Education Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

Teaching For Student Success: Practical Ideas For The Classroom, Kyle Heys

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Kyle Heys shares practical suggestions for teachers about how to engage and encourage students for success in the college classroom.

Dnp Final Report: The Flipped Classroom: An Evidence-Based, Course Redesign To Increase Retention Rates In A Vocational Nursing Program, Jennifer P. Hauger

DNP Final Reports

Over the past three decades, Vocational Nursing has been taught using a conventional didactic method that is content heavy and lecture focused. Despite having a group of highly qualified professors and an excellent student pass rates on the National board examinations, student retention in a Vocational Nursing Program in central Texas remains below the National benchmark. With a unique student demographic that is identified as non-traditional (over 21, full-time working adults, English Second Language and single parents), we embarked upon the redesign of a Medical-Surgical Nursing course using the flipped pedagogical framework to increase retention rates. Therefore, in 2019 we …

Improving The Problem Of Teacher Retention In A Rural Middle School In Southwestern Virginia, Meagan Marie Goad

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of teacher retention for a rural middle school in Southwestern Virginia and to design training strategies to address the problem. A rural middle school in Southwestern Virginia is struggling to retain teachers. The research question for this study was: How can teacher retention at a rural middle school in Southwestern Virginia be improved. Interviews with former teachers of the rural middle school were conducted specifically to determine why these individuals left. Survey data was obtained to determine why teachers in this rural middle school choose to stay. Exit documentation …

Partnering Undergraduate Engineering Students With Preservice Teachers To Design And Teach An Elementary Engineering Lesson Through Ed+Gineering, Kristie Gutierrez, Stacie I. Ringleb, Jennifer Jill Kidd, Orlando M. Ayala, Pilar Pazos, Krishnanand Kaipa

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Major challenges in engineering education include retention of undergraduate engineering students (UESs) and continued engagement after the first year when concepts increase in difficulty. Additionally, employers, as well as ABET, look for students to demonstrate non-technical skills, including the ability to work successfully in groups, the ability to communicate both within and outside their discipline, and the ability to find information that will help them solve problems and contribute to lifelong learning. Teacher education is also facing challenges given the recent incorporation of engineering practices and core ideas into the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and state level standards of …

An Examination Of The Role Of First-Year College-Level Mathematics In Stem Field Major Persistence At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Jaimi Paschal, Amanda Taggart

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

This study examined the influence of mathematics course-taking on Latina/o science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) major persistence utilizing data from first-year STEM majors at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Findings indicated that students who passed a first-term college-level mathematics course had significantly greater odds of persisting in STEM majors than those who did not, demonstrating the importance of early mathematics support to increased STEM major persistence.

Recruiting And Retaining K9–16 Students Through Field- And Laboratory - Based Geoscience Experiences, Nazrul I. Khandaker, Stanley Schleifer, Arif M. Sikder, Krishna Mahabir, Ality Aghedo, Charren Cabaroy, Mildred M. Selby, Gugu Ginindza, Leonardo Sanchez

Publications and Research

Since 2004, we have been directly involved with the GSA to provide access and opportunities for K9-16 students, particularly those interested in the broader aspects of geoscience-related topics, to present their field-and- laboratory based research outcomes at professional conferences and to learn from each other. So far, well-over 400 students from the U. S. and abroad have taken advantage of this opportunity and participated our topical sessions. It is quite gratifying to report that many of these students, as a result of their attendance at the GSA conference, felt a continuing need for exposure to high-level professional venues with effective …

Students On The Edge: Evaluating An Academic Support Group, Benjamin P. Heinisch, Nicole M. Smith

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

This qualitative case study evaluated the effectiveness of the Academic Skills Discussion Group, a new retention intervention targeting undergraduate students on academic probation. This intervention utilized a support group structure to provide social and academic supports to academically-poor students. These supports incorporated didactic educational presentations and interpersonal discussions relating to life change and college expectations. The case comprised one pilot administration of the intervention for three student group members. Data was collected from pre/post-intervention resiliency surveys, grade point average comparisons, journal-entry analysis and semi-structured exit interviews. The researcher conducted inductive data analysis by coding participant statements for meaning, calculating and …

