (Tinto 2005). Predictors including student demographics, academic preparation and commitments have shown in previously studies to affect the rate at which students persist in higher education, (Pascarella & Terenzini 2005, Astin & Oseguera 2005, Terenzini & Reason 2005). Involvement at an institution contributes to a students’ engagement and intent to persist in higher education or at a specific institution. Researchers have found that students engage in the university, academically and socially, based on how their values align with the institution, feedback they …

Investigating The Most Valued Components Of The South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program By Graduates Who Have Remained In The Education Profession, Amanda Jane Darden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The vision of every elementary, middle, and high school in the United States is to deliver an excellent educational setting to each and every student who enters their school building. Educational research overwhelmingly demonstrates that a primary factor contributing to an “excellent educational setting” is having highly qualified and effective teachers (Rice, 2003). However, the teacher supply and demand issues currently facing our nation is significantly compromising the ideal of providing excellent educational settings in our schools. Teacher attrition is a problem that faces schools throughout the United States. The number of teachers leaving their positions to pursue other careers …

Reporting Of Doctoral Student Attrition: A Policy Brief, Cece Lively

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Roughly half of all doctoral students in the United States will never complete their degree requirements (Council of Graduate Schools, 2020). That staggering number is larger for ethnic minority and female students, particularly for Black students who have the lowest completion rate (47 percent) and who make up only 13 percent of doctoral degrees (Lovitts, 2001). Additionally, retention rates for online students are an additional 10 to 20 percent lower than students who attend in-person (Rovai & Wighting, 2005). Thus, ethnic minority students in online doctoral programs are at a higher risk of not finishing their degrees compared to other …

Economic Evaluation Of Teacher Induction Programs: A Report, Jonathan D. Becker, Elisa Tedona, Matthew Togna

MERC Publications

Research shows that teacher induction programs can be effective as measured by a number of outcomes. However, research also shows that teacher induction programs vary greatly from one district to another. Furthermore, there is no research that examines teacher induction programs with respect to costs and benefits. Educational leaders and stakeholders do not need to wait on formal institutional research to do such an economic evaluation.

This report, in combination with a How-to-Guide, the Teacher Induction Program Cost Matrix and the Teacher Induction Program Benefit-Cost Workbook, comprises a toolkit designed to allow school and district leaders to conduct …

Economic Evaluation Of Teacher Induction Programs: A Toolkit How-To Guide, Jonathan D. Becker, Elisa Tedona, Matthew Togna

MERC Publications

Research shows that teacher induction programs can be effective as measured by a number of outcomes. However, research also shows that teacher induction programs vary greatly from one district to another. Furthermore, there is no research that examines teacher induction programs with respect to costs and benefits. Educational leaders and stakeholders do not need to wait on formal institutional research to do such an economic evaluation.

This how-to guide, in combination with a comprehensive report, the Teacher Induction Program Cost Matrix and the Teacher Induction Program Benefit-Cost Workbook, comprises a toolkit designed to allow school and district leaders to …

Magnetic Hallway Huddles: Attract And Retain High-Quality Professionals, David Wolff, Carissa Gober, Donna Zerr

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

This presentation was conducted for a national conference about mentoring. The authors discussed Tinto’s Model of Institutional Departure and Schlossberg’s Model for Analyzing Human Adaptation to Transition as theoretical frameworks to explain the transition and retention of university professors. The focus on the study was the three authors who transitioned to the same university during the 2022-2023 academic year. Authors discussed their experiences of the transition and found themes related to the mentoring process that that acclimated them to the institution and influenced their retention.

The Relationship Of Mentorship And Professional Development On Special Educators’ Intent, Christine S. Powell

Theses and Dissertations

Current literature in special education has examined professional development (PD) and mentorship separately; however, no studies have investigated the relationship between PD and mentorship on special education teachers’ intent. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which participating in PD and mentorship opportunities predicted the likelihood of Early Career Special Education Teachers' (ECSETs) intent to leave the teacher workforce while examining factors related to duration and quality. Based on two conceptual models, Desimone’s (2009) best practices for professional development and Nick et al. (2012) best practices for academic mentoring, this study identified key features and characteristics …

Text Nudges: Proactive Communication By An Urban Community College, Ann L. Hall

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The landscape of higher education has shifted over the last ten years. Student needs have changed. Educational institutions have begun to change the way they conduct business to support student needs more fully including just-in-time communications that are focused and customized to the individual student. Higher education institutions are using text nudges to support student outcomes from enrollment to graduation. This study evaluated the impact of text nudges on retention at a large, urban community college in the southwest region of the United States. The study found a small, negative relationship between the number of text nudges received and fall …

