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Staying power: new teacher retention and educator preparation
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Staying power: new teacher retention and educator preparation
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Running head: STAYING POWER 1 Staying Power: New Teacher Retention and Educator Preparation Sarah Marder-Eppstein University of Southern California A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF EDUCATION May 2019 Copyright 2019 Sarah Marder-Eppstein STAYING POWER 2 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my mom, Reggi Marder, who was a social worker and advocate of ensuring that all of us have equal opportunities to access the wonders of the world. My way of continuing her work has been to think about how to increase access to education and wonderful teachers for all our students. Thank you to all the wonderful teachers making a difference for students everywhere. STAYING POWER 3 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my family and friends who provided incredible support over the past three years of this journey. David, thank you for encouraging me to be present in this work and for being my constant support through this process. Marrying you while getting my doctorate and moving across the country has been the most wonderful adventure. I am truly grateful to have such a partner to call my husband. Ari, thank you for being my academic eye, sounding board, and best first friend a girl could ask for. Ilana, thank you for your thought partnership on best practices around qualitative data collection and for being my big little sis. Vanessa, thank you for being my excel guru and qualitative analysis spiritual guide. Dad, Tani, Nana, Deb, Jake, and Cade thank you for being there through the thick and thin, and for cheering me on throughout this process. To my dissertation Committee, Dr. Monique Datta, Dr. Darlene Robles, and Dr. Lawrence Picus, thank you for your support and guidance through this process. Dr. Picus, thank you for your astute eye and probing questions on alignment. Dr. Robles, thank you for inspiring me in EDUC 523 and for your helpful feedback through this process. Dr. Datta, I cannot thank you enough for the endless support that you have provided these past three years. You are truly incredible. Thank you for your thought partnership, your advice, and your unwavering belief in me. I appreciate you so much. To my colleagues at WRGSE, thank you for going through this process with me. It is incredible to work for an institution with a mission to make change in the field of education in a thoughtful and purposeful way. I am so incredibly lucky to do the work that I do with the STAYING POWER 4 amazing teachers who make all the difference for their students. Thank you Mayme, Shelby, Khushali, Zach, and Alice for listening to me and pushing me to get this dissertation done. To the amazing Naama. I would not have been able to do this without you. Having such a dear colleague and friend as my partner in crime is such a gift. You never cease to amaze me with all that you juggle and your ability to still do everything with excellence. I cannot wait to walk across the stage with you and the rest of our wonderful 2019 classmates in May. Thank you! STAYING POWER 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. 8 List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. 9 Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 11 Organizational Context and Mission ........................................................................................ 11 Organizational Goals ................................................................................................................ 13 Related Literature...................................................................................................................... 14 Working Conditions and Teacher Retention......................................................................... 14 Educator Preparation Programs and Teacher Retention ....................................................... 15 Impact of Teacher Retention on School Performance .......................................................... 16 Importance of the Evaluation .................................................................................................... 17 Description of Stakeholder Groups ........................................................................................... 17 Stakeholder Groups’ Performance Goals.................................................................................. 17 Stakeholder Group for the Study .............................................................................................. 18 Purpose of the Project and Questions ....................................................................................... 19 Methodological Framework ...................................................................................................... 19 Definitions................................................................................................................................. 20 Organization of the Project ....................................................................................................... 21 Chapter Two: Review of the Literature ........................................................................................ 22 The K-12 Teacher Shortage ...................................................................................................... 22 New Teacher Retention............................................................................................................. 24 Educator Preparation Programs ................................................................................................ 26 Educator Preparation Program Influences on New Teacher Retention ................................ 26 Implications of New Teacher Retention ................................................................................... 27 Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis Framework .................................................................... 28 Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences ...................................... 29 Knowledge Influences .......................................................................................................... 29 STAYING POWER 6 Motivation Influences ........................................................................................................... 32 Organizational Influences ..................................................................................................... 36 Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Stakeholders Knowledge and Motivation and the Organizational Context ............................................................................................................. 41 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 43 Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................................ 45 Participant Characteristics and Sampling Criteria .................................................................... 45 Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale............................................................................... 46 Survey Recruitment Strategy and Rationale ......................................................................... 46 Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale........................................................................... 47 Interview Recruitment Strategy and Rationale ..................................................................... 48 Data Collection and Instrumentation ........................................................................................ 48 Surveys .................................................................................................................................. 49 Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 50 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 50 Credibility and Trustworthiness ................................................................................................ 51 Validity and Reliability ............................................................................................................. 52 Ethics......................................................................................................................................... 53 Limitations and Delimitations ................................................................................................... 55 Chapter Four: Results and Findings .............................................................................................. 56 Participating Stakeholders ........................................................................................................ 56 Survey ................................................................................................................................... 57 Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 59 Findings..................................................................................................................................... 60 Attrition Rates of WRGSE Graduates .................................................................................. 61 Knowledge, Motivation, and New-Teacher Retention ......................................................... 67 Motivational Causes of Teacher Attrition ............................................................................. 75 Organizational Factors Influencing New Teacher Retention ................................................ 80 Findings Summary .................................................................................................................... 88 Chapter Five: Recommendations .................................................................................................. 90 Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences ................................................... 90 Knowledge Recommendations ............................................................................................. 90 Procedural Knowledge Solutions .......................................................................................... 91 STAYING POWER 7 Metacognitive Knowledge Solutions .................................................................................... 93 Motivation Recommendations .............................................................................................. 94 Self-Efficacy ......................................................................................................................... 96 Attributions ........................................................................................................................... 97 Organization Recommendations ........................................................................................... 98 Cultural Model of the Organization ...................................................................................... 99 Cultural Setting of the Organization ................................................................................... 101 Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan ..................................................................... 102 Implementation and Evaluation Framework ....................................................................... 102 Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations ............................................................... 103 Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators ............................................................................. 103 Level 3: Behavior ................................................................................................................ 104 Level 2: Learning ................................................................................................................ 109 Level 1: Reaction ................................................................................................................ 112 Evaluation Tools ................................................................................................................. 114 Data Analysis and Reporting .............................................................................................. 114 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 115 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach ........................................................................... 116 Future Research ...................................................................................................................... 118 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 118 References ................................................................................................................................... 121 APPENDIX A: Interview Protocol ............................................................................................. 130 APPENDIX B: Survey Protocol ................................................................................................. 132 Appendix C: Immediate Evaluation Instrument ......................................................................... 137 Appendix D: Blended Evaluation Instrument ............................................................................. 138 STAYING POWER 8 List of Figures Figure 1. Interaction of stakeholder knowledge and motivation outside of organizational cultural models and settings. ...................................................................................................................... 42 Figure 2. WRGSE v Teacher Follow-up Survey data on teacher retention. TFS data from U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2014). Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2012–13 Teacher Follow-up Survey (NCES 2014-077). ................. 62 Figure 3. Race of WRGSE teachers who left the profession (leavers) ......................................... 63 Figure 4. Proportion of each race leaving, moving, or staying in the teaching profession as identified by survey data. .............................................................................................................. 63 Figure 5. Reasons cited by WRGSE graduates for leaving the teaching profession (n=17) ........ 65 Figure 6. Survey reported confidence with current classroom management ability (N=169) ...... 68 Figure 7. Self-reported perceptions of first year teacher classroom management preparation. ... 70 Figure 8. Survey responses to the statement “I think about staying home from school because I’m too tired to go.” ............................................................................................................................. 73 Figure 9. WRGSE teacher agreement with control over student success. .................................... 76 Figure 10. Survey response to the statement “I believe that great teaching can be taught”. ........ 77 Figure 11. Survey Likert scale mean of WRGSE teacher self-efficacy across five items. ........... 78 Figure 12. Survey response to teacher mobility and belief in organizational commitment. ........ 82 Figure 13. Participant agreement that WRGSE supports its teachers past graduation. ................ 85 Figure 14. WRGSE program satisfaction of all survey respondents. ........................................... 86 STAYING POWER 9 List of Tables Table 1 WRGSE Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholder Performance Goals .. 18 Table 2 Alignment of WRGSE’s Graduate Goal With Knowledge Influence, Type, and Assessment .................................................................................................................................... 32 Table 3 Alignment of WRGSE’s Graduate Goal With Motivational Influences and Assessments ....................................................................................................................................................... 36 Table 4 Alignment of WRGSE’s Graduate Goal With Organizational Influences and Assessments .................................................................................................................................. 40 Table 5 Descriptive Statistics of Survey Participants .................................................................. 58 Table 6 Characteristics of Interview Participants ........................................................................ 59 Table 7 WRGSE Teacher Retention Post-Graduation ................................................................. 61 Table 8 Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations .......................................... 91 Table 9 Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations........................................... 95 Table 10 Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations ..................................... 99 Table 11 Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes ...................... 104 Table 12 Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation ............................ 106 Table 13 Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors ......................................................... 108 Table 14 Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program ...................................... 112 Table 15 Components to Measure Reactions to the Program. ................................................... 113 Table 16 Example of Level 4 Analysis Dashboard ................................................................... 115 STAYING POWER 10 Abstract This study evaluated the relationship between an educator preparation program (EPP) and new teachers’ career decisions. Using a modified gap analysis as the conceptual framework, this mixed-methods study conducted a survey (n=169) and interviews (n=8) with the primary stakeholder group of the study: new teachers. The results revealed that teachers equipped with stronger classroom management and emotional management skills tended to stay in the profession longer than those who reported to struggle in these areas. In addition, teachers leaving the profession after two or more years were less likely to view effective teaching as within their locus of control and had lower self-efficacy than teachers who stayed in the profession or moved to a new school. This study found that teachers need more tailored support from the EPP—an important organizational influence impacting new teacher retention. Results from this research can inform the planning and implementation of curriculum presented by the EPP Keywords: New-teacher retention, educator-preparation programs, teacher burnout, education STAYING POWER 11 Chapter One: Introduction New teacher retention is current concern of policymakers and administrators within the United States. For the past twenty years, researchers have been interested in teacher retention because of the impact it has on the education system (DeAngelis & Presley, 2011). More recently, new teacher retention has come into the spotlight because of the high percentage of new teachers leaving the profession. For example, several policy and media accounts have indicated that 50% of teachers leave the profession within their first five years (DeAngelis & Presley, 2011; Ingersoll, 2001). Ingersoll (2001) referred to the profession for new teachers as a “revolving door” because new teachers have higher rates of departure than veteran teachers. Furthermore, the largest decline of teachers occurs between the first three years of teaching (Bolich,2001). The common factors that influence teachers to stay in the classroom are working conditions and teacher preparation (DeAngelis &Presley, 2011; Kelly, 2004; Loeb, Darling- Hammond, & Luczak, 2005). It is well documented that the first five years of teaching are difficult (Liston, Whitcomb, & Borko, 2006), and it is the job of educator preparation programs to prepare teachers with the skills and knowledge needed to persist in the classroom. It is the intention of this dissertation to further explore the connection between new teacher retention and educator preparation programs. Organizational Context and Mission The Wilma Rudolph Graduate School of Education (pseudonym) is a non-profit, accredited institution of higher education that grants a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree. The Wilma Rudolph Graduate School of Education (WRGSE) was chartered in 2011 and currently operates different programs in 15 locations across 10 different states. WRGSE serves STAYING POWER 12 more than 3,400 teachers at 15 campuses nationwide through one of three programs: the Master of Arts in Teaching, teacher certification, or the teacher residency. Fifty percent of WRGSE’s coursework is conducted in-person at one of WRGSE’s campuses while the other 50% of the coursework is asynchronous online coursework. All of WRGSE’s programs operate under the same institutional mission to teach Pre-K through 12 th grade (PK-12) teachers and school leaders to develop in all students the academic skills and strength of character needed to succeed in college and life (Anonymous, personal communication, September 9, 2017). The organization is committed to ensuring that every student in the United States, regardless of background or geography, has access to an excellent education. WRGSE knows that new teacher retention is a problem and is committed to training high-quality teachers who will persist in the classroom. The focus group for this study was WRGSE teachers. WRGSE teachers were the ideal stakeholder to study teacher persistence because the majority of them are new to the teaching profession. It is a requirement of WRGSE’s program to be a full-time teacher while pursuing a MAT degree. The stakeholder group provided the opportunity to study teacher persistence in the profession because WRGSE teachers, upon graduation, were entering into at least their second year, with most teachers entering into their third through fifth years of teaching (Anonymous, personal communication, July, 2018). Between 2010 and 2017, 2630 teachers and leaders completed a WRGSE program, and of those graduates, the institution has collected employment and demographic data for 71% of its graduates. From the data collected in 2016, the population of teachers who have graduated from the WRGSE program is 60% female, 25% male and 15% unknown. The racial makeup of the population is 48.9% White, 22.1% Black, 22% unreported, 5.5% Asian and 1.3% other. Of the 1588 of WRGSE teachers who have graduated the program, 64% are teachers in PK-12 settings, 13% are school leaders, 13% are education professionals, STAYING POWER 13 and 10% have left the education profession altogether (Anonymous, personal communication, July 9, 2017). Organizational Goals WRGSE’s stated institutional goal is that by June 2019, 100% of WRGSE teachers will graduate from the program with the knowledge and skills to continue successful employment in teaching. The organizational goal was derived from WRGSE’s institutional priorities. WRGSE has three institutional priorities that act as the driver for all goals set by teams and individuals within the organization: 1. The teachers and principals trained and developed by WRGSE will have a meaningful impact on PK-12 students. 2. WRGSE graduate students and other trainees, will have a meaningful experience at WRGSE. 