The Revolving Door Of Education: Teacher Turnover And Retention Amongst The Graduates Of A Liberal Arts Teacher Education Program, Gregory W. Dachille, Chloe Ruff

Education Faculty Publications

In the United States, elementary and secondary education teachers comprise 4% of the entire civilian workforce (Ingersoll, 2001). The composition of that 4% is changing because of teacher turnover. According to recent statistics, 46% of teachers leave the classroom within the first five years of teaching and 9.5% of teachers leave the classroom within their first year (Rinke, 2014; Riggs, 2013; Zheng & Zeller, 2016). This study is designed to examine the teaching experiences of graduates of one teacher education program and the potential differences between graduates who stay in teaching and those who leave. Throughout this study, the guiding …

The Disabled Teacher: A Memoir Of An Interrupted Pedagogical Career, A Life With A Chronic Illness, And An Encounter With Real Barriers To Inclusive Education, Dorothy M. Bossman

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation is a narrative exploration of multiple themes relevant to education research: the relationship between the university and school, epistemology, teacher identity, disability studies, researcher subjectivity, and the retention of quality educators. This work of “autoethnography” (Ellis, Bochner, & Adams, 2011) approaches these topics through the tellings of a teaching career, the awakening of an education scholar, and the development of a chronic illness. While the focus of this inquiry often returns to the researcher’s pedagogical identity, the three storylines interact in myriad ways that relate to the larger field. Removal of one of these narrative threads would, metaphorically, …

Keeping Students In By Sending Them Out: Retention And Service-Learning, Iris M. Yob

Center for Faculty Excellence Publications

This review of recent literature examines the research on the impact of service-learning on student retention. The theoretical framework of the review draws on both Tinto’s model of student attrition and Knowles’s theory of adult learning, which together suggest that academic and social integration, active participation and engagement in learning, and application and relevancy of the subject-matter under study are key factors in student success. The role of these factors has been confirmed in a growing body of research around learning experiences in general and, as this review shows, particularly in service-learning experiences. Suggestions are made for how future research …

Novice, Rural New York State Teacher Perceptions Of Their Classroom Management And How These Perceptions Affect Their Job Satisfaction And Retention, Shawn Bielicki

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological inquiry listened to the voices of five novice teachers from a rural area in New York about their encounters with classroom management and their perceptions of job satisfaction and retention. Data were triangulated through the use of four audio recordings, an online focus group featuring two online discussion board topics and two online discussion board replies, and two individual phone interviews per participant. Data analysis resulted in nine emerged themes. Findings indicated that participants felt (a) experience was necessary to succeed; (b) issues with classroom management are part of the job; (c) approaches to classroom management were …

An Investigation Of The Factors That Motivate K-12 Christian School Teachers To Participate In Professional Development And The Relationship To Job Satisfaction And Retention, Bonita Bailey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study was conducted to advance knowledge by examining the reasons that motivate teachers to participate in professional development and the relationship to teacher job satisfaction and retention in Christian-based K-12 Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) member schools. The study contributes to the literature in the field because of very limited research on Christian-based schools, especially with regards to professional development, job satisfaction and retention. The study was a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational research design using two instruments, i.e., the Participation Reasons Scale (PRS) and the Job Satisfaction/Retention/Demographic Survey. The PRS scores indicated that the motivating factors for teachers to …

Why Did They Come Here? - The Influences And Expectations Of First-Year Students’ College Experience, Louis S. Nadelson, Carrie Semmelroth, Gregory Martinez, Matthew Featherstone, Casey Alexander Fuhriman, Andrew Sell

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Students’ expectations and experiences with university life are influenced by a number of variables. Many universities develop programs or promote aspects of existing programs to market the university’s image. This research was motivated by our desire to determine the relationships between first-year students’ college expectations and experiences, their awareness of the university’s programming and projected image, the influence of the programming and image on their decision to attend the institution, and the students’ personal characteristics. Our survey of 351 first-year students revealed positive perceptions of their university expectations and experiences, a mixture of influences on their decision to attend the …