An Evaluation Of Factors Influencing Teacher Retention In Title I Elementary Schools, Marica Stewart

Dissertations

The goal of my study was to evaluate what factors support the decisions of teachers in Title I schools to remain at the same Title I school for multiple years. More specifically, my desired outcome for this study was to determine the factors which can be managed at a school-based level to positively affect teacher retention, thereby ensuring that students have access to fully qualified teachers on an ongoing basis. The study addressed the following research questions: 1) What factors motivated the teachers to accept employment at a Title I school? 2) What factors were instrumental in teachers remaining in …

Black Male Educators Matter: Modeling And Expectations In K-12 Settings, Denelle Wallace, Linda Bol, Kendra Hall, Erin Cousins

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

In light of the teacher shortage and increased emphasis on diversifying the educator workforce, the recruitment and retention of Black male educators is critical. The researchers focused on how these educators perceive their impact as role models and what others expect from them in K-12 contexts. The researchers administered questionnaires (N=38) and conducted interviews (N=11). Most educators considered themselves to be positive role models, especially for Black students. Expectations about their responsibilities as disciplinarians were positive unless imposed by race or at the expense of perceived academic skills. They needed to prove themselves with respect to academic qualifications. Interpersonal relationships …

Examining How Black Administrator Employment Decisions Are Impacted By The Behaviors Of Supervisors, Annie Wilson Whitaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how Black, public school administrator employment decisions are impacted by the behaviors of supervisors in Virginia. Commonalities among the lived experiences of Black, public school administrators were examined in order to identify specific behaviors which impact employment decisions.

Transcendental phenomenological qualitative research design was utilized. Participants were identified through gatekeeper introductions and then narrowed through snow-ball sampling. Data was collected through open-ended face-to-face interviews with 12 Black, public school administrators in Virginia via a secure online platform. The data was analyzed in order to identify emergent themes which represent the lived …

Teacher Retention Policy Coherence: An Analysis Of Policies And Practices Across Federal, State, And Division Levels, Andrene Castro, Adria Hoffman, Jonathan D. Becker, David Naff, Peter S. Willis, Andy Kane

MERC Publications

As part of a larger MERC study, this report provides an overview of federal, state, and regional policies and practices relevant to teacher retention. Using key informant interviews and document analysis, the report addresses the following research questions: What teacher retention policies exist at the federal, state, and local levels? How are these policies structured at the state level and local levels? How do teacher retention policies vary across MERC divisions? Following the findings, the report presents recommendations for policy and practice.

Create An Effective Mentoring Program Based On Universal Retention Rates In The United States: A School Improvement Plan, Kati Ploeger

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

High-quality teachers are shown to be the number-one factor for student achievement (Gujarati, 2012). One way school districts around the world can retain high-quality teachers is to place them in an induction or mentoring program as new teachers. A review of the literature was conducted to support the school improvement plan and examines retention rates across the United States. The research covers these main topics: mentoring, induction, professional development, teacher retention and mobility, new teacher experiences, and teacher evaluation. In response, a school improvement plan was created to establish a high-quality mentoring program outline, which establishes support and direction for …

Intrusive Academic Advising Student-Athletes At A Division Iii University, Robert Holmes

Dissertations

Abstract

There are many factors that affect the graduation of collegiate student-athletes. Factors include student-athlete characteristics, academic advising, engagement, and relationships. These factors affect student-athlete retention at the university. Student-athletes must navigate their academic and athletic success with assistance from academic advisors and other university support systems. The ability of the student-athlete and the academic advisor to communicate and cultivate a relationship that is built on regularly scheduled meetings, sharing of the student-athlete’s personal goals, suggestions for personal and professional improvement culminating in trust is paramount to the success of the student-athlete. This research focuses on the relationship between the …

Experiences That Support Persistence And Retention Of Latinx First-Generation College Students (Fgcs) At Community Colleges, Veronica Rios

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to describe experiences of successful Latinx first-generation college students that support persistence and retention toward graduation for Latinx first-generation college students at California community colleges. The study was framed using Tinto’s retention theory. Successful Latinx first-generation college students were defined as those who have attained graduation from a California community college. This study focused on Latinx first-generation college students not persisting toward graduation at California community colleges, a situation that extends to the national level. This case study included nine Latinx first-generation college students, and the researcher collected data through virtual semistructured …

Do I Belong? What Students Teach Us About Belonging To A New University, Jennifer Ann Scaia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Foundational to this evaluation study, the participating institution aspired to improve its retention rate. Students’ perceived sense of belonging has been identified as an important variable related to student retention and persistence (Bean & Eaton, 2000; Strayhorn 2012; Strayhorn 2019; Tinto, 2017). For students to succeed beyond their first year in college, it is fundamentally important that they view themselves as valued members of the university community (Bean & Eaton, 2000; Bollen & Hoyle, 1990; Murphy, 2016).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how undergraduate students, predicted as less likely to retain into their second year, described their …