3. As an institution, WRGSE will create meaningful tools and systems to help shape United States PK-12 education. (Anonymous, personal communication, October 9, 2015) From these institutional priorities, employees and teams at WRGSE are encouraged to set personal goals that are aligned with the larger performance goals. The personal goals set by each employee at WRGSE are used for performance management (Anonymous, personal communication, October 9, 2015). The Director of Special Projects set a goal that by June 2018, 100% of WRGSE teachers in the class of 2018 will remain employed in the classroom for at least one year after graduating from the program. With the high attrition rate early in the teaching profession, the school deemed it essential that WRGSE teachers remain in the classroom for at STAYING POWER 14 least another year after graduation. To measure the progress of WRGSE’s new teacher persistence initiative, WRGSE officials surveyed the employment status for the class of 2018. Related Literature There is a shortage of teachers in many states across the country (Beery & Shields, 2017; Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, & Carver-Thomas, 2016). The most common cause of the teacher shortage is teacher attrition (Martin & Mulvihill, 2016). More specifically, new, less experienced teachers are more likely to leave the profession when compared to teachers with experience (DeAngelis & Presley, 2011; Guarino et al., 2006; Hughes, 2012). The rate of new teacher retention varies by researcher but by some estimates as many as 50 percent of teachers leave the profession within the first five years (Borman & Dowling, 2008, Ingersoll & Strong, 2011; Bolich,2001). In a report put out by the Council of the Great City Schools, highly qualified teachers were identified as the second most pressing need next to closing achievement gaps (Council of the Great City Schools, 2006). Many researchers have acknowledged new teacher attrition as a problem and have made the case for why it is important to look into the factors impacting new teacher attrition (Darling-Hammond, 2003; DeAngelis & Presley, 2001; Ingersoll, 2001). In a survey of the research, the most common factors influencing teacher attrition are working conditions and teacher preparation (DeAngelis & Presley, 2011; Loeb et al., 2005; Kelly, 2004). Working Conditions and Teacher Retention Working conditions, like administrative support, access to materials and resources, input in decision making, teacher workload, and emotional environment, impact teacher turnover. Ingersoll (2001) used 2001 TFS and SASS data to show lower teacher turnover rates in schools that provide more support to their teachers. DeAngelis and Presley (2011) supported this finding STAYING POWER 15 with their research demonstrating that administrative support and autonomy was a pivotal factor in a teacher’s decision to stay at a particular school. They found that teachers needed adequate resources and facilities in addition to other forms of support. Loeb et al. (2005) found that one of the strongest predictors of teacher turnover was low teacher ratings of their school’s condition (including availability of materials, quality of professional development and support, and quality of the facility). Teacher support can also take the form of a positive emotional environment of the school (Newberry & Allsop, 2017). For example, Johnson and Kardos (2008) state that pressure to perform is one of the main reasons that teachers leave the profession, while Papatraianou and LeCornu (2014) highlight the importance of meaningful relationships including acknowledgement and appreciation for teachers that boosts teacher resilience. Student behavior, disruptive students, and poor behavior climates are drivers of the emotional environment of a school and are frequently cited reasons for teachers considering leaving the profession (Kelly, 2004; Wynn, Carboni, & Patall, 2007). Surprisingly, these factors have a greater impact on teacher retention than salary (DeAngelis & Presley; 2011). Kelly (2004) found that teachers with higher salaries than the national average for teachers are only slightly less likely to leave teaching than teachers with a traditional salary. Educator Preparation Programs and Teacher Retention Teachers who are better prepared for the challenges of the profession are less likely to leave the profession. For example, Kelly (2004) found that teachers who do not hold a regular teaching credential are 1.32 times more likely to leave the classroom in a given year. The type of educator preparation program also influences teacher retention. For example, teachers completing their credential through traditional certification programs (TCP) are more likely to STAYING POWER 16 stay in the classroom than teachers who receive their credential through alternative certification programs (ACP) (Harris, 2005, Ingersoll et al., 2014). Although the type of EPP makes some difference on new teacher retention, the statistically significant finding in both Harris (2005) and Ingersoll’s (2014) studies were that retention is based on the type and amount of pedagogical preparation of the teacher within the EPP. Impact of Teacher Retention on School Performance The power of an experienced and effective educator is the ultimate driver of student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Sanders & Rivers, 1996). On average, a veteran (5 or more years of experience) teacher’s ability to positively impact student performance is greater than that of a novice teacher (Hanushek et al., 2004). If there is a steady stream of teachers who are leaving the profession early, schools do not reap the benefits of having veteran teachers. Retaining new teachers also saves school district money. In data collected from the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, Darling-Hammond (2010) concluded that the cost of new teacher replacement (including new training, substitutes, and recruitment) in the United States is about is about $15,000 for each teacher who leaves, totaling $7 billion per year. The budgetary impact of new hires means less money for schools to spend on new technology, facilities, and school resources, which further perpetuates the problem of turnover by impacting working conditions. By pinpointing the aspects that commonly contribute to teacher retention, policymakers, administrators, and institutions of higher education can begin to take the actions needed to create a steady pipeline of teachers that will remain in the teaching profession for many years. STAYING POWER 17 Importance of the Evaluation Increasing teacher retention positively impacts student achievement and financial sustainability of schools. With this in mind, WRGSE strives to meet its institutional goal of preparing teachers with the knowledge and skills to continue employment as successful classroom teachers. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the methods and strategies of teacher training used by WRGSE, and how those choices may impact teacher retention. Evaluating the organization’s performance will enable stakeholders to gather formative data that can be used to evaluate the program’s curriculum as a means to adequately train teachers. Description of Stakeholder Groups There are many stakeholders involved in achieving the institutional priorities set forth by WRGSE. Three major stakeholder groups are involved in ensuring WRGSE teachers have the knowledge and skills to remain successfully employed the classroom: WRGSE faculty, WRGSE teachers, and WRGSE graduates. WRGSE faculty contribute to the achievement of the organization’s performance goal by creating and teaching curriculum aligned to the knowledge and skills graduate students need to be prepared for classroom success. WRGSE teachers contribute to the achievement of the performance goal by succeeding in the program and graduating with the appropriate credential to continue in the teaching profession. WRGSE graduates contribute to the achievement of the performance goal by staying in the classroom past graduation. Stakeholder Groups’ Performance Goals Each of the individual stakeholders has unique goals that service the global goal of ensuring that WRGSE teachers are sufficiently trained and persist in the classroom (Table 1). STAYING POWER 18 Table 1 WRGSE Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholder Performance Goals Organizational Mission The mission of WRGSE is to teach PK-12 teachers and school leaders to develop in all students the academic skills and strength of character needed to succeed in college and life Organizational Performance Goal By June 2019, 100% of WRGSE teachers will graduate from the program with the knowledge and skills to continue successful employment in teaching WRGSE Faculty WRGSE Teachers WRGSE Graduates By June 2018, WRGSE faculty will have 92% or more of their students meeting graduation requirements. By June 2018 100% of WRGSE teachers will be in adequate academic standing with a grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 or higher. By June 2018, 100% of WRGSE graduates will remain in the teaching profession for another year. Stakeholder Group for the Study While the joint efforts of all stakeholders contributes to the achievement of the overall organizational goal, it is important to evaluate the progress of WRGSE’s graduates towards their goal. The stakeholder group for this study was a cohort of WRGSE teacher who graduated from the WRGSE program’s campus in a state on the East Coast. WRGSE’s East Coast campus was the focus of this study because it was past the start-up phase and all the members of the cohort completed WRGSE’s two-year MAT. WRGSE East Coast graduates obtained their master’s degree while being employed as full-time teachers of record. Therefore, graduates from the class of 2018 were employed as full-time teachers for at least one year by the time they graduate. After graduating from WRGSE’s program, alumni can choose to remain in the profession in the same STAYING POWER 19 teaching position, move to a different teaching position, or leave the profession altogether. It is WRGSE’s goal to have their graduates remain in the teaching profession for at least one year after graduation. Purpose of the Project and Questions This study assessed the degree to which WRGSE achieved its 2018 graduate performance goal (Table 1). The analysis focused on knowledge, motivation, and organizational elements related to achieving the graduate performance goal. While a complete evaluation project would focus on all stakeholders (i.e. faculty, teachers, graduates), for practical purposes the stakeholders included in this analysis were WRGSE graduates from the East Coast campus. As such, the questions that guided this study were the following: 1. To what extent did WRGSE meet the 2018 graduate performance goal? 2. What is the stakeholder knowledge and motivation related to WRGSE teacher retention? 3. What was the interaction between organizational culture and context and teacher knowledge and motivation? 4. How can WRGSE’s organizational practice in the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organizational resources be improved? Methodological Framework This study used the Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis model and used a mixed- methods design. For the purpose of this study, the gap analysis was to evaluate and identify the presence of performance gaps rather than identify the cause of performance gaps. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used, which involved collecting quantitative data first and explaining the quantitative results with in-depth qualitative data. In the first phase of the study, survey data was collected from graduates at WRGSE to evaluate whether new teacher retention STAYING POWER 20 relates to graduating from WRGSE’s program. In the second phase of the study, the researcher explored factors that influenced new teacher retention through interviews of WRGSE graduates. By using a mixed-methods approach, the weaknesses in each form of the data collected are neutralized (Creswell, 2014). Creswell (2014) considers this to be a pragmatic worldview, and states that triangulating the data allows for one database to check the validity of the other. Definitions Teacher Attrition: Teacher attrition is when teachers leave the profession altogether. Teacher Migration: Teacher migration is when teachers leave their school to teach in a different school. Teacher Retention: Teacher retention can be viewed as teachers staying in a particular school or in the profession in general. Teacher Turnover: Teacher turnover includes teachers leaving the profession (attrition), moving to a different school (migration), or changing subject area. Veteran Teacher: A teacher with five or more years of experience. Beginning Teacher: A teacher with less than five years of experience. Stayers: Teachers who have decided to stay in the profession for at least one year after graduating from WRGSE’s program. Movers: Teachers who have decided to move to a new school after graduating from WRGSE’s program. Leavers: Teachers who have decided to leave the teaching profession after graduating from WRGSE’s program. Title 1 School: A Title 1 school is a school that has at least 40% of students receiving free or reduced lunch. STAYING POWER 21 Organization of the Project This study is organized into five Chapters. Chapter One provided the reader with the key concepts and terminology commonly found in a discussion about new teacher retention. The organization’s mission, goals and stakeholders, as well as the review of the evaluation framework, was discussed. Chapter Two provides a review of current literature surrounding the scope of the study, including PK-12 teacher shortage, factors that influence teacher retention, implications of new teacher retention, influence of educator preparation programs on retention, and types of educator preparation programs. Chapter Three details the methodology of the study, including the choice of participants, data collection, and analysis. In Chapter Four provides the data and results, and Chapter Five provides recommendations for practice, implementation, and suggests an EPP evaluation plan. STAYING POWER 22 Chapter Two: Review of the Literature United States has been suffering from a shortage of qualified teaching professionals for the past few decades (Ingersoll, 2003). The main cause of this teacher shortage is teacher attrition (Dove, 2004; Flynt & Morton 2009; Ingersoll, 2002). Furthermore, the demand for teachers is outpacing the supply, as nearly 30% of teachers in the United States leave the classroom within their first five years (Dove, 2004). Student performance and the fiscal sustainability of schools suffer when high-quality teachers leave the classroom (Watlington, Shockey, Guglielmino & Felsher, 2010). There are a variety of factors that influence new teachers to leave the classroom, but the most common are working conditions and teacher preparation (DeAngelis & Presley, 2011; Loeb et al., 2005; Kelly, 2004). This chapter outlines the progression of literature leading to the emergence of educator preparation as an important factor leading to new teacher retention. The first section of the literature review focuses on the historical overview of factors influencing the teacher shortage and new teacher attrition. The second segment addresses the role of educator preparation programs relative to the problem of new teacher attrition. The chapter ends with an analysis of new teacher attrition from the lens of learning and motivation literature utilizing the gap analysis dimensions of knowledge, motivation, and organization and concludes with a presentation of the Clark and Estes (2008) analytical conceptual framework used for the study. The K-12 Teacher Shortage Concern about the teacher shortage emerged in the early 1980s and was determined to be a localized issue, with high demand for teachers in specific subject areas and locations (Ingersoll, 2002). According to Berry and Shields (2017), the concern about the teacher shortage started with the landmark report titled What Matters Most written by the National Commission on STAYING POWER 23 Teaching and America’s Future. This publication encouraged policy makers to strengthen the teaching profession to combat the high rates of teacher attrition. Teacher shortages became a reality soon thereafter. Ingersoll (2003) and Murphy et al. (2003) used data from the Schools and Staffing Survey (SSAS) and NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) to examine the data from the 1999-2000 school year. From this data, Ingersoll (2003) concluded that 58% of all schools reported at least some difficulty filling teaching positions in one or more fields and that 50% of all beginning teachers have left the teaching force altogether. Murphy et al. (2003) recommended disaggregating the data used by Ingersoll (2003) by region to show which states had a greater need for teachers compared to other states. When Murphy et al. (2003) looked at the data by region, they found there were several states in 1999-2000 in need of teachers, but the states with the most need were Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Arizona, and California. Two decades later, Berry and Shields (2017) stated that the nation still faces many of same issues outlined in What Matters Most. Student enrollment on the national level is currently on an upward trend, and Sutcher et. al (2016) believed that annual teacher shortages could increase to as much as 112,000 teachers by 2018 and remain close to that level afterwards. In order to understand more about the teacher shortage, it is important to look into the factors that contribute to the teacher shortage across states. Among all the factors impacting the teacher shortage, teacher attrition is most commonly cited as the cause. According to Ingersoll (2002) there are two general approaches to solving the teacher shortage: teacher retention and recruitment. From the data collected in the 1999-00 SASS, Ingersoll (2002) concludes that the rate of new teachers leaving the profession early is causing the short supply of teachers. According to the research, recruiting new teachers will not solve the teacher staffing crisis, especially because of the number of new teachers that leave the STAYING POWER 24 profession (Brill & McCartney, 2008; Darling-Hammond, 2010; Ingersoll, 2002). Recent studies estimate the annual rate of teacher attrition at about 8%, which is about two times as high as it is in top-performing countries like Singapore and Finland (Sutcher et al., 2016). The problem of retention is especially profound in high-need schools (Darling-Hammond, 2010). According to Brill and McCartney (2008), more experienced and veteran teachers are clustered in more “desirable schools,” which contributes to low teacher retention in high poverty schools because of the inequitable distribution of teacher expertise. New Teacher Retention There are many individual and external characteristics that influence teacher retention. Individual or teacher characteristics (Hughes 2012) are defined as identity markers that distinguish individual teachers. The most common characteristics that influence teacher retention include age, years of experience, academic ability, and gender. According to the research, young, new, less experienced teachers are more likely to leave the teaching profession (DeAngelis & Presley, 2011; Guarino et al., 2006; Hughes, 2012). According to DeAngelis and Presley (2011), one of the most consistent findings across studies relates to the academic ability of teachers in the profession. Teachers who have the stronger academic ability as measured by either certification exam scores, ACT scores, or college selectivity are more likely to leave the profession. Similarly, the majority of the literature reviewed by Hughes (2012) indicates that teachers who remained in the profession scored lower on college entrance exams, teacher credentialing exams, and did not hold a graduate degree. In addition to internal characteristics, external characteristics have been identified to influence teacher turnover. External characteristics are outside factors that influence a teacher’s decision to remain in the profession or in their particular school. Although there are many STAYING POWER 25 potential factors that influence teacher retention, the most common external characteristics impacting retention are type of school, working conditions, and type and content of teacher preparation. When looking at teacher retention at the school level (teacher migration), DeAngelis and Presley (2011) found that a teacher’s decisions to leave a school was influenced by school climate conditions, administrative support, teacher autonomy, and student behavior. In a three- year study collecting data of 217 first and second-year teachers in a small urban school district, Wynn et al., (2007) found that teachers left teaching most commonly because they had too heavy of a workload. Student behavior is another external characteristic that has been shown to influence a teacher’s decision to stay in the classroom. According to Wynn et al. (2007), disruptive students were the second most frequently cited reason for teachers considering leaving the profession. In an event history analysis of the 1990-1991 SASS and 1992 TFS, Kelly (2004) had a similar finding: that poor behavioral climates lead to greater teacher attrition. Both of these studies also stated the need for better beginning teacher preparation as one way to increase new teacher retention (Kelly, 2004; Wynn et al. 2007). According to Ingersoll, Merrill, and May (2014), less research has been done on the effects of teacher education and preparation on teacher retention. In their analysis of the 2003-2004 SASS and the 2004-2005 TFS, Ingersoll et al. (2014) found that educator preparation pedagogy was strongly related to attrition. For example, courses taken in teaching strategies and methods, opportunities to observe in classrooms, and prior practice of teaching all led to higher rates of new teacher retention. In order to further explore the impact of educator preparation on new teacher retention, it is important to understand the history and different types of educator preparation programs in the U.S. STAYING POWER 26 Educator Preparation Programs Traditional educator preparation programs dominated the teacher preparation sphere until the 1990s when alternative educator preparation programs emerged. In the 19 th -century, teacher education occurred in a variety of organizational settings until the state normal school emerged in the last quarter of the century. Before that, it was assumed that anyone who had completed a certain level of education could turn around and teach it (Labaree, 2008). In the 20 th century, state colleges and universities took over the responsibility of teacher training, which lasted until the 1970s. In the 1980s alternative certification programs were first established as a response to projected teacher shortages (Humphrey, Wechsler & Hough, 2008). Typical alternative certification programs offer a faster and more streamlined approach to placing candidates into classrooms as teachers of record. From the 2011 data reported to the U.S. Department of Education, 69% of programs in the U.S. are classified as traditional teacher preparation programs, 21% are classified as alternative route teacher preparation programs based at Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), and 10% are alternative route teacher preparation programs not based at IHEs (Rico, Marshall, & Virgin, 2013). Educator Preparation Program Influences on New Teacher Retention Alternative educator preparation programs were created in response to school staffing problems and have been shown to help with recruitment, but the findings are mixed on if they are helping to retain teachers in the profession. Harris, Camp, & Adkison (2003) compared the effectiveness of three educator preparation programs in Texas by tracking the career duration of teachers who completed their training in 1995. The study found that the alternative credentialing program teachers had higher rates of entering the profession and higher rates of leaving the profession when compared to the other two EPPs. A greater proportion of those who were STAYING POWER 27 traditionally educated (attended a traditional EPP program) remained in the treaching profession over time. Harris (2005) had similar findings when studying the data provided by the Texas State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) to look at all teachers in Texas who were certified under traditional teacher certification programs (TCP) and alternative certification programs (ACP). Harris (2005) found that TCP teachers were more likely to stay in the classroom. More recently, Ingersoll et al. (2014) found that teachers who entered through a traditional program were slightly less likely to leave teaching after their first year than those in non-traditional or alternative route programs. However, overall the study concluded that the types of colleges, degrees, certificates, and preparation routes had little effect on the likelihood of new teachers leaving the profession after the first year. Instead, the statistically significant finding was based on the type and amount of pedagogical preparation of the teacher within their EPP. Implications of New Teacher Retention Teacher attrition and migration is detrimental to schools, shifting resources away from students and toward filling and training new teachers (Borman & Dowling, 2008; Wynn et al., 2007). Additionally, teacher attrition is costly for schools (Darling-Hammond 2010; Wynn et al. 2007). For example, Barnes, Crowe, and Schaefer (2007) found that on average, costs associated with turnover of all teachers within a district were $70,000 annually for urban districts and $33,000 for non-urban districts. New teacher attrition negatively impacts student achievement because veteran teachers are thought to have a better ability to positively impact student performance than novice teachers (Hanushek et al., 2004). In their study of New York City teachers, Boyd, Grossman, Lankford, Loeb, and Wyckoff (2008) found that elementary teachers who transferred to other schools after their first year were less effective on average than the STAYING POWER 28 teachers that stayed. The power of an experienced and effective educator is the ultimate driver of student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Sanders & Rivers, 1996). Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis Framework Clark and Estes (2008) outlined a framework for improving organizational performance by focusing on goals and performance gaps and contrasting current performance with future plans. This framework proposes that in order to improve performance, leaders, organizations, or teams must set goals and then assess progress towards those goals by conducting a gap analysis. A gap analysis examines the knowledge and skills, motivation, and the potential organizational barriers that may contribute to a performance problem (Clark & Estes, 2008). Krathwohl (2002) outlines four different types of knowledge that can be used in a gap analysis: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. Factual knowledge consists mostly of facts, like terminology, details, or elements one must know, while conceptual knowledge is more complex and nuanced, and consists of theories, models, or structures related to a specific area. Procedural knowledge is knowing how to do something and metacognitive knowledge is one’s own awareness of their learning (Rueda, 2011). When conducting a gap analysis, motivational influences like self-efficacy, interest, value, goal orientation, and attributions are analyzed to determine performance gaps (Rueda, 2001). Motivation, the psychological process that drives a person to sustain working towards a goal or task, is a key component to organizational success (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda 2001). The gap analysis framework, also considers the organizational barriers to performance like internal processes, value streams, organizational culture, and evaluation models (Clark & Estes, 2008). Research presented in this dissertation used the gap analysis framework introduced by Clark and Estes (2008) to evaluate WRGSE’s progress towards its goal of having 100% of STAYING POWER 29 WRGSE teachers graduate from the program with the knowledge and skills to continue successful employment in teaching (Table 1). More specifically, the study used the gap analysis framework to evaluate WRGSE’s progress towards its organizational goal rather than solely identify performance gaps. Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences Before evaluating WRGSE’s progress towards the organization performance goal (Table 1), the critical factors required to ensure the advancement of the goal were defined. According to Clark and Estes (2008), it is important to examine people’s knowledge and skills, motivation, and the potential organizational barriers that may contribute to a performance problem in achieving a goal. It is essential that all three are in place for success (Clark & Estes, 2008). Rueda (2001) states that it is essential that supervisors are aware of the knowledge and skills required of employees to achieve a goal. In this study, the process of gap analysis was used to evaluate WRGSE’s progress towards its goal and the knowledge and skills needed by stakeholders to achieve this goal. Knowledge Influences In order to achieve WRGSE’s global goal, it is essential that stakeholders possess knowledge in all four domains of knowledge, as defined by Krathwohl (2002): factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. The dissertation research presented here examined the knowledge influences impacting the stakeholder group of WRGSE graduates. In order to achieve the global goal of continuing employment as a successful classroom teacher, WRGSE graduates must achieve their individual stakeholder goal of staying in the classroom after completing the program. In order for WRGSE graduates to be successful and decide to stay in the classroom year after year, there are many knowledge influences on their decisions. Two STAYING POWER 30 trends emerged from a review of the literature on essential knowledge influences regarding new teacher persistence. The first is that teachers need to know how to regulate their emotions (Bobeck 2002; Chang, 2009; Stansbury & Zimmerman, 2000). The second is that teachers need to know how to effectively implement classroom management strategies (Johnson & Birkeland, 2003; Stansbury & Zimmerman, 2000; Johnson & Kardos, 2008). Emotional regulation is a type of metacognitive knowledge whereas classroom management strategies are procedural (Table 2). Metacognitive knowledge. Metacognition, or thinking about thinking, enhances cognition and learning, no matter the learning domain (Baker, 2006). In teaching, metacognition is used in many ways. For example, metacognition is used to teach content like reading instruction through the use of strategies like reciprocal teaching (Williams & Atkins, 2009). Metacognition is also needed for teachers to stay successful in the classrooms themselves. Teachers must have the emotional knowledge to connect with the students they teach and need to be able to regulate their emotions (Chang, 2009). Unlike other professions, teachers specifically have higher levels of emotional exhaustion due to the limited time they have to reflect on their practice and their isolation from other adults. Chang (2009) argues that in order to reduce teacher burnout, teacher training and school support systems need to help teachers to become more aware of their emotions and figure out how to interpret them and manage them effectively. If teachers are able to better understand the dramatic range of emotion, it helps to shift their view of teaching to be more realistic rather than optimistic. Thus, Chang (2009) recommends teaching metacognitive coping strategies to better prepare teachers for the emotional hardships especially present in the first few years of teaching. Procedural knowledge. Procedural knowledge, or knowing how to do something, aids recall and, when practiced, becomes automated and does not take up working memory space STAYING POWER 31 (Rueda, 2011). Teachers need to know how to effectively implement classroom management strategies in a procedural manner, as classroom management is a key influencer of teacher retention (Johnson & Birkeland, 2003; Stansbury & Zimmerman, 2000). For example, “good classroom management” is a condition for student learning, and helps teachers differentiate instruction for the individual academic needs of their students (Emmer & Stough, 2001). In their longitudinal study of 50 teachers in Massachusetts, Johnson and Birkeland (2003) highlighted the experience of one particular teacher who left the classroom because she did not receive coaching on how to manage and engage her students. To combat issues illustrated in this example, Stansbury and Zimmerman (2000) recommended utilizing professional development to help advance classroom management skills in teachers. New teachers need various levels of support ranging from low-intensity support, like being paired with an experienced veteran teacher, to long-term professional development on strategies to engage students in the classroom (Stansbury & Zimmerman, 2000). STAYING POWER 32 Table 2 Alignment of WRGSE’s Graduate Goal With Knowledge Influence, Type, and Assessment Organizational Mission The mission of WRGSE is to teach P-12 teachers and school leaders to develop in all students the academic skills and strength of character needed to succeed in college and life Organizational Global Goal By June of 2019, 100% of WRGSE teachers will graduate from the program with the knowledge and skills to continue successful employment in teaching Stakeholder Goal By June of 2018, 100% of WRGSE graduates will remain in the teaching profession for another year Knowledge Influence Knowledge Type Knowledge Influence Assessment Teachers need to know how to regulate their emotions. Metacognitive Interview question that targeted emotional regulation: “Tell me about a recent time when you struggled emotionally. What strategies do you use to help manage stressful situations?” Teachers need to know how to effectively implement classroom management strategies. Procedural Interview question that targeted knowledge regarding classroom management strategies: “How do you approach classroom management with your students?” Motivation Influences Motivation refers to the psychological process that drives a person to sustain working towards a goal or task (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda 2001). Rueda (2001) makes the point that just because a person knows how to do something does not mean that they want to do it. Motivation refers to the “want” in this scenario. Although causes of motivational gaps are a bit STAYING POWER 33 more complex than knowledge gaps, motivation is an essential ingredient to success (Clark & Estes, 2008). There are many factors that influence motivation including self-efficacy, interest, value, goal orientation, attributions, and other factors related to one's exposure to cultural settings (Rueda, 2001). The research presented here focused on self-efficacy and attribution theory and, in particular, the relationship between these motivational theories and how they align to the global and stakeholder goals of WRGSE. Self-efficacy theory. Self-efficacy refers to the beliefs people hold about their own ability (Pajares, 2006). These beliefs are the foundation of motivation and influence outcome expectations and behavior itself (Pajares, 2006). According to Pajares (2006), self-efficacy beliefs are formed from a variety of sources: mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasions, and psychological reactions. As people are able to internalize the effects of their own actions, self-efficacy is strengthened by success and weakened by failure. In addition, Pajares (2006) notes that self-efficacy can also be influenced by observing how well others perform a task. Individuals judge their own ability by thinking about their capabilities in relationship to those around them. The actions of others are not the only external influences on self-efficacy, but the words of others impact how one interprets their own ability (Pajares, 2006). Furthermore, psychological conditions like depression can lower self-efficacy, while a positive outlook can heighten it (Pajares, 2006). In addition to influencing motivation, self-efficacy influences the choices people make, an individual’s resiliency, and one’s emotional reactions. Those who are self-efficacious work harder, are more resilient, and achieve more than those who are not. Teacher self-efficacy. Teacher resilience and a decision to persist in the profession are closely related to self-efficacy beliefs. Hong (2012) asserts that teachers who STAYING POWER 34 have low self-efficacy believe that they are unable to face challenges that arise in the classroom, which results in them putting forth less effort to remain in the profession. Pajares’s (2006) theory is similar to this research, stating that that those who are self-efficacious have more grit and persevere in the face of challenges. Similarly, questionnaires of 1203 German and Syrian teachers found that low self-efficacy was a factor affecting teacher burnout, and that it would be helpful to strengthen teachers’ beliefs about their own teaching skills to help prevent burnout (Schwarzer & Hallum; 2008). In order for teachers to continue to be motivated to do their job, they need to feel successful (Johnson & Birkeland, 2003). Thus, it is important that they are self- efficacious in order to continue teaching in the profession (Table 3). Attribution theory. The underlying idea of attribution theory is that individuals want to understand the causes of particular events and that their beliefs about why events occur connects to their future motivation (Anderman & Anderman, 2006). According to Anderman and Anderman (2006), there are three “causal dimensions” that individuals see as a cause of a resulting outcome: locus, stability, and controllability (p. 2). Locus refers to an external causal dimension (impacted by an outside factor or person) or internal (impacted by the individual themselves). Stability refers to the temporality of the cause. For example, if an individual believes that they failed an exam due to their knowledge, this is a stable factor, whereas if they blame their failure on an illness, it is an unstable factor (Anderman &Anderman, 2006). Controllability of a cause relies on what an individual feels is within their locus of control to change. For example, if they believe they can practice improving their performance, it is controllable (Anderman & Anderman, 2006). The causal dimensions influence individual emotions, resulting in increased or decreased motivation on similar tasks or during similar experiences. For example, if a learner attributes a grade on an exam to a controllable factor, they STAYING POWER 35 will be more motivated to change their performance than if they feel the outcome cannot be changed (Anderman & Anderman, 2006). Attribution theory and teacher retention. In the context of teacher motivation, attributions influence a teacher’s motivation to stay in the classroom. For example, if a teacher sees failure as external, stable, and uncontrollable, they are less likely to stay in the profession (Hong, 2012). But if they can change the working conditions that make them unhappy in the profession, they are less likely to leave and will persevere though challenges (Hong, 2012). Workload and working conditions are often cited as reasons that teachers choose to leave the profession (Buchanan, 2010). This stable and uncontrollable factor leads to “progressive loss of idealism, energy, purpose, and concern as a result of conditions of work” (Buchanan, 2010, p. 203). In order for teachers to stay in the classroom, they need to see their working conditions as stable, controllable, and internal in order to be motivated to persist in the profession (Table 3). STAYING POWER 36 Table 3 Alignment of WRGSE’s Graduate Goal With Motivational Influences and Assessments Organizational Mission The mission of WRGSE is to teach P-12 teachers and school leaders to develop in all students the academic skills and strength of character needed to succeed in college and life Organizational Global Goal By June of 2019, 100% of WRGSE teachers will graduate from the program with the knowledge and skills to continue successful employment in teaching Stakeholder Goal By June of 2018, 100% of WRGSE graduates will remain in the teaching profession for another year. Assumed Motivation Influences Motivational Influence Assessment Self-Efficacy: Teachers need to believe in their own abilities to do their job well and handle challenges that come their way. A survey question that targeted self-efficacy: “I feel confident about my ability to achieve results with my students” (Strongly Disagree- Strongly Agree) Attributions: Teachers need to view failure as stable, controllable, and internal. A survey question that targeted the control attribution: “I feel confident about my ability to make change in my classroom and school (Strongly Disagree-Strongly Agree) Organizational Influences Organizational influences are defined by Clark and Estes (2008) as the organizational work processes, material resources, and organizational culture that allow an organization to flourish. In order for an institution to reach its performance goals, it must have a successfully operating work process that describes how people, equipment, and materials interact over time to produce the desired result. Inefficient work processes can cause organizations, even when they STAYING POWER 37 have workers with exceptional knowledge, skills, and motivation, to fail. Identifying and fixing these process barriers is essential to institutional success (Clark & Estes, 2008). In addition to efficient organizational work processes, it is important that organizations have the supplies and equipment they need to achieve their goals and a culture that fosters performance. Organizational culture is considered to be the most important work process in an organization. In order to improve organizational performance, it is imperative to consider the specific culture of an organization by taking into account the core values, goals, beliefs and shared understanding of the institution (Clark & Estes, 2008). Clark and Estes (2008) outline three common approaches to culture in organizations: culture in the environment, culture in groups, and culture in individuals. In order to align organizational culture with organizational behavior, the recommend organizations create culture profiles to provide a snapshot of the core beliefs that guide the institution. Once the cultural profile, or the cultural model, is created, organizations can use it to ensure that goals, policies, and procedures align with organizational culture. This alignment between mission, goals, and formal policy to culture is essential for organizational success. In addition to having unique cultural models, organizations have different cultural settings. For example, the needs of employees at General Motors differ from the needs of employees at Microsoft (Clark & Estes, 2008). Cultural model influences. WRGSE will have a greater chance of meeting its organizational performance goal (Table 1) by ensuring that all WRGSE faculty believes that great teaching can be taught. According to Clark and Estes (2008), it is imperative that organizational goals are clear and challenging, yet doable for employees. If there is the belief among faculty that great teaching cannot be taught, the organizational goal would be unattainable. The belief that teachers are born and not made, or that good teachers figure out how STAYING POWER 38 to teach on their own over time, has harmful consequences for teacher education (Darling- Hammond, 2006). This view of teaching ability interferes with the possibility of professional learning (Scott & Dinham, 2008). Furthermore, in her evaluation of seven educator preparation programs, Darling-Hammond (2014) found that a common feature among the programs is that they “produced graduates who were extraordinarily well prepared from their first days in the classroom” and all had a common, clear vision of good teaching that permeated all coursework (p. 548). In order for faculty at WRGSE to cultivate strong teachers, they themselves must believe that great teaching can be taught, and that belief must be present and clearly represented in the coursework put before graduate students (Table 4). If WRGSE is committed to graduating teachers that will persist in the classroom, the work processes must align to this stated goal. The work process that most impacts this alignment is the recruitment process. In order to ensure alignment, Clark and Estes (2008) suggest looking at the important policies, procedures, and communication and aligning them to the cultural model of the organization. Thus, in this evaluation, it is essential to look at the different policies and procedures within the institution to see how they align with the stakeholder goal. To assess alignment, interviews were conducted to assess how institutional policies aligned with the goal of WRGSE teachers’ persistence in the classroom. Cultural setting influences. New teachers who have completed pre-service or in-service preparation programs need support after completing their programs (Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Teachers can receive support through teacher induction, the training that teachers receive after they have completed basic training (e.g. master’s program, credentialing program, alternative certification program, etc.), and teacher mentoring, guidance provided by veteran teachers, but both are designed to support new teachers and the terms are now commonly used STAYING POWER 39 interchangeably (Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). In their study of 3,235 first-year teachers from 1999- 2000 who received some type of induction or mentoring support, such as collaboration with other teachers or additional resources, Smith and Ingersoll (2004) found that induction programs helped reduce new teacher turnover. Furthermore, the researchers noted that having a mentor from the same field, having common planning time with other teachers in the same subject or collaboration with other teachers on instruction, and being part of an external network of teachers were the most effective at reducing new teacher turnover. In research presented here, interviews have been conducted with the stakeholder group to gather data on the effectiveness of the WRGSE’s ability to support graduates past program completion (Table 4). STAYING POWER 40 Table 4 Alignment of WRGSE’s Graduate Goal With Organizational Influences and Assessments Organizational Mission The mission of WRGSE is to teach P-12 teachers and school leaders to develop in all students the academic skills and strength of character needed to succeed in college and life Organizational Global Goal By June of 2019, 100% of WRGSE teachers will graduate from the program with the knowledge and skills to continue successful employment in teaching Stakeholder Goal By June of 2018, 100% of WRGSE graduates will remain in the teaching profession for another year. Assumed Organizational Influences Motivational Influence Assessment Cultural Model Influence 1: There needs to be a belief that great teaching can be taught. Interview question to targeted the philosophy of WRGSE. “What teaching philosophy do you believe faculty at WRGSE hold?” Cultural Model Influence 2: The organization needs to be committed to graduating teachers who are committed to the teaching profession. Interview questions that targeted the importance of teachers staying in the profession: “How long do you plan to stay in the teaching profession? Why?” Cultural Setting Influence 1: The organization needs to support alumni (teachers) who are still in the classroom through various touchpoints. Interview questions about the touch points that alumni received after graduation and how supported they felt (or don’t feel) by the program: “When was the last time you were contacted by WRGSE? Are there any resources from WRGSE that you currently use? Do you find them valuable?” STAYING POWER 41 Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Stakeholders Knowledge and Motivation and the Organizational Context The underlying context of assumptions must be correct in order to collect accurate results for a study. Maxwell (2013) stated that this system of concepts—or conceptual framework—is what guides and supports research with the goal to help researchers select appropriate methods, justify research, assess and refine goals, and identify potential validity threats to conclusions. The conceptual framework is constructed from the researcher’s experiential knowledge, existing theory, exploratory research, and thought experiments (Maxwell, 2013). Thus, the conceptual framework for this study considers the existing body of literature regarding teacher retention in addition to the researcher’s experiential knowledge, thought experiments, and worldview. A pragmatic worldview informed the motivation and design of the research presented in this dissertation. Pragmatists use all approaches available to better understand problems and generally use mixed methods to do so (Creswell, 2014). According to the Creswell (2014), pragmatists explore problems through mixed methods research in social, historical, political, and other contexts with the goal of asking questions about what they study. In this study, the pragmatic worldview allows the examination of many different assumed influences and collection of both qualitative and quantitative data to better understand the problem. This study looks at the organization, motivation, and knowledge influences and how they interact with each other. Knowledge, motivation, and organization do not operate in isolation. Successful organizations focus on knowledge, motivation, and organizational goals in order to drive performance (Clark & Estes, 2008). In order to evaluate the performance of WRGSE towards its STAYING POWER 42 organizational performance goal (Table 1), the conceptual framework must analyze the relationships between knowledge, motivation, and organization (Figure 1) Figure 1. Interaction of stakeholder knowledge and motivation outside of organizational cultural models and settings. Organizational and graduate characteristics both influence WRGSE graduates to remain in the teaching profession (Figure 1). WRGSE teachers are employed as full-time teachers while in the WRGSE MAT program, and when they graduate they make the decision to stay continue teaching or to leave the classroom. Organizational influences like the cultural models and settings influence the stakeholder group because of the support that the organization needs to give its teachers while they are in the program and after they graduate (Figure 1). In order for its teachers to stay in the profession, it is imperative that WRGSE, as an institution of higher education, is committed to the stakeholder goal and provides support for its graduates. Smith and Ingersoll (2004) recommend that in order for new teachers to persist in the classroom after completing pre-service or in-service preparation programs, they must receive support after completing their program. This organizational influence, along with the cultural STAYING POWER 43 models of belief in great teaching and organizational commitment to the stakeholder goal, impacts stakeholder knowledge and motivation (Figure 1). The supports that WRGSE provides to graduates along with the cultural models influences stakeholder knowledge and motivation. More specifically, the support that WRGSE provides to graduates influences stakeholder knowledge, whereas the cultural models and beliefs of the institution influence stakeholder motivation. The procedural knowledge influence is that WRGSE teachers need to know how to effectively manage their classrooms and the metacognitive knowledge influence is that WRGSE teachers must be able to regulate their emotions (Chang, 2009; Harrell et al., 2004; Hughes, 2012; Johnson & Birkeland, 2003; Kelly, 2004; Stansbury & Zimmerman, 2000; Wynn et al. 2007). The motivational influencers are individual teacher self-efficacy and sense of belonging (Hong, 2012; Hughes,2012; Johnson & Birkeland, 2003; Schwarzer & Hallum, 2008; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011). When these elements interact with each other, it leads to the achievement of the stakeholder goal (Figure 1). This conceptual framework offers a tentative theory that the organization influences the knowledge and motivation of stakeholders, which drives their decision to stay in the profession, thus achieving the stakeholder goal. Conclusion The dissertation research presented here evaluated the degree to which WRGSE achieved its graduate stakeholder performance goal of having 100% of WRGSE graduates in the class of 2018 remain in the teaching profession for at least one year after graduation. Chapter Two presented literature on new teacher attrition. The literature presented briefly outlined the history of teacher attrition, paying careful attention to the role of educator preparation programs relative to the problem of new teacher attrition. The chapter then introduced the gap analysis framework STAYING POWER 44 as it relates to teacher attrition through the dimensions of knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors and concludes with a presentation of the Clark and Estes analytical conceptual framework used for the study. STAYING POWER 45 Chapter Three: Methodology The dissertation research presented here evaluated the degree to which WRGSE achieved its graduate stakeholder performance goal of having 100% of WRGSE graduates in the class of 2018 remain in the teaching profession for at least one year after graduation. The design of the project was a mixed methods study using an explanatory sequential design to collect quantitative data through a survey and qualitative interviews following the survey. The analysis of the survey and interviews focused on knowledge, motivation, and organizational elements related to achieving the stakeholder goal. While a complete evaluation project would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholders focused on in this analysis were WRGSE graduates from the class of 2018. WRGSE graduates started at least their second year of teaching in the Fall of 2018. As such, the questions that guide this study were the following: 1. To what extent did the organization meet its goal of having 100% of WRGSE teachers remain in the teaching profession for another year after graduating the program? 