Mentoring Programs: Key Differences In Support For Beginning Teachers, Virginia Fick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explored the issue of mentoring and its problems in aiding in the induction of new teachers into various school systems. Such a study is justified because teacher shortages remain a real threat in many areas of this country. The research sought to demonstrate that a mentor program without clear guidelines and accountability may actually damage new teachers. Some of the goals of a mentoring program were considered: the suitability and selection of mentors, the training of mentors, and program evaluation. A review of the literature included such topics as the high cost of attrition, the needs of new …

Perceived Factors Influencing The Retention Rate Of Native American College Students: A Case Study, Tamara Louise Bergstrom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of Native Americans entering college is higher now than it has been over the past 40 years; however, the degree completion rate has been less than half that of White students. This research study was a bounded case study of Native American students enrolled in the teacher education program. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the perceived factors influencing the retention rate of Native American college students. Some of the theoretical models that explain why students stay or leave an institution before earning a college degree look more toward explaining this phenomenon in a …

A Longitudinal Study Of Teaching Practice And Early Career Decisions: A Cautionary Tale, Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Patrick Mcquillan, Kara Mitchell Viesca, Dianna Gahlsdorf Terrell, Joan Barnatt, Lisa D’Souza, Cindy Jong, Karen Shakman, Karen Lam, Ann Marie Gleeson

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Although the turnover rate among beginning teachers has been a major concern for some time, most studies do not link teacher retention with teaching practice. In contrast, this study looks specifically at career decisions coupled with practice. Guided by a view of teaching as social and cultural practice, the study used multiple qualitative data sources, including extensive observations, interviews, and samples of teachers’ and students’ work. Based on within and cross-case analysis of 15 cases at four distinct time points within a 5-year period, the authors identified multiple patterns of teaching practice linked to early career decisions, which reflect considerable …

Measuring College Student Satisfaction: A Multi-Year Study Of The Factors Leading To Persistence, Felice D. Billups

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

Using Tinto's (1987) social integration theory as a framework, this study measured student satisfaction in six transformative areas: educational experience, skills development, faculty interaction, personal growth, sense of community, and overall expectations. Emerging as a strategic planning process priority, this project sought to identify those areas where students succeeded or were at risk. Employing a three-phase mixed methods approach, this descriptive, longitudinal study was conducted from 1990-2004 at a highly selective specialized college and assisted college administrators in developing or modifying programs that would enhance student satisfaction to ensure degree completion.

Supervisor Perceptions Of The Quality Of Troops To Teachers Program Completers And Program Completer Perceptions Of Their Preparation To Teach: A National Survey, William A. Owings, Leslie S. Kaplan, John Nunnery, Robert Marzano, Steven Myran, David Blackburn

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

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During winter/spring, 2005, 2,103 Troops to Teachers (T3) program completers and their school administrators from 49 states and the District of Columbia were surveyed to determine whether T3s were more effective in the classroom than traditionally prepared teachers who had comparable years of teaching experience. Respondents also returned information about their schools’ demographics, views about their teacher certification preparation program, and information about themselves, their teaching behaviors, and future plans. Sixty-one percent of the respondents returned completed surveys.

Recruitment And Retention Of African American Females In High School Mathematics: Have We Achieved Results?, Sheryl Mcglamery, Carol Mitchell

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

"Our goal is to present the findings of the study and challenge the audience to consider the aspects of the program the researchers believe made the difference in recruitment and retention for these African American female students."

The Recruitment And Retention Of African American, Hispanic, Asian And Native American (Ahana) Students On College Campuses, Franklin Titus Thompson

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

“We believe it is the duty of both policy makers and educators to identify qualified minority youth and place them in channels that ensure success.”

Recruitment And Retention Of African American Males In High School Mathematics: Have We Achieved Access To The Success Stairway?, Sheryl Mcglamery, Carol Mitchell

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

“Most schools desire that more minorities participate, yet finding a successful formula often proves difficult and elusive.”