What Factors Impact First-Generation Latinx Students' Bachelor's Degree Attainment?, Heriberto Jose Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Latinxs are one of the fastest-growing minority populations in the United States. The population faces serious challenges in education. There is a considerable shortfall in their educational attainment. As the American economy continues to become more knowledge-based, a college degree becomes more essential in order to be competitive in the workforce. By 2050, Latinxs will account for almost one-third of the U.S. workforce. The Latinx low educational attainment highlights the importance of supporting students while pursuing a bachelor's degrees. By supporting Latinxs in higher education, one supports the development of the countryâ??s workforce.

Knowing that Latinxs are not completing bachelor's …

Representation Of African American/Black Men Educators In K-12 Public Schools: Impact On Recruitment, Retention, And Responsibilities To Education, Tekyesha Gault Anderson

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Almost seven decades after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v Board of Education decision, African American/Black men are still vastly underrepresented in the K-12 public education profession. For this qualitative, phenomenological research study, a small sample of this demographic of educators, who chose to enter and remain in the profession, shared their lived experiences. Three research questions informed this study: (1) What are African American/Black men’s perceptions of their representation in the K-12 public education profession? (2) What are African American/Black men’s perceptions regarding their entrance and retention in the K-12 public education profession? and (3)What are African American/Black men’s …

An Examination Of Recruitment And Retention Strategies Of High-Performing Public School Districts In Missouri, Zebadiah Thomas Wallace

Dissertations

Teachers are the most-significant controllable factor that leads to student achievement (Hattie & Anderman, 2013). Accordingly, recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers are the most-significant variables for student success that can be controlled by school leaders (Fraynd, 2013). The purpose of this study was to examine teacher recruitment and retention strategies of high-performing public school districts in Missouri. Specifically, this study was designed to compare the perceptions of human resource directors and teachers to identify trends, commonalities, and differences to more fully understand the recruitment and retention of teachers. Participants received an online survey to elicit their perceptions of effective recruitment …

Faculty Of Color Viewpoints Regarding Recruitment, Retention, And Academic Climate At Texas Community Colleges, Caitlin Alexa Graves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The recruitment and retention of faculty of color is a critical issue within higher education institutions, however, the research is lacking within community colleges. Community colleges enroll over half of all non-White students in higher education, more than any other type of higher education institution; however, the faculty do not reflect the student population. Faculty of color face potential suppression, omission, isolation, and lack of belonging. This study illuminated faculty of color’s experience at community colleges and the culture at community college for these faculty. In this qualitative, interpretative phenomenological study, the researcher explored the viewpoints of faculty of color …

Pathways To Retention Of Alternatively Licensed Special Education Teachers, Meghan W. Sinning

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Special Education teacher retention has been a chronic concern for administrators for the past 45 years. Since 1975 when the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was passed, providing Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to students with exceptionalities, school districts' ability to hire appropriately licensed Special Education teachers has been a continual concern. Additionally, Special Education teachers’ turnover rate exceeds that of many other content areas in education. The Special Education teacher's attrition rates who have completed an alternate route to licensure program have been even greater than traditionally trained Special Education teachers. The study’s quantitative research has focused on a …

Retention And The Sophomore Slump: Understanding Whether Campus Residency Predicts Retention Of Sophomore College Students, Raglena Salmans

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Retention in higher education is an ongoing challenge in America. Traditional research claims a multitude of reasons for freshman college students to stop out, drop out, or transfer colleges. The term sophomore slump was created many years ago as an all-encompassing phrase for the large amount of students who do not return to campus for their sophomore year or end up leaving during the sophomore year. Institutions of higher education are on a continuous journey to retain students and to understand what the cause of students leaving their university is. Campus housing has morphed through the years to provide programming …

Manteniendo La Chispa: Testimonios Of Latina Veteran Urban Teachers, Monica K. Valencia

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

As the student population in U.S. public schools becomes more diverse, with an increase of students of color and from low socioeconomic backgrounds, it is critical that the opportunity gaps in our education system are addressed to provide an equitable education for urban youth. To mitigate these gaps, there is a need for an experienced urban teacher workforce, but urban schools face staffing challenges that make this difficult. There is an exceptional need for Latina/o teachers, who demonstrate positive impacts on Latina/o students, the largest minority population nationwide, however, the retention rate amongst Latina/o teachers is lower than that of …