2. How was the stakeholder knowledge and motivation related to WRGSE teacher retention? 3. What was the interaction between organizational culture and context and stakeholder knowledge and motivation? 4. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organizational resources? Participant Characteristics and Sampling Criteria Many stakeholders were involved in achieving the organizational goal set forth by WRGSE. However, the focus of this study was WRGSE 2018 graduates and their progress STAYING POWER 46 towards the graduate stakeholder performance goal of persisting in the teaching profession for at least one year after graduating from WRGSE’s program. WRGSE teachers were graduate students as well as full-time classroom teachers. Therefore, after completing the program, most WRGSE graduates are going into at least their second year of teaching. The research question was addressed with a mixed methods study using a nested sequential design of quantitative data collected through a survey and qualitative interviews following the survey. In this study, a survey and an interview were used because they would yield strong data to answer the research questions. In order to answer the research questions regarding the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences impacting the stakeholder and organizational goals, the researcher decided to first give the survey and then gather additional data through qualitative interviews. By using this mixed method approach, the data collected was helpful to evaluate WRGSE’s progress towards organizational goals. Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale Criterion 1. All survey participants were part of the WRGSE cohort graduating in the summer of 2018. Participants were only able to gain access to the survey after completing their master’s defense proposal. Students who did not complete their defense by July 16, 2018 did not receive the survey. Criterion 2. All participants were part of WRGSE’s East Coast Campus. This is WRGSE’s oldest campus, beginning operation in 2011. The survey was given in the Eastern campus building so that only participants from the specific WRGSE campus could gain access. Criterion 3. In order to generalize to the teaching population, all survey participants were required to have completed at least one year of full-time teaching. Survey Recruitment Strategy and Rationale STAYING POWER 47 According to Creswell (2014), single stage sampling procedures are used when the researcher has access to names and can directly sample the selected population. A single stage sampling procedure was used for the quantitative portion of this study. The WRGSE class of 2018 was required to complete an exit survey before graduating the program, and the researcher had permission to add questions to the survey for the purpose of this study. Permission to administer this survey was granted by the President of the institution (Anonymous, personal communication, December 3, 2017). The sample size for this study was determined from the entire graduating class of 2018. There were 416 East Coast graduates in 2018, from a total of 766 graduates in 2018 across all WRGSE campuses. The East Coast sample was selected to be representative of the larger population of graduates, since 73% of total alumni have graduated from this campus (N= 2623). Based on the research criteria, 343 of the 416 teachers in the 2018 graduating class students received access to the survey (Anonymous, personal communication, November 3, 2018). The survey was administered at the beginning of the data collection process, and the data from the survey was used to determine the sample for the qualitative interviews. Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale Criterion 1. Interview participants who had taught for at least one year and had volunteered to be contacted for an interview were selected from the survey data. Criterion 2. Interview participants were selected from the survey data to ensure an adequate representation of stayers. Participants were selected if they indicated that they would be teaching for another year and volunteered to be contacted for an interview. Criterion 3. Interview participants were selected from the survey data to ensure an adequate representation of leavers and movers. Graduate students who did not decide to stay in the profession or who chose to move to a new school were interviewed to determine more about STAYING POWER 48 the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences impacting their decision. Interview participants were selected from the survey data collected who had indicated that they will not be teaching for another year and had volunteered to be contacted for an interview. Interview Recruitment Strategy and Rationale For the quantitative portion of this study, mixed purposeful sampling was used. According to Johnson and Christensen (2015), the goal of quantitative sampling is to locate information-rich individuals. In order to do this, the quantitative data collected from the survey was used to select 8 individuals for the interview. The survey data was collected in July 2018, and the 8 interview participants were a subset of survey responders. Individuals were contacted for interviews after the survey closed in August 2018. The sample size for the qualitative portion of the study was determined by the degree of information power of the sample. According to Malterud, Siersma, and Guassora (2016) a small number of participants is acceptable when the sample holds more information relevant for the actual study. This is because the smaller but robust sample has more information power. In this case, a smaller sample was sufficient because of the mixed nature of the study. Participants selected for the interview had higher information power because they were identified for interviews using their survey responses. Additionally, interviews had strong dialogue because the subjects were well versed in the subject that they were interviewed and because participants volunteered for interviews. Data Collection and Instrumentation Surveys are valuable because they provide numeric descriptions of the sample population (Creswell, 2014). In order to be effective, surveys must define the terms that the researcher wants to illuminate and make those terms accessible via the survey (Fink, 2014). According to Patton (2002), interviews allow the researcher to see the participant’s perspective, to hear stories, and to STAYING POWER 49 examine participant experiences. In relation to the research questions, which are focused around a particular stakeholder group, interviews surfaced the stakeholder perspective in a way that illuminated the knowledge, motivation, and skills of the stakeholder as they related to the organization. Surveys Surveys were given during June and July 2018 to 343 of the 416 WRGSE 2018 graduates. The survey was a cross-sectional survey, meaning that the data was only collected at one point in time. Participants opted in to complete the survey online via Qualtrics. Upon administration of the survey, participants received a note stating the purpose of the study and the voluntary nature of their participation. The survey was designed to align to Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis framework. There were 46 closed response questions that varied in rating scale. Four questions from the survey came from the 2011-2012 SASS survey that was created by the National Center for Education Statistics (2012), and six questions came from the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, a tool created by Skallvik and Skaalvik (2011) to measure teacher self- efficacy. Questions from the NCES provided comparative data and incorporated the use of a tool that was already validated to measure self-efficacy. The questions were constructed according to Fink’s (2014) rules for constructing survey questions. For example, each question used standard language rules and avoided jargon in order to be easily interpreted by participants. In addition, survey bias was mitigated by submitting the survey to review by a colleague in the field of education research. The purpose of the survey design was to measure the knowledge and motivation of the stakeholder group and look at how the knowledge and motivation of the stakeholder group interacted with the organization. In order to ensure alignment with the STAYING POWER 50 conceptual framework of the study, the research questions were matched with the conceptual framework (Appendix B). Interviews The goal of qualitative sampling is to locate information-rich individuals (Johnson & Christensen, 2015). In the present study, quantitative data collected from the survey was used to select a subset of respondents for interviews. Individuals who volunteered for interviews were contacted via email after the survey closed in August 2018. Interviews were conducted over Zoom (video conferencing software) due to geographical constraints. The interviews lasted between 40 to 100 minutes, were conducted in English, included member checks, and were recorded with the participant’s consent. A semi structured interview protocol was used in order to pull out relevant information connected to the research questions while also responding to the subject to probe deeper on specific topics (Appendix A). The types of questions asked were a combination of targeted questions about specific events and actions while also having a few generalized questions to increase participant comfort. According to Maxwell (2012), using generalized questions in combination with specific past tense questions allows for a dialogue that leads to a greater understanding of the participant perspective. Once concluded, the interviews were transcribed by rev.com for data analysis. Data Analysis Of the 343 participants that met the eligibility criteria and received the survey, 169 responded, for a response rate of 49.2%. Descriptive statistics were generated for cleaned survey data. The mean, standard deviation, and range were calculated for all interval questions, while frequency, percentages, and mean were calculated for ordinal questions. Frequencies and percentages were generated for nominal questions. STAYING POWER 51 For interviews, data analysis began during data collection. Member checks were used during the interviews by summarizing what the participant said to ask the participant in the moment if it resonated with them. Analytic memos were written immediately after each interview, noting initial conclusions and any concerns about the data in relation to the conceptual framework and research questions. Recordings were transcribed after all interviews were conducted and analytic memos were written. Phase one analysis used open inductive and deductive coding, while phase two used axial coding to create a codebook for the trending findings during the axial coding phase. During phase two, typicality was accounted for by looking not only for commonalities but the unique nuances of each transcript in searching for patterns. In phase three of transcription analysis, patterns that surfaced in the coding were noted as they related to the conceptual framework. Credibility and Trustworthiness All scholarly research must be conducted ethically to establish credibility and trustworthiness (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Researchers should consider and examine all threats to credibility, including researcher bias and reactivity (Maxwell, 2013). Researcher bias takes into account the personal experience of the researcher that may impact the study. Although it cannot be eliminated, it is important for the researcher to identify bias and address how it may be tempered (Maxwell, 2013). In order to increase credibility of this study, the researcher used member checks, triangulation, and conducted a critical self-reflection to combat potential credibility threats. Member checks help to rule out the possibility of pulling out potential misunderstandings of the study (Maxwell, 2013). In order to use member checks with fidelity, the researcher rolled back the findings back to the interview participants and asked if the researcher’s statement aligned with their own perception. Triangulation, or collecting STAYING POWER 52 information by using a variety of methods helps increase validity (Maxwell, 2013). Triangulation was used in this study through the mixed methods design. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), when researchers explain their own biases and assumptions the reader can better understand how conclusions in the study were drawn. The researcher conducted a critical self-reflection prior to starting data collection and outlined how her own world view influenced the study in the conceptual framework. Trustworthiness is established by the researcher’s thoughtful design of the study and ensures that the framework used for the study is accepted by the scientific community (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). In order to increase the trustworthiness of a study it is essential to think about the rigor of the study and how the study was conducted. A trustworthy study is carried out with integrity (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). In order to conduct the study with integrity, the researcher reviewed the “Ethical Issues Checklist” provided by Merriam and Tisdell, 2016 (p.264). Validity and Reliability Validity refers to the ability of the tool to test and measure what it says it is supposed to measure and reliability is the degree to which the tool measures something consistently (Salkind, 2016). Although, complete validity and reliability can never be achieved in a study, there are particular actions that the researcher can take to increase validity and reliability. To increase reliability, it is important to make sure that instructions are clear when the tool is administered, that the items are clear, that there are a sufficient number of items, and that external conflicts are minimized by taking into account the timing of administration (Salkind, 2016). To this end, the researcher ensured that the directions and survey questions were clear by having two peer reviewers read over them, take the survey, and give feedback. The method of peer review also STAYING POWER 53 helps increase validity because the researcher is able to see if each item is aligned to what she is intending to measure by looking at the peer responses. Construct reliability was increased in the survey because the researcher designed two items in the survey to measure the same outcome. The researcher also considered the calendar for survey administration, and there were no external events occurring in June that would influence the survey. For the quantitative portion of the study, a sampling method was used to survey WRGSE alumni who met the defined criteria. Eight of the participants who took the survey were selected from the group of volunteers who completed the survey in order to increase the validity of the research findings. According to Pazzaglia, Stafford, and Rodriguez (2016), item nonresponse bias occurs when one group of participants are more likely to respond to a survey item than another, resulting in a biased sample. In order to mitigate nonresponse bias, demographic information was collected about survey respondents Ethics A number of guidelines were followed to ensure that this study met the ethical guidelines. First, the study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of USC (IRB). The purpose of the IRB is to ensure that research follows pre-determined ethical guidelines (Glesne, 2011). To meet the requirements of IRB, the researcher provided subjects with information so that they could make an informed decision about participating in the study. According to Glense (2011), informed consent outlines for subjects that their participation is voluntary, that they can stop their participation in the study at any time, and that they are aware of the potential impact of the study. In order to ensure that WRGSE graduates participating in the study were sufficiently informed, the researcher presented a consent form outlining the purpose of the study that participants read and signed before completing the interview. Additionally, the researcher STAYING POWER 54 outlined the purpose of the research and highlighted the subject’s voluntary participation in the written description of the survey and consent form for the interview. The researcher received verbal consent to record the conversation prior to the interviews. In addition to informed consent, there are a number of deliberate actions that the researcher took to ensure high ethical standards. To protect participant identities, participants answered questions anonymously and no unique identifying information was collected as part of the study. For interview subjects, pseudonyms were used to protect participant identity. All data collected for the study was stored on a password protected computer in a locked office In addition, the researcher and paid transcriber were the only ones able to access the recordings of the qualitative interviews. Once the interviews were transcribed, the audio recordings were deleted. According to Rubin and Rubin (2012) the ethical responsibilities of a conversational partner are to make sure that your interviewees do not feel pressure to respond, that promises are honored, and that the researcher is straightforward with the interviewees. These guidelines were honored when conducting conversations with research subjects by using a semi-structured interview protocol. Since the subjects of the study were graduates of the program where the researcher is employed, it is important that the researcher defined the role between researcher and participant for transparency. The researcher ensured that none of the subjects for the study had been taught by the researcher and had little to no contact with her before the study. Additionally, the researcher emphasized that the role of the researcher was as an investigator, not as a WRGSE employee. STAYING POWER 55 Limitations and Delimitations Though data collected in this study were intended to inform general practices of EPPs, conclusions are limited and delimited by the type and method of data collection. For example, participants may or may not have told the truth when responding to survey questions or interview questions. In addition, only WRGSE East Campus 2018 graduates were included, rather than all WRGSE alumni. Although focusing on alumni from all regions would have provided a larger sample size, the East campus was the only campus past the start-up phase. The sample was delimited to 2018 graduates because the graduate program has changed in recent years, and it was concluded that recent data would be most beneficial to the organization. Another delimitation of the study is that the survey taken by participants was a short survey with only 46 closed response questions. The researcher intended to create a short survey to increase response rate, but the delimitation was that there was potentially more data that could have been collected had the survey been longer. Furthermore, only 169 of the 343 participants who received the survey responded, and of the 49% of participants who filled out the survey, only 46 (28%) indicated that they would be interested in participating in an interview. From those participants, only eight actually agreed to be interviewed. Therefore, the researcher was not able to mirror the sample size of the population. STAYING POWER 56 Chapter Four: Results and Findings The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree to which WRGSE was meeting its goal of having 100% of WRGSE graduates remain in the teaching profession for another year. In addition, this study examined the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to achieving WRGSE’s teacher retention goal. Multiple methods were used to examine the aspects of knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences on WRGSE graduates who had completed at least one year of teaching. First, quantitative changes between stayers, leavers, and movers were examined in relation to knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences. Next, qualitative data from a subset of participants were used to examine WRGSE graduates own narrative about their choices to continue in the profession or leave altogether. The research questions that guided this study were focused on the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to achieving the stakeholder goal. The research questions were 1. To what extent did the organization meet its goal of having 100% of WRGSE teachers remain in the teaching profession for another year after graduating the program? 2. How was the stakeholder knowledge and motivation related to WRGSE teacher retention? 3. What was the interaction between organizational culture and context and stakeholder knowledge and motivation? 4. What were the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organizational resources? Participating Stakeholders Of the 416 graduates of WRGSE’s East Coast campus in 2018, 343 received access to participate in the survey based on the sampling criteria, and 169 (49%) completed the survey. STAYING POWER 57 Participants for interviews were selected by analyzing the quantitative data and selecting participants from subgroups of interest. In particular, it was important to ensure that the researcher interviewed teachers who decided to stay in the profession for another year (stayers), teachers who decided to move to a new school (movers), and teachers who decided to leave the profession all together (leavers). Survey Descriptive statistics of data collected by the survey were generated using Excel 2016 and Qualtrics to look for meaningful differences between subgroups in the data (Table 5). STAYING POWER 58 Table 5 Descriptive Statistics of Survey Participants Descriptor Number (n) Percentage White Black Hispanic Asian Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 83 42 31 18 4 44.86 22.70 16.76 9.73 2.16 Leaving the Profession (Leavers) 17 10.12 Moving to different school (Movers) 22 13.10 Staying at current school (Stayers) 129 76.79 1 year of teaching experience 5 2.98 2 years of teaching experience 125 74.40 3-5 years of experience 30 17.86 5-10 years of experience 11 4.17 10 or more years of experience 1 0.06 Male (M) 57 33.93 Female (F) 109 62.88 Title 1 School Placement 147 87.50 Non-title 1 School Placement 5 2.98 Public 63 37.50 Charter 101 60.12 Other 4 2.16 STAYING POWER 59 Interviews All interviews were conducted and recorded with participant consent via Zoom conferencing software in October and November of 2018. Each interview lasted from 44 to 100 minutes and was transcribed by Rev.com for qualitative analysis. The qualitative analysis was conducted using Nvivo12 to code and organize findings. Descriptors of all participants were recorded to characterize the interview sample (Table 6) Table 6 Characteristics of Interview Participants Name Teaching Status Gender Race Grade Taught Subject Matter Years Type of School Placement Rachel Leaver Female Hispanic Elem. Science 2 Charter Cameron Leaver Male Black Secondary ELA 5 Charter Gabriela Leaver Female Hispanic Elem. All 2 Public Sandra Leaver Female Asian Secondary Math 3 Public Jack Stayer Male White Secondary SS 2 Public Kyle Stayer Male White Secondary Science 2 Public Adam Stayer Male Multiracial Secondary Science 2 Transfer Patrick Mover Male White Secondary Science 2 Public Note. Names are pseudonyms. Years=years of experience; All=all subjects; SS=Social Studies) Descriptions of interview participants, using pseudonyms as identifiers, were developed to aid in the interpretation of the interview data. Rachel. A former elementary school teacher at a Title 1 charter school with two years of experience. Rachel identified as a Hispanic/Latina female and decided to leave the teaching profession. Sandra. A current traditional secondary public school math teacher at a Title 1 school with three STAYING POWER 60 years of teaching experience. Sandra identified as an Asian female and remained in the profession at the same school teaching secondary math but was leaving mid-year. For the purpose of this study, Sandra was classified as a leaver because she stayed in the profession for a third year but was leaving mid-year. Cameron. A former secondary ELA teacher at a Title 1 charter school with five years of teaching experience. Cameron identified as a Black male and left the teaching profession. Gabriela. A former elementary school teacher at a Title 1 traditional public school. Gabriela identified as a Hispanic/Latina female and left the teaching profession. Jack. A current secondary social studies teacher at a tier-1 traditional public school who taught for two years. Jack identified as a White male and continued to stay in the teaching profession in the same role. Kyle. A current secondary science teacher at a tier-1 traditional public school. Kyle identified as a White male and continued to stay in the profession in the same role. Adam. A current secondary science teacher at a Title 1 transfer school with two years of teaching experience. Adam identified as a White and Hispanic male and continued to stay in the teaching profession in the same role. Patrick. A current secondary science teacher at a tier-1 traditional public school with two years of teaching experience. Patrick identified as a White male and has moved to teach secondary science at a different school, but was remaining in the teaching profession. Findings Research questions 1-3 were addressed using data collected from surveys and interviews. Results of these findings are presented in this chapter, while Chapter 5 examined STAYING POWER 61 recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of stakeholder knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences. Attrition Rates of WRGSE Graduates Three key findings emerged when exploring the attrition rates of WRGSE graduates. First, WRGSE did not meet its graduate performance goal of having 100% of their graduates remain in the teaching profession for another year post-graduation (Table 7). Second, most teachers who left the profession identify as White. Third, salary was not a motivator in WRGSE teachers’ decisions to leave the profession. The survey data revealed that WRGSE did not meet its goal of having 100% of graduates remain in the teaching profession for another year past graduation (Table 7). Of the 169 survey respondents, more than three-quarters of the respondents were classified as stayers, while 23% were moving to a different school or leaving the teaching profession (Table 7). Table 7 WRGSE Teacher Retention Post-Graduation Reported Teaching Position Number of Respondents Percentage of Respondents Leaving the Profession (leavers) 17 10 Moving to different school (movers) 22 13 Staying at current school (stayers) 129 77 The post-graduation teacher retention rate found in this study is slightly lower than the national average, as measured by the most recent Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. In the 2012-2013 TFS, of the 3,377,900 public school STAYING POWER 62 teachers who were teaching during the 2011-12 school year, 84% were stayers, 8% were movers, and 8% were leavers (U.S. Department of Education, 2014; Figure 2). Figure 2. WRGSE v Teacher Follow-up Survey data on teacher retention. TFS data from U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2014). Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2012–13 Teacher Follow-up Survey (NCES 2014- 077). U.S. Department of Education, 2014) WRGSE and TFS data show that teacher retention rates are not approaching 100% (Figure 2). No notable differences were found when disaggregating this data by school context, gender, years of experience, or school subject. When disaggregating the data by race, the data in this study presents findings that differ from the national TFS rates. The majority of WRGSE teachers who decided to leave the profession identified as White (Figure 3). When comparing teacher mobility and race (Figure 4), WRGSE teachers who identify as Black or Hispanic/Latino have a higher proportion of teachers staying in the profession as compared to WRGSE teachers who identify as White and Asian. This finding is different than the responses reported in TFS survey, where 85% of the proportion 10% 13% 77% 8% 8% 84% Leavers Movers Stayers WRGSE Teachers Total teachers (as reported by TFS) STAYING POWER 63 of teachers who identify as white stayed in the profession (U.S. Department of Education, 2014), compared to 70% of the proportion of WRGSE teachers who identify as White. Figure 3. Race of WRGSE teachers who left the profession (leavers) Figure 4. Proportion of each race leaving, moving, or staying in the teaching profession as identified by survey data. A greater proportion of White and Asian teachers at WRGSE tend to leave the profession after graduating the program more than Black and Hispanic/Latino teachers (Figure 4). The 12% 12% 6% 12% 6% 53% Asian Black/African American Hispanic/Latino Multi-racial No response STAYING POWER 64 proportion of Black and Hispanic/Latino teachers leaving the profession is 5% of the total population, whereas 13% of the population of White teachers left the profession after graduating the program and 15% of the population of Hispanic/Latino teachers left the profession post- graduation. This finding is in contrast to the national TFS data which shows 7.5% of the population of White teachers leaving the profession, 10% of the population of Black teachers leaving the profession and 8% of the population of Hispanic/Latino teachers leaving the profession. There could be many causes for this trend within the data of this study, including socioeconomic status, educational attainment and school type. It is important to note that WRGSE may do a better job of supporting its Black and Hispanic/Latino teachers to persist in the profession when compared to national TFS data. In addition, this data showcases that a greater proportion of WRGSE’s White and Asian teachers tend to leave the classroom when compared to the national TFS data. Due to the small sample size and lack of information gleaned from the qualitative data, this finding requires more research to make accurate conclusions and will be addressed in the section on future research in chapter five. Teachers did not cite salary as a primary reason for leaving the profession. Data from the quantitative survey was disaggregated by leavers, movers, and stayers. Leavers (n=17) were asked to select the reason that they were leaving the profession from the choices available on the survey (Figure 5). It is important to note that no leavers selected the choices: “I am not paid enough money” or “I did not have sufficient autonomy in my classroom.” STAYING POWER 65 Figure 5. Reasons cited by WRGSE graduates for leaving the teaching profession (n=17) Seven of the respondents that submitted “other” expanded on their responses, and listed the following reasons: “Different career goals;” “I have other passions;” “I have to go back to my country;” “I realized that more needed to be done to close the education gap;” “I wanted to continue working in education outside of the classroom;” “moving home;” “the culture of high stakes assessments being the only measurement of success and the only thing that matters in schools.” Again, none of the 17 participants leaving the profession listed salary as a reason for leaving the profession. These data are consistent with previous research on teacher retention (DeAngelis & Presley, 2011; Kelly 2004). Qualitative data was collected for deeper analysis on the root cause of leaving the teaching profession. The data suggested that WRGSE graduates left the profession because of their own personal values and needs. Of the eight survey respondents that agreed to participate in an interview, four stayed in the profession, three left the profession, and one moved to a new STAYING POWER 66 school. The three interview respondents who left the teaching profession expanded on their reasoning to leave the profession, stating that the reasons that they left aligned to their own personal values and needs, rather than salary. When asked why he was leaving the teaching profession, Cameron, a Black male leaver, stated that he was upset by the fact that most teachers in the school that he taught at were White teachers teaching Black students and the teachers would “never send their own kids to a school like this.” He stressed the importance of all teachers “seeing these kids as your own” which was why he decided to leave the profession to work on impacting the Black community in the “best way we can.” Rachel, a Latina female, had a similar reflection on her teaching experience and how it impacted her decision to leave the profession. She said, “[d]uring my classroom time, I realized that there is more that needs to be done to close the education gap... I felt like that we didn't have enough minority teachers in the classroom until I was in the classroom.” Rachel then added that she wanted to leave to work on teacher recruitment with a focus on recruiting teachers of color. In this way, both Rachel and Cameron wanted to leave the profession to improve the conditions for the students that they served during their time in the classroom because they did not see the impact that they had as a teacher as sufficient. In contrast, the third “leaver,” Gabriela, said she decided to leave the classroom because of more personal reasons. “I really liked teaching a lot, and I miss it a lot. But it was also two very unhappy years for me.” Gabriela reflected upon the fact that she felt like the reputation of teachers and the teaching profession did not make her feel worthy and that she felt that she had no work-life balance when she was teaching. Gabriela thus saw leaving the profession as a way to improve her own mental health and well-being rather than as a way to broader her impact on STAYING POWER 67 student populations. But, taken together, all three of the WRGSE teachers interviewed who decided to leave the classroom expressed that teaching did not meet their own personal goals or needs. Overall, these results demonstrate the importance for organizations like WRGSE to look into the variety of factors that may influence new teacher retention. Recommendations for how the organization should approach the finding that more of WRGSE White and Asian teachers are leaving the profession than WRGSE’s Black and Latino students after the program is addressed in Chapter Five. In addition to looking into the demographic data, WRGSE teachers that left the profession were not influenced by salary or autonomy issues, but mostly for reasons relating to their own personal goals and needs. This theme showcases the importance to explore WRGSE teachers’ knowledge and motivation in relation to teacher mobility. The next section will describe key findings regarding teacher mobility related to knowledge and motivation. Knowledge, Motivation, and New-Teacher Retention Levels of self-reported knowledge and motivation among WRGSE graduates may serve to inform WRGSE’s progress toward its graduate performance goal. Data disaggregated by stayers, movers, and leavers showed that teachers who left the profession struggled with classroom management more than those who decided to stay in the classroom. Furthermore, the data suggest that how teachers perceive their classroom management skills during their first year of teaching may influence their career decisions a few years later. Analyses of survey data demonstrated that teachers with emotional management skills were less likely to leave the classroom than teachers who struggle with emotional regulation. Procedural knowledge. Teachers need to know how to effectively implement classroom management strategies. Classroom management is a key factor in teacher retention (Johnson & STAYING POWER 68 Birkeland, 2003; Stansbury & Zimmerman, 2000). The results of this study align with the existing literature. Among both survey and interview respondents, WRGSE teachers who left the profession struggled with classroom management more than stayers and movers (Figure 6). In the survey, WRGSE teachers were asked to reflect upon their classroom management experiences. In general, WRGSE teachers self-reported that they agreed with the statement “I know how to address student misbehavior in the classroom” (mean 5.9/7 Likert scale). This indicated that on average, WRGSE teachers agreed that they know how to manage their classrooms (Figure 6). Figure 6. Survey reported confidence with current classroom management ability (N=169) There is a slight difference between stayers, leavers, and movers with regard to confidence in their classroom management skills (Figure 6). The group with the highest proportion of teachers agreeing or strongly agreeing that they felt confident in their classroom management skills were the stayers. The magnitude of these differences is not large; even the lowest group—the movers—have a mean of 5.29/7 on a Likert scale, which suggest that they generally agree that they know how to manage a classroom. However, when classroom management is probed further STAYING POWER 69 with more objective questions, more salient difference emerged that suggest that leavers may in fact struggle more than movers and stayers with classroom management. First, leavers reported a higher average number of disruptions within a 45-minute period than stayers or movers. For example, stayers reported that, on average, there were 4.58 disruptions in a period of 45 minutes, and movers reported an average of 4.88 disruptions in the same block of time, whereas leavers reported an average of 6.19 disruptions in the 45-minute time period. Although leavers self-reported confidence in their knowledge of how to manage a classroom, they may in fact experience more disruptions. Thus, it is possible that leavers have lower expectations than stayers and movers for the number of disruptions that they allow in their classrooms. In addition to perceiving themselves as effective, but having a higher number of student disruptions, leavers also self-report feeling less prepared to manage a classroom in their first year of teaching (Figure 7). This finding suggests that the first year of teaching could impact a teacher’s decision to stay in the profession years later. For example, 41% of WRGSE teachers leaving the profession reported out that they felt “not at all prepared” to manage a classroom in their first year, compared to the 18% of stayers and 19% of movers (Figure 7) STAYING POWER 70 Figure 7. Self-reported perceptions of first year teacher classroom management preparation. The survey data showed that leavers felt considerably less prepared in classroom management than movers and stayers in their first year of teaching. The interviews supported this finding as well. A theme that emerged from the interviews was that classroom management skills should be developed quickly. For example, Rachel, who left the teaching profession, stated that the first couple months of teaching were very difficult for her because of difficulty with classroom management. Furthermore, Gabriela, who also left the teaching profession, stated that classroom management was her biggest strength by the time she left the classroom, but it was not always that way. When asked to reflect on her classroom management strategies, Gabriela stated that her way of managing the classroom was born from a place of anxiety. “I would get so much anxiety because I knew I couldn't handle all of this [managing a classroom]. It was just too much. And I definitely started to game plan.” Although Gabriela was able to overcome the challenges of classroom management in her first year, her primary reason for leaving the STAYING POWER 71 profession was that it did not make her happy, and these early experiences may well have contributed to her dissatisfaction. Similarly, Rachel recalled that, the first few months in the classroom was a lot of crying and stress, because things weren't perfect and I felt like I wanted to do so much more, but I didn't have the capacity to do so, but I couldn't see past that. I didn't want to accept the locus of control. I felt, No, this is my classroom. I should be able to control this. Why isn't it happening? Overall, these themes indicate that classroom management is an important skill for new teachers to master quickly. Negative impacts of ineffective classroom management in a teacher’s first year may influence their future decisions about the profession. If they had had better classroom management skills in the first year of teaching, some of the stress they faced could have been avoided, which may have encouraged them to stay in the profession. Connected to this theme is the idea that emotional management skills are essential for new teachers to learn so that negative experiences (like management difficulties) do not impact their career trajectory. Metacognitive knowledge. Teachers need to know how to effectively regulate their emotions in order to stay successful and persist in the classroom. Results of this study support previous research suggesting that teachers have higher levels of emotional exhaustion than other professionals (Chang, 2009). The interviews reflected the trend of teachers being emotionally exhausted and in need of strategies to regulate their emotions. Of the eight participants interviewed, seven mentioned emotional exhaustion and difficulty staying emotionally constant when teaching. Gabriela summed this up while she reflected on her teaching experience in comparison to other professions: STAYING POWER 72 My best days were when I had a full night's sleep and I had worked out the night before and I was in a good mood and things were going on well in my social life… everything that's going on in your life, you're bringing it into your work the next day versus other jobs…if you're going through a breakup or something is going on at home or whatever, of course you're going to bring it into work. …teaching is very much linked to your emotions. This link between teaching and emotions came up for other interviewees as well. For example, Adam mentioned, “frequently, three or four times a week, I would feel myself like, ‘I can't deal with this, I am overloaded, unprepared. And I have no idea what to do.’” This situation made it very hard for Adam to feel emotionally constant. Similarly, Cameron reflected on feeling “overwhelmed and upset” at work because of the difficulties of interacting with administration. Regardless of the cause of emotional fatigue, most WRGSE teachers interviewed expressed that they experienced some type of emotional exhaustion because of the environment in which they worked. Movers and leavers reported relatively high levels of agreement in response to a question asking them to rank their level of agreement with the statement, “I think about staying home from school because I am just too tired to go” (Figure 8). STAYING POWER 73 Figure 8. Survey responses to the statement “I think about staying home from school because I’m too tired to go.” Consistent with this general trend, interview respondents who were stayers reported more strategies which they were able to implement to control their emotions during trying times. For example, Jack, a WRGSE teacher who reported staying on to teach for a third year in the same school, reflected that his first year of teaching was difficult but he’s “just not a quitter.” He expanded by saying that he’s “not an emotional person.” He continued, “When I get frustrated, I just take some time to relax… It’s just my personality.” In this statement, Jack narrated his own ability to regulate his emotions. He notices that he is frustrated and takes time to pause and reflect before continuing, showcasing his ability to self-regulate. Kyle, a second-year teacher who reported staying on in the same school to teach for a third year, had a similar reflection on emotional constancy. He said, “You know, some days I don't believe that they can do it either. But…You know, my job is to keep trying. Is everything that I'd hope to do going to happen this year? No. But you know, we'll get some small victories.” In his statement, Kyle narrates his ability to contextualize the situation and remove it from his STAYING POWER 74 emotions. Instead of letting himself give up when faced with frustration, Kyle relies on a positive outlook of focusing on what is going well. Similarly, Adam, who admitted struggling a lot with his emotions, talked about how he learned to regulate his emotions. He was inspired to manage his own emotions from a conversation with a veteran co-teacher who was much more emotionally constant than he was. What he learned from the conversation was to manage emotions by “talk[ing] out the anger with [his co-teacher] which really helped [him] to not be upset.” For Adam, finding a peer to talk to, instead of letting his frustration bottle up inside, was what proved to be most effective for him. These three experiences illustrate teachers who found their own way of regulating their emotions, enabling them to continue in the profession. In contrast, the WRGSE teachers who decided to leave the profession reflected that they were not able to regulate their emotions in the same way. For example, when Rachel was asked why she decided to leave the profession instead of move to a new school, she stated that no matter where she went the environment would be “toxic” and that “until [she] was emotionally healed from her two-year experience” she was not ready to continue in the profession. Rachel’s reflection shows her inability to remove herself from the emotions of the experience in order to achieve her goals. Similarly, Cameron reflected on feeling a “constant fatigue” for needing to speak up for his students, showing that he also ended up being weighed down by the emotional toll of teaching and was unable to find a way to remove himself from that state. Gabriela stated that she was “just not happy” in the profession. These data show that all respondents may benefit from learning emotional management strategies in their teacher preparation program. This training may especially benefit teachers at risk for leaving the profession. The WRGSE teachers who were interviewed expressed a desire STAYING POWER 75 for more support. For example, Adam, a stayer, expressed the desire for WRGSE to “provide more support with emotional management.” Gabriela, a leaver, suggested that WRGSE develop a course on how to handle difficult co-teaching situations. These suggestions show that emotional regulation is an important skill for teachers to learn, yet there is no coursework from their EPP to help them develop knowledge of emotional management. Motivational Causes of Teacher Attrition In addition to having the metacognitive knowledge that they need to remain emotionally constant in the classroom, there are motivational causes that impact new teachers’ decisions to persist in the profession. Two important motivational factors may explain new-teacher retention. The first key finding, which is related to attribution theory, is that WRGSE teachers leaving the profession were less likely to view effective teaching as within their control. The second key finding related to motivation is that stayers had higher self-efficacy than WRGSE teachers that left the profession or moved to a new classroom. Attribution theory. Teachers need to view the expectations of their profession as within their locus of control. In the context of teacher motivation, attributions influence a teacher’s motivation to stay in the classroom or leave it. Prior research has shown that if teachers see themselves in control, they are more likely to stay in the classroom (Hong, 2012). This influence corresponds to the experience of WRGSE teachers in this study. Specifically, the results showed that the group of WRGSE teachers who decided to leave the profession felt less control over student success than movers and stayers (Figure 9). Survey participants were asked to rate their level of agreement with the question: “The factor that most contributes to student success in the classroom is the teacher (you).” In response to this question, about 70% stayers agreed or strongly agreed that they were the factor that most contributed to student success. This result STAYING POWER 76 stands in sharp contrast to WRGSE leavers, where only 41% agreed or strongly agreed with the same statement (Figure 9). Stayers reported the highest level of agreement with the statement that the factor that most contributes to student success is the teacher. This finding validates research that teachers who see themselves as more in control of success in the classroom are more likely to stay (Hong, 2012). Figure 9. WRGSE teacher agreement with control over student success. In addition to the finding that leavers did not see themselves as the main factor that influences student success in the classroom, leavers were also are more pessimistic about the ability to learn to teach. For example, when asked to agree with the statement “I believe that great teaching can be taught”, 79% of stayers agreed or strongly agreed, 64% of movers agreed or strongly agreed, and 65% of leavers agreed (Figure 10). STAYING POWER 77 Figure 10. Survey response to the statement “I believe that great teaching can be taught”. Qualitative data also showed that leavers were less likely to agree that anyone can be taught to be a great teacher. Three of the four teachers who decided to leave their classrooms stated that part of teaching can be taught, but not all of it. For example, Cameron, Gabriela, and Rachel expressed that great teachers have the right personality for the job, and Rachel said it needs to “come from the heart.” In contrast, Jack and Keith, teachers who have both decided to stay in the teaching profession, stated that “Yes. [they] can definitely be taught.” Interview participants identified as movers or levers believed that teaching is an ability that one is born with, rather than an ability that one can cultivate. On the other hand, stayers, like Jack and Keith believe that great teaching can be taught. It is possible that this mindset also helps to inspire teachers to persist at a difficult job, because they believe that they can improve their own skill. Thus, it may be important to develop the mindset that one can learn to be a great teacher to help teachers feel more in control of their own development. In order for teachers to STAYING POWER 78 have more ownership of their ability to learn and grow as a teacher, it is essential for the educator preparation program to convey these messages to its students. In addition to owning their ability to learn and to control a classroom, teachers need to be able to feel successful in the work that they do. This highlights the importance of self-efficacy and its relationship to new teacher persistence in the classroom. Self-efficacy. In order for teachers to continue to be motivated to do their job, they need to feel successful. Research shows that teachers with low self-efficacy are more likely to be discouraged by challenges that arise in the classroom and experience more burnout than teachers with stronger self-efficacy (Johnson & Bikreland, 2003; Schwarzer & Hallum, 2008). This study validates this previous finding. Self-efficacy was measured in several different ways through a variety of survey and interview questions to test this theory and revealed the finding that WRGSE teachers who indicated higher self-efficacy chose to stay in the profession for another year. Figure 11. Survey Likert scale mean of WRGSE teacher self-efficacy across five items. STAYING POWER 79 When asked to rate themselves on a Likert scale of agreement with the following self- efficacy questions of their teaching ability on a variety of factors, WRGSE teachers were generally self-efficacious, yet there was a consistent score difference between leavers, movers, and stayers (Figure 11). Stayers had the highest mean across four of the five self-efficacy items. Thus, in general, they tend to feel more confident in their teaching ability. The largest difference between leavers, movers, and stayers was WRGSE teachers’ responses to the question “I believe I am a good teacher.” WRGSE stayers had a mean of 6.13 while movers had a mean of 5.62 and leavers had a mean of 5.69 (Figure 11). Overall, Figure 11 shows that stayers are more self- efficacious than leavers and movers among all categories except for confidence in content knowledge. In that category, leavers are the most self-efficacious. The difference between WRGSE teachers’ confidence in their own content knowledge could potentially stem from their belief in their ability to utilize this knowledge outside of teaching, as it is less connected to the teaching profession than the other self-efficacy measures. Further investigation in this dissonance is needed to draw conclusions but one can infer that overall, WRGSE teachers staying in the profession feel more confident in their own teaching abilities. This same perception of teaching abilities among stayers and leavers was reflected in the qualitative interviews. Some teachers felt more self-efficacious than others. For example, Gabriela, who decided to leave the teaching profession, reflected on her low-confidence in her teaching ability, especially during her first year: It just felt like it's hard to love something that you don't know how to do. It's like when you're playing a sport that your body isn't equipped to doing, and you're around people who are so good at the sport. It's a shitty feeling, for lack of a better word. And so I think that's how I felt a lot of the times at the beginning because I STAYING POWER 80 just felt like I wasn't as successful as the people around me, and thus I hated what I was doing. In this quote, Gabriela highlights two important points. The first is that she herself did not feel successful in her role. The second point that she makes is that her lack of self-efficacy led her to “hate” her job. This quotation shows the effect that low self-efficacy has on teacher persistence. In order for teachers to be motivated to persist in the profession, they need to feel successful and to see their progress in the profession. Without being self-efficacious and believing that one can control success in the classroom, teachers can easily get discouraged and convince themselves that they are a failure in the profession. It is the responsibility of EPPs to curb new teachers’ perceptions of their own abilities and help equip new teachers with emotional management tools. It is essential to critically evaluate the impact of teacher supports provided by WRGSE on new-teacher motivation and knowledge. Organizational Factors Influencing New Teacher Retention Three organizational factors are instrumental to the support of new teachers: (a) institutional belief in the philosophy that great teaching can be taught, (b) an organizational commitment to graduating teachers committed to persistence in the profession, and (c) structures of support for teachers. Each of these organizational factors were explored in this study. The survey utilized a 6-point Likert scale to better understand the relationship between the organization and each of the contributing factors from the conceptual framework. The interviews focused on similar probing questions to get at the heart of organizational influence on new teacher persistence. In doing so, the study addressed the third research question: What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and stakeholder knowledge and motivation? STAYING POWER 81 The results revealed two key findings. First, the organization cultivated messages that were essential for teacher persistence, but the messaging failed to transfer to WRGSE teachers’ reported beliefs. Second, WRGSE teachers would have liked more support from the organization that was specific to their needs and teaching contexts. Organizational beliefs. As discussed in the prior section on motivational causes, new teachers need to believe that great teaching can be taught. As discussed above, the survey results showed that WRGSE teachers leaving the profession or moving to a new teaching setting tend to agree less than WRGSE teachers staying in the profession that great teachers can be taught (Figure 10). In the interview component of this study, this sentiment was validated because while most of the WRGSE teachers leaving the profession stated that they believed parts of teaching could be taught, they did not believe all components could be taught. Cameron, for example, expressed his view that successful educators have “something in their personality.” He expanded on this thought by saying, “I think there's certain personality traits that allow you to be successful, or that make it maybe not as difficult [as for others without those traits].” Gabriela felt similarly and stated, “[t]o a certain point, yes, you can teach certain strategies or how to make project-based learning and things like that. But we all come in with our personalities already as adults, so I'm not sure how changeable that is.” Although both Gabriela and Cameron stated that they did not feel that all parts of teaching could be taught, both of them reflected that WRGSE as an institution taught them skills that they need to be a good teacher. For example, Cameron stated, “I will definitely say that I was taught the necessary tools to be a successful educator and be good at what I do. Definitely.” Similarly, Gabriela attributed some of her successful teaching to her own personality but admitted, STAYING POWER 82 So I had that going for me already [in reference to her personality traits], but I definitely think in terms of project-based learning, in terms of letting my kids come to the answers on their own, maybe even turning more lesson plans into songs and activities. I did learn that from [WRGSE]. Even though both of these WRGSE teachers admitted that they did learn from the organization strategies that helped them become a great teacher, these lessons did not transfer into their reported belief that teaching could be taught. Similarly, the organizational beliefs around teacher persistence were noted by some but not all WRGSE teachers. For example, when asked if the organization graduates teachers who are committed to the teaching profession on the survey, the mean score was 4.88 out of 6 points, and decreased depending on the mobility of the teacher (Figure 12). Figure 12. Survey response to teacher mobility and belief in organizational commitment. WRGSE teachers who have chosen to stay in the profession agreed more with the statement about the organizational ability to graduate teachers who are committed to the profession than WRGSE teachers who were moving to a different school or leaving the profession (Figure 12). STAYING POWER 83 The interviews probed this finding by asking WRGSE teachers to reflect on the type of teacher that WRGSE wants to cultivate through the program. None of the eight participants answered this prompt with “lifelong teachers who are dedicated to the profession.” Instead, participants expressed the view that WRGSE cultivates: (1) teachers equipped with a certain set of tools that they can use to be successful in the classroom and (2) “Charter School” teachers. All WRGSE teachers interviewed, no matter their mobility from the classroom or profession, expressed the view that WRGSE cultivates teachers with tools they can use to be successful in the classroom. For example, Cameron, who indicated that he was leaving the profession, noted that “[WRGSE] wants teachers that have specific tools, that they can use when teaching kids…. someone who definitely can walk into any environment and thrive. I definitely think that [WRGSE] also wants their graduates to be informative on certain cultural dynamics.” Similarly, Adam reflected “there's like a whole five-point system of things that they want their graduates to be.” When asked what the five-point system was, Adam could not recall all five, but he highlighted agile, fluid teaching, and classroom managers that were warm and demanding as two of the five skills that WRGSE wanted to develop in its teachers. Similarly, Sandra reflected on the type of person that WRGSE wants to cultivate through its program, “charismatic, caring, firm in their beliefs or their character as a teacher.” James highlighted that WRGSE was growing “culturally responsive teachers” and Keith mentioned that WRGSE was trying to cultivate teachers that “understand data and understand it's use and are willing to use it.” Although each teacher had a different idea of what type of graduate WRGSE was trying to create, each of them noted how the skills that WRGSE was trying to teach to cultivate this type of teacher resonated with their own idea of teacher success. Overall, participants felt like the program was equipping teachers with the tools that they needed for success in the classroom, STAYING POWER 84 although the type of tools (e.g., culturally responsive thinking, ability to use data in the classroom, developing a warm and demanding approach) were different depending on the participant. Of the WRGSE teachers interviewed who decided to leave the profession, two of them stated that WRGSE was trying to cultivate teachers that are characteristic of charter schools. For example, Rachel, a teacher who reported leaving the profession, stated “I felt that they were trying to make the [Name of a large charter organization] or the [name of another charter organization] teachers.” Gabriela, who also decided to leave the profession, reflected on the same thing, stating, “But the feeling is very charter school. A lot of the teachers [attending WRGSE] come from charter schools. A lot of the [WRGSE] professors originally came from charter schools, so I did get that feeling.” Gabriela and Rachel’s responses represent idea that that the organization was sending a message to teachers that represented the perspective of charter school teachers. This trend came up from interview participants that decided to stay in the profession as an area that they would like to push the graduate school to grow. For example, Adam, a public school teacher who was staying in the profession stated, “[WRGSE] frequently shows us videos from charter schools. And for us it feels unbelievable like immediately.” Patrick, a public school teacher, who reported moving to a new school had a similar reflection and stated that “the bad [thing about WRGSE] is it's not focused towards the DOE (Department of Education)” he then went on to say that when videos were shown he and others from the DOE would think, "This isn't my classroom. You know? We don't have behavior like this. We can't do a rhythm like this, this is laughable." Patrick, Adam, Gabriela, and Rachel all emphasized that WRGSE was not presenting enough differentiation of thought and needed to tailor the program more to support all teachers, especially those in district schools. STAYING POWER 85 Organizational support. The existing literature on new-teacher retention highlights the importance of mentorship and organizational support of new teachers in order to foster new teacher persistence (Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). The survey data found that, in general, WRGSE teachers who decided to stay at the same school post-graduation felt more supported by the WRGSE after graduation. For example, leavers and movers agreed less than stayers with the statement that “WRGSE supports its teachers past graduation” (Figure 13). Figure 13. Participant agreement that WRGSE supports its teachers past graduation. In the interviews, participants reflected on ways that their graduate school supported them and ways it fell short. WRGSE interview respondents said they felt they had ample opportunities to practice what they had learned in the program and improve within their school setting and that the faculty within the program were of high quality. Interview participants also expressed desires for more opportunities to get feedback on their teaching and for more support with resources that are more tailored to their context. STAYING POWER 86 In the survey responses, WRGSE teachers expressed general satisfaction with the program. For example, in response to the question “I am satisfied with my preparation I received from WRGSE” the majority (66%) of participants stated that they agreed or strongly agreed with the statement (Figure 14). Figure 14. WRGSE program satisfaction of all survey respondents. The interview data provided more context for this finding. Five of the eight interview participants felt that the skills that they learned at WRGSE allowed them to be well prepared to enter the profession. For example, Gabriela, who left the profession stated, “I had the most amount of resources from [WRGSE], and it helped me become a really good teacher because I learned how to do things from one night in the classroom to the next morning, I could immediately implement it.” Similarly, Keith reflected that he was “using stuff from [WRGSE] all the time, every day. And it definitely makes it more fun and rewarding to be in the classroom.” Adam also stated, “I am being given actionable things and time to practice those actionable things. This is really cool.” STAYING POWER 87 In addition to feeling like the content that they were learning through the program was applicable to their teaching context, three of the eight interview participants mentioned high quality faculty at WRGSE. Adam reflected, “I feel really fortunate to have gotten [the] opportunity to go [WRGSE]” and highlighted how it “was a great match” for him. Similarly, Rachel noted the impact of a particular faculty member on her instruction, “She was supportive, she was flexible, but also had high expectations, which is nice. So, basically, she models what a good teacher should be like in the classroom.” Having faculty model what great teaching looks like helped Rachel to transfer those skills to her own classroom. The survey data reflects this sentiment, with 77% of respondents strongly agreeing and 17% of respondents somewhat agreeing with the statement WRGSE has high quality faculty. Although WRGSE teachers generally were satisfied by the program and faculty, interview respondents did identify room for improvement. WRGSE teachers expressed a desire for more opportunities for feedback on their teaching and resources that were more tailored to their school context. For example, two teachers mentioned that they would have appreciated non- evaluative classroom observations to help their own development, especially in their first year of teaching. For example, Adam stated, “But I was really hoping from [WRGSE] that, looking back, what I would have really loved them to have had were non-evaluative visits, really, really early on.” Similarly, Gabriela stated, “I wish my advisors would have visited my classroom a little bit more, especially because in my first year, I really didn't have a community in my school, and that made it really hard because I'm like an extrovert by nature, and interpersonal relationships are really important to me.” Both Gabriela and Adam thought they would have benefitted from more observations and feedback in their first year. STAYING POWER 88 In addition to wanting more feedback, WRGSE teachers expressed a desire for the program to provide more resources for teachers in public school settings. For example, Patrick, a public school teacher, expressed a desire for more resources that were tailored to public school teachers. Keith shared a similar reflection: I think WRGSE definitely presents a lot of what it's teaching in a non-DOE or non-public…from a charter school perspective. At times it kind of felt a little disconnect, like, ‘Great I'm sure all these kids sitting in uniforms and doing Slant and all this other stuff can do this. But you know, that's not how it works in the real world’. Similarly, Sandra expressed that she would love resources for public school teachers on “how to communicate with your administration.” In order to better support its teachers in the program WRGSE needs to ensure that it is providing resources for teachers around their school contexts and needs. Overall, both the qualitative and quantitative results from this study found that WRGSE teachers felt somewhat supported and developed by the organization, but they identified particular areas for improvement. In order to cultivate teachers that will persist in the profession, it is essential for the organization to consider how to best develop its teachers with the mindsets and skills needed for a lifelong career in teaching. Findings Summary This chapter addressed research questions 1-3. Survey and interview data revealed that WRGSE did not meet its graduate performance goal of having 100% of teachers remain in the profession for another year post-graduation. A greater proportion of WRGSE teachers who decided to leave the profession post-graduation identified as White and were not motivated by STAYING POWER 89 salary in their decision to leave. The second research question explored the knowledge and motivational factors influencing the retention of WRGSE teachers. The data suggested that WRGSE teachers who left the profession struggled more with classroom management than WRGSE teachers who decided to stay. In addition, teachers with emotional management skills tended to stay in the profession more than teachers who struggled with emotional regulation. WRGSE teachers leaving the profession were less likely to view effective teaching as within their locus of control and had lower self-efficacy than teachers who stayed in the profession or moved to a new classroom. Organizational influences were explored through the survey data, revealing two key findings. First, institutional beliefs were not reflected in WRGSE teachers’ reported beliefs. Second, survey data showed that WRGSE teachers wanted more support from the institution. Chapter five outlines recommendations for EPPs based on these results. STAYING POWER 90 Chapter Five: Recommendations This study evaluated the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences impacting retention of WRGSE graduates new to the teaching profession. Results indicated that graduates of EPPs need specific and tailored support to remain in the teaching profession. Specifically, WRGSE teachers need more support with classroom management and emotional management skills. In addition, the results revealed that WRGSE teachers could benefit from curriculum that increases self-efficacy and is tailored to the needs of teachers in a variety of school contexts. This chapter explores how organizational practice in the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organizational resources can be improved. The recommendations for organizational practice are tailored specifically to the context of WRGSE but are transferrable to other EPPs as well. The framework for Chapter Five is based on the New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). This Chapter discusses (a) knowledge recommendations (b) motivation recommendations (c) organizational recommendations. A framework for implementation and evaluation of the recommendations is presented as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the approach and recommendations for future research. Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences Knowledge Recommendations Introduction. The themes from the survey and interviews conducted in this study yielded key findings in relation to knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors influencing new- teacher retention. These findings were used to motivate specific recommendations for EPPs. All assumed knowledge influences have been listed based on the procedural and metacognitive knowledge influences of WRGSE new-teacher retention most frequently mentioned in surveys and interviews (Table 8). This dissertation used gap analysis, and the resulting gaps were based STAYING POWER 91 on assumed knowledge influences from the literature (Clark & Estes, 2008). All recommendations for each influence are grounded in theory (Table 8). Table 8 Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations Assumed Knowledge Influence Principle and Citation Context-Specific Recommendation Teachers need to know how to effectively implement classroom management strategies (Procedural Knowledge). Feedback that is private, specific, timely, and enhances performance (Shute, 2008). Classroom management skills in teachers can be advanced through professional development (Stansbury & Zimmerman, 2000). Teachers that are struggling with classroom management in the first six weeks of the program will be identified and will receive non- evaluative feedback from professors through intensive observations and coaching. Teachers need to know how to regulate their emotions (Meta- Cognitive Knowledge). Reappraisal can be used to modify emotions by changing the way a person thinks about the situation early in the generation of an emotion (Sutton, Mudrey- Camino, & Knight, 2009). Self-distancing helps reduce emotional reactivity and psychological stress (Kross, & Ayduk, 2017). Incorporate coursework on emotional regulation that includes preventative and responsive emotional regulation strategies such as self-distancing (preventative) and reappraisal (responsive) into the first year of the program for teachers. Procedural Knowledge Solutions Teachers need to know how to effectively implement classroom management strategies. According to Shute (2008), formative feedback improves performance. Shute defines formative feedback as “information communicated to the learner that is intended to modify his or her thinking or behavior for the purpose of improving learning” (p. 154). In addition to being non- evaluative, Shute (2008) emphasizes the importance of the delivery of the feedback and states that the feedback must be tailored to the needs of the learner. Moreover, that learner must receive the feedback in time to use it and be willing to incorporate it into their practice. Therefore, in order to improve WRGSE teachers’ ability to implement their knowledge of classroom STAYING POWER 92 management, it is essential that WRGSE faculty support teachers who are struggling with classroom management through formative feedback. Results of this study showed that WRGSE teachers with stronger classroom management skills tended to remain in the profession for another year. Furthermore, the data suggested that how teachers perceived their classroom management skills during their first year of teaching may influence their subsequent career decisions. Thus, it is essential that WRGSE develops a system to identify new teachers who struggle with classroom management and develop an intensive coaching plan to support them. In order to identify these teachers, it is recommended that WRGSE require teachers to submit a video of their classrooms within the first six weeks of the program. The videos would not be evaluated by faculty but would be used to identify teachers that are struggling with classroom management. Those teachers would then receive professional development in the form of formative feedback and coaching from faculty. Stansbury and Zimmerman (2000) recommend professional development as a way to help advance classroom management skills in teachers. In their report created for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (U.S. Department of Education, 2014) the researchers claim that long term professional development can help teachers to better engage students. In order to transfer the learnings from the literature and data analyzed in this study, it is recommended that WRGSE should re-evaluate the way that it approaches support for teachers struggling with classroom management. Currently in the program, all classroom observations are evaluative (Anonymous, personal communication, 2019). Adding non-evaluative observations where WRGSE faculty can give formative feedback tailored to individual teachers at the beginning of the year would allow WRGSE to address teachers’ particular needs regarding classroom management support. The evidence from the literature affirms that professional STAYING POWER 93 development in the form of formative feedback and intensive coaching will help WRGSE teachers better manage their classrooms (Schute, 2008, Stansbury & Zimmerman, 2000). Metacognitive Knowledge Solutions Teachers need to know how to regulate their emotions. Unlike many other professions, teachers have higher levels of emotional exhaustion because they lack time to reflect on their practice and are often isolated from other adults. Chang (2009) argues that in order to reduce teacher burnout, teachers must learn to become more aware of their emotions and figure out how to interpret them and manage them effectively. If teachers are able to improve their understanding and control of the dramatic range of emotions common during the practice of teaching, they can shift their view of teaching to be more realistic (e.g., “teaching is hard, but rewarding”) rather than optimistic (e.g., “teaching is an easy job”). Thus, Chang (2009) recommends teaching metacognitive coping strategies to prepare teachers for the emotional hardships that are especially present in the first few years of teaching. Similar to Chang (2009), Sutton’s (2004) research explores the relationship of emotional regulation in the teaching context and highlights that the ability to control emotional expression is crucial for teachers. Sutton (2004) outlines that emotional regulation strategies can be preventative (antecedent-focused) or responsive (response-focused) and that equipping teachers with both strategies could be helpful so that teachers can differentiate based on their own emotional needs. Research presented here demonstrated that WRGSE teachers who had learned emotional management skills were better equipped for persistence in the profession. Ensuring that teachers have the tools to develop their emotional regulation skills will help the organization towards their goal of new teacher retention. Therefore, WRGSE should incorporate emotional regulations strategies into coursework as well as coaching and support on reinforcing these strategies in practice. STAYING POWER 94 This study’s results, combined with the extant literature, suggest that WRGSE should consider starting with one preventative strategy (self-distancing) and one responsive strategy (reappraisal) to incorporate into a general course on emotional management for students in their first year of the program. Self-distancing is the technique that allows people to psychologically remove themselves from an event so that they can process it more effectively (Kross, Ayduk, & Mischel, 2005). Self-distancing asks people to visualize themselves in their past or future experiences from afar by using third-person self-talk and is relatively simple to teach (Kross & Ayduk, 2017). WRGSE faculty should incorporate instruction on self-distancing as an option for emotional regulation. Incorporating the practice of self-distancing into coursework will help WRGSE teachers to reflect on frustrating situations that occur in the classroom to help with emotional regulation. In addition to including proactive strategies in coursework, WRGSE should include a reactive strategy to help teachers in times of stress. Reappraisal is the process of changing the way a person thinks about a situation early in the generation of emotion (Sutton et al., 2009). For instance, Sutton et al. (2009) give the example that teachers who regulate their anger and frustration by reminding themselves that they are teaching kids are using reappraisal to regulate their emotions. Therefore, WRGSE should give examples of strategies like reappraisal in the coursework on emotional management to help empower teachers with strategies to regulate their emotions. Motivation Recommendations Introduction. Increasing WRGSE teachers’ knowledge of classroom management and equipping them emotional regulation strategies will help prepare them for persistence in the STAYING POWER 95 profession. In addition to key knowledge influences, there are two motivational influences that shape new teacher retention (Table 9). Table 9 Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations Assumed Motivation Influence Principle and Citation Context-Specific Recommendation Teachers need to believe in their own abilities to do their job well and handle challenges that come their way (Self-Efficacy). High self-efficacy can positively influence motivation (Pajares, 2006). Feedback and modeling increase self-efficacy (Pajares, 2006). Observing another person successfully perform the action (vicarious experience) is a source of self-efficacy that needs to be coupled with follow-up coaching (Tschannen-Moran & McMaster, 2009). When presenting new teaching strategies as a part of coursework, faculty should use a vicarious experience, and then provide opportunities for practice and follow-up coaching for teachers implementing the new skill. Teachers need to view failure as stable, controllable, and internal (Attributions). Learning and motivation are enhanced when individuals attribute success or failures to effort rather than ability (Anderman & Anderman, 2009). Provide feedback that stresses the process of learning including the importance of effort, strategies, and potential self-control of learning. (Anderman & Anderman, 2009). Competence building narratives help participants to think about their own agency (Jones, Destin, & McAdams, 2018). Teachers should be guided through a reflection process each month in class. This process would allow for teachers to reflect on one success and one failure that occurred in the last month and specifically consider the steps they took to accomplish the success and what they learned from their failures. STAYING POWER 96 Self-Efficacy Teachers need to believe in their own abilities to do their job well and handle challenges that they face. Self-efficacy refers to the beliefs people hold about their own ability to succeed; not surprisingly, high self-efficacy can positively influence motivation (Pajares, 2006). Pajares (2006) highlights the strategies of feedback and modeling to increase self-efficacy. When applying these strategies to the teaching, Tschannen-Moran and McMaster (2009) note that just providing the model, or vicarious experience, is not enough to increase self-efficacy. It is essential to follow up the experience with coaching tailored to the individual. Providing opportunities for WRGSE teachers to see successful models in context and receive tailored feedback on their performance will likely develop their self-efficacy. Thus, the recommendation for WRGSE is that teachers see models of great teaching through video as part of their coursework and use those models to reflect on their practice. The practice of seeing great teaching through classroom videos is already present in WRGSE curriculum, however, most of the videos that are used within the program use videos from charter school settings. It is recommended that the organization showcases examples of great teaching from more public school settings so that teachers can see models within their individual school contexts. After the diverse range of models are shown, teachers will receive feedback from their instructors on their own teaching ability to help them to develop self-efficacy. In addition to influencing motivation, self-efficacy influences the choices people make, an individual’s resiliency, and one’s emotional reactions (Pajares, 2006). Those who are self- efficacious work harder, are more resilient, and achieve more than those who are not. Hong (2012) asserts that teachers who have low self-efficacy believe that they are unable to face challenges that arise in the classroom which results in them ultimately leaving the profession. STAYING POWER 97 Pajares’s (2006) theory is similar to this research and states that that those who are self- efficacious have more grit and persevere in the face of challenges. Similarly, in their study of 1203 German and Syrian teachers, Schwarzer and Hallum (2008) found that low self-efficacy was a factor affecting teacher attrition and that strengthening teachers’ beliefs about their own teaching skills would help prevent burnout. In order for teachers to continue to be motivated to do their job, they need to feel successful (Johnson & Birkeland, 2003). Thus, it is important that they are self-efficacious in order to continue teaching in the profession. Attributions Teachers need to view failure as stable, controllable, and internal. According to Anderman and Anderman (2009), learning and motivation are enhanced when individuals attribute success or failures to effort rather than ability. In order to do this, it is important that teachers reflect on their success and failures. One way of reflecting is through personal narratives, or the way that individuals frame success and failures and see how these moments fit into their lives (Jones et al., 2018). Guiding WRGSE teachers through monthly reflections where teachers write about one success and one failure and specifically recount the contributing actions will help them to make the connection between effort and success. Therefore, as part of the coursework at WRGSE, teachers should develop their own narratives through a guided writing process aimed at generating such reflection. The underlying idea of attribution theory is that individuals want to understand the causes of particular events and that their beliefs about why events occur connects to their future motivation (Anderman & Anderman, 2006). In the context of teacher motivation, attributions influence a teacher’s motivation to stay in or leave the classroom. Hong (2012) asserts that if teachers see failure as external, stable, and uncontrollable, they are less likely to stay in the STAYING POWER 98 profession. For example, if they cannot change the working conditions that make them unhappy, they are more likely to leave. Conversely, teachers who feel like they can contribute to change are more likely to persevere through challenges (Hong, 2012). The recommended narrative process where WRGSE teachers reflect in writing on their own successes and failures could help to empower teachers to create change. Organization Recommendations Introduction. In addition to building self-efficacy and the ability for teachers to see situations within their own locus of control, the organization needs to support WRGSE teachers in their development. Organizational recommendations to increase WRGSE teacher retention are based upon the findings presented here (Table 10). Two of the three assumed influences were validated by the data (Table 10). The cultural model of ensuring organizational commitment was not validated by the data and is not associated with a recommendation. STAYING POWER 99 Table 10 Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations Assumed Organization Influence Principle and Citation Context-Specific Recommendation Organizational belief that great teaching can be taught (Cultural Model) Effective organizations insure that organizational messages, rewards, policies and procedures that govern the work of the organization are aligned with or are supportive of organizational goals and values (Clark & Estes, 2008). Effective educator- preparation programs have clear vision for good teaching (Darling- Hammond, 2014). Ensure support for teachers from all contexts in developing the belief that great teaching can be taught by auditing the curriculum. Organizational commitment to graduating teachers committed to the teaching profession (Cultural Model). No recommendations because this was not validated by this study. Organizational support for teachers who are still in the classroom through various touchpoints (Cultural Setting). Effective change efforts ensure that everyone has the resources (equipment, personnel, time, etc.) needed to do their job, and that if there are resource shortages, then resources are aligned with organizational priorities (Clark & Estes, 2008). New teachers need support after completing their pre- service or in-service program (Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Devote resources to designing specific touchpoints (at least four per year) when all teachers in the program need to be observed by faculty and ensure that faculty communicates student progress directly to the school leader. Cultural Model of the Organization The belief that great teaching can be taught is essential to the success of WRGSE in achieving its goals. Data presented in Chapter Four showed that WRGSE needs to ensure that they are messaging the fact teaching can be taught in all teaching contexts. According to Clark STAYING POWER 100 and Estes (2008), effective organizations ensure that organizational messages, rewards, policies, and procedures that govern the work of the organization are aligned with or are supportive of organizational goals and values. Effective change begins by addressing motivation influencers; it ensures the group knows why it needs to change. It then addresses organizational barriers, and then knowledge and skills needed to implement change (Clark & Estes, 2008). Therefore, it is recommended that WRGSE audits the curriculum to ensure that there is representation of teachers in different teaching contexts and that the organization is sending the message to all teachers that one can improve their teaching with practice. This aligns to the theme discussed in Chapter Four that WRGSE teachers interviewed wanted more support from the organization that was tailored to their individual teaching context. It is recommended that WRGSE also ensures that this message is present in materials and aligned to the organizational goals of the institution. in an evaluation of seven educator preparation programs, Darling-Hammond (2014) found that a common feature among the programs is that they prepared teachers for the classroom and all had a common, clear vision of good teaching that permeated all coursework. Darling-Hammond (2006) states that the beliefs that teachers are born and not made and that good teachers figure out how to teach on their own over time have harmful consequences for teacher education. In order for faculty at WRGSE to cultivate strong teachers, they themselves must believe that great teaching can be taught, and that belief must be present and clearly represented in the coursework put before its teachers. To ensure that WRGSE is communicating the belief that great teaching can be taught, it is recommended that WRGSE audit the organizational messages and curriculum for language that highlights that great teachers, in all contexts, are made, not born. STAYING POWER 101 Cultural Setting of the Organization The organization needs to support teachers who are still in the classroom through various touchpoints. According to Clark and Estes (2008), effective change efforts ensure that everyone has the resources (equipment, personnel, time, etc.) needed to do their job, and that if there are resource shortages, then resources are aligned with organizational priorities. In the data collected through surveys and interviews, WRGSE teachers expressed that they wanted more tailored support from the organization (e.g. more resources specially built for public school teachers). Therefore, it is recommended that students in the program are supported by their advisors and faculty through observation and resources that are specifically tailored to their teaching context. For example, WRGSE needs to ensure that it builds on the knowledge that teachers already have from their individual school contexts and incorporates practices like restorative justice into recommendations that faculty suggest for teachers. New teachers who have completed pre-service or in-service preparation programs need support after completing their program (Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Smith and Ingersoll (2004) outline the difference between teacher induction, the training that teachers receive after they have completed basic training (e.g. master’s program, credentialing program, alternative certification program, etc.) and teacher mentoring (i.e., guidance provided by veteran teachers), but state that both are designed to support new teachers and the terms are now commonly used interchangeably. In their study of 3,235 first-year teachers from 1999-2000 who received some type of induction or mentoring support, such as collaboration with other teachers or additional resources (like a reduced planning workload), Smith and Ingersoll (2004) found that induction programs helped reduce new teacher turnover. Furthermore, the researchers note that having a mentor from the same field, having common planning time with other teachers in the same STAYING POWER 102 subject or collaboration with other teachers on instruction, and being part of an external network of teachers were the most effective at reducing new teacher turnover. Therefore, it is recommended that WRGSE creates supports for its teachers within the program and past graduation. Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan Implementation and Evaluation Framework The New World Kirkpatrick model is recommended as the evaluation framework to assess the implementation of this study’s recommendations. The original framework created by Donald Kirkpatrick in the early 1960s has been revised to create the New World Kirkpatrick model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) four-level model suggests using the steps of the model in reverse while planning, but while in execution, the steps should be used in order. Therefore, it is recommended to plan for evaluation by starting with the desired outcomes (level 4) and use them as drivers for the subsequent stages (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Once a result statement is set for the entire organization, it is important to think about the leading indicators that will impact the desired results. After all of these factors are considered (level 4), the organization must evaluate the critical behaviors of the stakeholder group (level 3). In this phase (level 3), required drivers reinforce and monitor the behaviors that contribute to the desired result. After expected behaviors have been set, the researcher then focuses on the degree to which the participants acquire the intended knowledge, skills, attitude, and commitment as a result of the training (level 2). Finally, the degree to which the participants find the training favorable, relevant, and engaging (level 1) will be assessed (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). STAYING POWER 103 Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations WRGSE’s organization goal is that by June 2019, 100% of WRGSE students will graduate from the program with the knowledge and skills to continue successful employment. The organizational goal was derived from WRGSE’s institutional priorities. There is a shortage of teachers in many states across the country (Beery & Shields 2017; Darling-Hammond & Sutcher 2016) and the most common cause of the teacher shortage is teacher attrition (Martin & Mulvihill, 2016). More specifically, new, less experienced teachers are more likely to leave the profession when compared to teachers with experience (DeAngelis & Presley, 2011; Guarino et al., 2006; Hughes, 2012). WRGSE has the unique opportunity to positively impact new-teacher retention by preparing its teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to persist in the profession. The proposed recommendations above should yield desirable outcomes for WRGSE’s graduates who are new full-time teachers. Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators Evaluation of recommendations should begin by starting with the desired outcomes to use as drivers for the subsequent stages of implementation. Outcomes should be measured with pre- defined metrics and methods (Table 11). Measurable external and internal outcomes drive the organization in successful implementation to overall increase the retention of WRGSE teachers in the profession. STAYING POWER 104 Table 11 Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes Outcome Metric(s) Method(s) External Outcomes Increased retention of teachers from WRGSE’s program in the classroom. Percentage of graduates who remain in the teaching profession after completing the WRGSE program. Compare this data to previous years. Internal Outcomes Increased effectiveness in WRGSE teachers’ ability to manage a classroom. Average of rubric scores on the teacher management rubric. Compare rubric scores across the three blind observations. Increased effectiveness in WRGSE teachers’ ability to manage their own emotions. Number of 5’s on a Likert scale where teachers rank their ability to manage their emotions. Collect data via survey at the beginning of each year on emotional management and compare survey data to previous years. Increased WRGSE teachers’ self-efficacy. Number of 5’s on a self-efficacy Likert scale. Collect data via survey at the beginning of each year that measures self-efficacy and compare survey data to previous years. Increased agreement among WRGSE teachers that great teaching can be taught. Number of 5’s on a Likert scale that addresses the critical mindset that great teaching can be taught. Collect data via survey at the beginning of each year that asks teachers to reflect on the belief that great teaching can be taught and compare survey data to previous years. Increased touchpoints for teachers who are in the WRGSE program. Number of total touchpoints between faculty and teachers in the program. Audit the program for the number of touchpoints in 2018, 2019, and 2020 and compare those touchpoints to previous years. Level 3: Behavior Critical behaviors. Critical behaviors are the degree to which participants apply what they have learned through the training (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick 2016). In order for WRGSE to achieve the desired outcomes, students and faculty will need to exhibit several critical behaviors. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), it is essential for organizations to monitor the critical behaviors of the organization in order to achieve the desired results. Therefore, there are a few key behaviors of the stakeholder group of focus and of the organization that need to be STAYING POWER 105 monitored to ensure success. The first critical behavior is that WRGSE teachers will participate in a monthly reflection that requires them to write a short narrative about one success and one failure that occurred in the month. This activity will help increase teachers’ ability to attribute successes and failures to their own actions. The next critical behavior is that teachers apply what they have learned in the program regarding emotional regulation strategies to their teaching practice. When teachers use preventative and responsive regulation strategies, they increase their ability to regulate emotions. Measuring teachers’ quarterly usage of strategies will help faculty to identify if the strategies are being implemented by the stakeholder group. The last critical behavior is centered around helping teachers to develop the knowledge needed to effectively manage a classroom. The teachers that have been identified as struggling with classroom management within the first six weeks of the program will receive intensive feedback and coaching from faculty. To ensure that this is successful, faculty needs to observe teachers executing the strategies they have practiced in the classroom and give them feedback. To do this, teachers who are in the intensive coaching group will film themselves twice a month and receive feedback on their videos of classroom instruction (Table 12). STAYING POWER 106 Table 12 Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing 1. WRGSE teachers participate in the monthly reflection process by engaging in a narrative about one success and one failure that took place. Teachers will be evaluated based on the details they provide that link their attributions to the success and failure. Faculty and teachers will evaluate the reflections based on if they attribute success and failure to the self or outside factors. Monthly 2. Teachers will use preventative and responsive emotional regulation strategies. The number of teachers reporting that they used an emotional regulation strategy that was taught in the program. Teachers will take a survey each semester and will indicate the frequency that they use preventative or responsive emotional regulation strategies. Quarterly 3. Teachers identified as struggling with management will record their class and practice classroom management scenarios and receive feedback from faculty. The average rating that students score on the classroom management rubric. Faculty will score teachers videos on the classroom management rubric. Monthly Required drivers help to ensure that critical behaviors are executed upon and help to reinforce, monitor, encourage, and reward performance (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). In order for key stakeholders to apply what they have learned in training, required drivers help reinforce the knowledge and skills by implementing support systems, such as coaching, job aids, and work review, for stakeholders. The required drivers recommended here outline the important supports to drive critical behavior (Table 13). The required drivers are broken up into four categories: drivers that reinforce behavior, drivers that encourage behavior, drivers that reward behavior, and drivers that monitor behavior. There are two suggested methods that reinforce critical behaviors: faculty modeling effective classroom management and providing opportunities for teachers to receive feedback. In order to encourage the critical behaviors, faculty will provide support by giving feedback to teachers on their submitted narrative reflections, observing them in their classrooms, and providing opportunities for 1:1 meetings STAYING POWER 107 where faculty will check in with teachers on the progress towards critical behaviors. In addition to the support and encouragement that WRGSE students will receive, they also will be rewarded for exhibiting particular critical behaviors. For example, teachers who improve their rubric scores for classroom management goals will receive a certificate of recognition at the end of the year. Faculty will also have the opportunity to monitor teachers progress via video (Table 13). STAYING POWER 108 Table 13 Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors Method(s) Timing Critical Behaviors Supported Reinforcing WRGSE faculty advisors will model effective classroom management strategies during training. Monthly 3 WRGSE faculty advisors will provide opportunities for teachers to practice classroom management strategies and receive feedback. Monthly 3 Encouraging WRGSE faculty advisors will support teachers in narrative reflection and will provide ongoing feedback on teachers’ ability to attribute success and failures to their own actions. Monthly 1 WRGSE faculty advisors will observe teachers in their classrooms and communicate progress by attributing successes and failure to effort. Quarterly 1, 2, 3 Faculty advisors will meet 1:1 with teachers to debrief self-reflections and check in on how teachers are doing with using preventative and responsive emotional regulation strategies. Quarterly 2, 3 Rewarding Teachers who grow in their classroom management rubric rows will receive a certificate of recognition from their faculty advisor that highlights their strengths. Yearly 3 Monitoring Faculty will commit to observing teachers via video to ensure that they are making progress towards the critical behaviors. Quarterly 1, 2,3 According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), organizations that implement required drivers can have up to 85% of participants applying what they have learned on the job. Therefore, it is essential for the organization to support the stakeholder group by implementing the following recommendations. First, in order to support teachers in developing their teaching STAYING POWER 109 ability, the organization needs to ensure that it is communicating the belief that great teaching can be taught to teachers in all contexts. To do this, it is recommended that the organization audits the curriculum to ensure that it highlights the language that great teachers are made, not born, and that it incorporates representation of teachers in different teaching contexts. In addition, the organization needs to devote more resources to ensure that faculty has the capacity to observe students and support students struggling with classroom management with intensive coaching. In order to do this with fidelity, the organization needs to designate resources to pay for faculty to take on more advising responsibilities. Faculty hired for these positions should have contextual knowledge specific to students in different school placements and should tailor instruction and support to those contexts. Level 2: Learning Learning goals. Upon completion of the recommended solutions WRGSE teachers will be able to: 1. Effectively manage a classroom. (Apply) 2. Believe in their own ability to do their job well and handle challenges that may arise. (Reflect) 3. View failure as stable, controllable, and internal. (Reflect) 4. Effectively regulate their own emotions. (Apply) 5. View classroom management as a worthwhile skill to learn. (Understand) 6. Be inspired to apply what they have learned in the program to their jobs. (Evaluate) 7. Be inspired to persist in the teaching profession. (Evaluate) Program. By the end of the two-year Masters in Teaching (MAT) program, WRGSE students will have achieved the learning goals listed above. The learning goals will be achieved STAYING POWER 110 through ongoing supports that have been recommended to add to the master’s program. In the first six weeks of the program, teachers will submit a video of their classrooms to faculty members. Faculty members will not evaluate the videos submitted but will instead use the videos to determine which teachers need extra support with classroom management. Currently, WRGSE students submit videos to faculty for evaluation, but videos are not used as formative data collection opportunities. Using formative feedback through video observation will allow faculty to provide differentiated support for teachers. For the teachers who have been identified as needing more support with classroom management, faculty will meet with students once a month to receive formative feedback and practice different classroom management scenarios. Support will continue on a monthly basis for students for the remainder of the first semester, and then faculty will reassess the level of support needed for teachers. If needed, monthly coaching and support will continue each month for the second semester of the first year of the program. In the second year of the program, faculty will reassess all teachers in how they are performing towards classroom-management goals. It is not anticipated that faculty will need to provide the same level of coaching in the second year of the program. Currently, WRGSE faculty works with students that are struggling, but there is no formal way of identifying or systemizing support to ensure that it reaches all students. Incorporating the video assessment review will help WRGSE faculty support all students. In addition to incorporating support for teachers struggling with mastering classroom management, it is recommended that WRGSE make changes to the current coursework to better support the learning goals. WRGSE’s current curriculum already provides explicit instruction on cultivating a positive classroom culture, but it is limited. To improve the curriculum to better support the learning goals, it is recommended that the organization change the coursework STAYING POWER 111 around building classroom culture to better reflect the needs of its teachers. To do this it is suggested that WRGSE implements a few changes to the existing curriculum. The first change is to include a course on emotional management that includes opportunities for students to learn preventative and responsive emotional-regulation strategies. In addition, it is recommended that WRGSE better contextualizes classroom culture for its teachers by building on the knowledge that they already have from their school contexts. In order to do this, WRGSE needs to make sure that its curriculum reflects the current practices of restorative justice and engagement strategies used in the schools where its teachers teach. Within the course on building positive classroom culture, teachers will have the opportunity to reflect on their own development by writing narratives that detail a success and failure in their classrooms. Teachers will then receive feedback from faculty and peers regarding their narratives and reflect on how their actions contributed to the sequence of events. Teachers will complete half the coursework on building positive classroom culture in their first year of the program and then will build on that knowledge in the second year of the program. Evaluation of the Components of Learning. In order to make sure the revisions and additions to the WRGSE program are successful, it is essential to evaluate the components of learning on an ongoing basis. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) highlight five learning components that are essential to assess learning: knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment of participants. Table 14 outlines the evaluation methods for each of these components. STAYING POWER 112 Table 14 Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing Declarative Knowledge “I know it.” In the revised courses on building positive classroom culture, students will be asked to write their own definition of effective classroom management. After the course Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.” Teachers will participate in a performance assessment to evaluate their classroom management skills. At the end of each semester of the program (4x over two years) Teachers will exhibit emotional management in their classrooms as assessed in observation. Quarterly Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.” In their 1:1 meetings, advisors will discuss with teachers how they have been applying what they have learned in the program to their classroom. Quarterly Teachers will indicate on their exit tickets if what they learned in class will help them in their individual school contexts. Weekly Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.” Teachers will be asked to rank their confidence in their own ability to do their jobs well and handle challenges that arise Weekly, after each class night Commitment “I will do it on the job.” Teachers will remain in the profession after graduation Assessed after graduation, followed up on 1x per year via alumni survey Level 1: Reaction According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), gathering the participants’ reaction to the program helps the organization to monitor and adjust based on the data that they receive. STAYING POWER 113 Reaction data consists of customer satisfaction measures, engagement levels, and relevance of the program for participants (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016; Table 15) Table 15 Components to Measure Reactions to the Program. Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing Customer Satisfaction Teachers will complete a survey that includes a question on Net Promoter Score. 3x per year when they are in the program (during) 1x per year after they graduate (after) Teachers will complete an exit ticket after each class that will ask them to rate the components of class that had the greatest and least impact on their practice. 1x per week, during Teachers who participate in the emotional support group will indicate their satisfaction levels via a survey for the support group 3x per year when they are in the program (during) 1x per year after they graduate (after) Engagement Faculty will be observed teaching and will be rated on the faculty rubric for their ability to engage students. 3x per year Relevance Faculty will observe teachers in the classroom and rate them on an observation rubric to see how students are applying what they have learned in class. 4x per year Teachers will submit video of themselves applying a particular technique during teaching and faculty will provide feedback on their implementation. 4x per year STAYING POWER 114 Evaluation Tools Immediately following the program implementation. Immediately after graduating from the WRGSE program, participants should fill out a survey to assess their reaction (level 1) and learning (level 2) as a result of the program. Appendix C outlines the tool that can be used to evaluate participant engagement, relevance, and satisfaction with the program as well as the program’s ability to gain knowledge, skills, confidence, and commitment in regard to the organizational goal. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) recommend ensuring that the post- program survey focuses on the most important elements like overall satisfaction and relevance of the program material to the participant’s job. These recommendations are reflected in Appendix C, which uses some of the specific examples from Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016). Delayed for a period after the program implementation. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), surveys are a good way to evaluate all four levels of the New World Kirkpatrick model. Thus, the researcher has developed a survey instrument to assess Kirkpatrick’s four levels. This survey will be given three months after participants complete the WRGSE program, which gives ample time for participants to have had the opportunity to apply the skills that they have learned from WRGSE to their profession. The questions are organized to address levels 1-4 in sequential order (Appendix D). Data Analysis and Reporting In order to make use of the data that is collected during and after implementation of the program, the organization should plan to analyze and report out findings during and after the implementation process. The first stage of analysis and reporting should occur immediately after program implementation and will analyze the effectiveness of levels 1 and 2 of the New World Kirkpatrick Model. The second stage of analysis and reporting should occur three months after STAYING POWER 115 the program has completed and continue each subsequent year for three years. As previously discussed, participants will indicate their reaction, learning, behavior, and outcomes as a result of the program via survey. In order to report out on the data collected by this survey, WRGSE should plan to create a summary to send to key stakeholders in the organization. After data is collected, WRGSE should analyze the data, paying close attention to the level of agreement on the survey. WRGSE evaluators should highlight areas of strength of the program as well as areas of growth in the data summary for each level of the New World Kirkpatrick Model. For example, the summary dashboard could include the information aligning to level 4 of the New World Kirkpatrick Model to view progress towards the desired outcomes (Table 16). Table 16 Example of Level 4 Analysis Dashboard Measure Goal Data (immediately after implementation) Data (three months post program) Data (one-year post program) Teacher retention 100% Teacher self- efficacy Notable increase on survey (e.g. 10%) Teacher classroom management Average score of proficient or higher for all teachers Teacher support Notable increase on survey (e.g. 10%) Summary Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) recommend gathering and analyzing data during the implementation of the project so that necessary changes can be made to the program during implementation rather than after implementation. In the data analysis process, it is important to reflect on each level of the Kirkpatrick model and evaluate if expectations are being met. If STAYING POWER 116 expectations are not being met, the issue needs to be corrected in order to optimize achievement of organizational goals (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). By reflecting and responding to data during and after program implementation the organization is nimbler and able to correct course when needed, allowing for a higher chance of program success. In addition to being able to course correct, reflecting and acting on data allows the organization to continuously improve, ensuring that if goals are being met, the organization is reflecting on its successes to continue building on them rather than remaining stagnant. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach There are strengths and weaknesses in every approach to designing a study. The strengths of this study were the reliance on frameworks to guide the researcher and the mixed-methods design of the study. The Clark and Estes (2008) framework was at the heart of the design for the study. The strength of the Clark and Estes (2008) framework was that it enabled the researcher to approach the evaluation of the organization through a gap-analysis model, considering the knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors impacting the problem of practice. The researcher was able to design the study such that it narrowed the focus of the evaluation and allowed robust findings. In addition to using the Clark and Estes (2008) framework, the researcher used the New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016) to guide the proposed implementation and evaluation of recommendations. Using these two validated frameworks in conjunction with each other allowed the researcher to not only identify gaps that the organization may not be aware of, but also allowed for specific recommendations to address gaps to be discussed and then monitored. In following these frameworks, the researcher was able to provide tools that will likely be helpful for the organization. In addition to using helpful frameworks, the researcher used a mixed-methods design which allowed for triangulation of data. The strength in this STAYING POWER 117 approach is that the researcher was able to utilize interview participants to expand up on the findings from the survey data and could therefore draw stronger conclusions. The weaknesses of the approach were that frameworks, although helpful, were limiting to the researcher and that there were missed opportunities to evaluate multiple stakeholder groups. The Clark and Estes (2008) framework requires the researcher to look into knowledge, motivation, and organizational gaps that exist while evaluating the organization. As such, it is sometimes difficult for the researcher to be flexible in a gap-analysis model. For example, the model required the researcher to think about the interaction of only the organization on gaps in stakeholder knowledge and motivation, but there were other factors at play influencing study participants. For example, school setting and context came up often in interviews with stakeholder participants, but because it was not a part of the EPP being evaluated, that data was not helpful for this particular study. In addition to limitations set by the framework, only one stakeholder group was analyzed in this evaluation model. Although using the stakeholder group of WRGSE graduates allowed for a narrower look at the problem of new teacher retention, the input of other stakeholders, such as faculty and current graduate students, would have helped to triangulate the data. In addition to the weakness of only using one stakeholder group, another limitation of the study is that this particular stakeholder group was only one year removed from WRGSE’s program. To truly look into new teacher persistence, it would be beneficial to do a longitudinal study that spans a longer period of time. For example, this study took place over five months, whereas it would be helpful to interview and survey new teachers every year for five years after graduating the program. STAYING POWER 118 Future Research Results of this study provide motivation for future research on teacher retention and the quality of EPPs. In order to truly understand the multifaceted problem of new-teacher retention it is important to engage other stakeholders like school leaders, students, and administrators. Research that includes these stakeholder groups, thus triangulating data using multiple stakeholder groups, would be a welcome addition to the literature. Research is also needed that compares new-teacher retention among EPP type. This particular study looked at one specific educator preparation program. It would be valuable to conduct a longitudinal study with multiple EPPs that vary in the type of programming and certification that they offer to determine the impact that educator preparation programs have on the profession. In addition to involving multiple stakeholder groups and multiple organizations, more research needs to be done on teacher demographic data and retention. For example, one of the findings from this study was that a greater proportion of White and Asian teachers left the classroom and a lower proportion of Black and Hispanic/Latino teachers left the classroom as a result of the program when compared to the national statistics. This finding could have stemmed from a variety of factors that were not able to be determined from the data set. In order to better understand the relationship between teacher retention and race, and the impact of the Educator Preparation Program in influencing different populations of teachers, it is suggested that more research on this topic is conducted. Conclusion This dissertation addressed the problem of new teacher retention by evaluating the knowledge, motivational, and organizational factors influencing WRGSE teacher retention post- STAYING POWER 119 graduation. The Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis Framework was used to ground the study and create research questions to drive the evaluation. The study explored the literature related to the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences impacting new-teacher retention in relation to educator preparation programs and validated the need to examine each influence within the organizational context. The influences explored through this study included teachers’ (1) classroom management strategies; (2) emotional-regulation management techniques; (3) self- efficacy; (4) view of failure as stable, controllable, and internal; (5) educator preparation programs’ validation of the belief that great teaching can be taught; and (6) support of teachers in all contexts through various touchpoints. The themes and findings that emerged from this study reinforced findings of other research on the subject of new teacher retention, and also shed light on the importance of two findings that are less present in the discussion at WRGSE around new teacher retention: emotional regulation and developing self-efficacy within new teachers. At WRGSE it is often said that “teachers make the weather in their classroom,” referring to teachers’ ability to control the culture and happiness of students in their room through modeling (Anonymous, personal communication, February, 2019). Although this statement is grounded in attribution theory by implying that everything is within teachers’ locus of control, WRGSE does not teach its teachers how to “create the weather.” In order for teachers’ classrooms to be warm, inviting, rigorous environments where all students learn, the teachers themselves need to be able to regulate their own emotions and face challenges that come their way. Therefore, EPPs like WRGSE need to equip teachers to weather the storm. This study recommends using interventions validated by positive psychologists to help equip teachers to be self-efficacious and confident in navigating STAYING POWER 120 the various issues that arise while teaching such as classroom management, navigating administration, and other working conditions. The recommendations for change follow the New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Revisions to the WRGSE program recommend incorporating research- validated interventions to improve emotional regulation, self-efficacy, and attributions. In addition to incorporating these strategies into the program, it is recommended that the organization shifts its support to teachers struggling with classroom management in their first six weeks of teaching and that they continue tailored guidance and support based on school context. To help teachers weather the storms of their first few years of teaching, educator preparation programs need to equip them with the knowledge and motivational skills that influence their practice. Although this study only looked at WRGSE teacher retention for one year after graduation, the hope is that if teachers stay in the profession post-graduation, that they will persist in the profession long-term. More research examining the impact of emotional regulation, self-efficacy, and attribution theory is encouraged to help determine the right way to outfit teachers for persistence. This study takes the field one step closer to figuring out what gives teachers staying power. STAYING POWER 121 References Anderman, E., & Anderman, L. (2006). Attributions. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/attribution-theory/. Baker, L. (2006). Metacognition. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/metacognition/. Barnes, G., Crowe, E., & Schaefer, B. (2007). The cost of teacher turnover in five school districts. Washington, DC: National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. Berry, B., & Shields, P. M. (2017). Solving the teacher shortage: Revisiting the lessons we’ve learned. Phi Delta Kappan, 98(8), 8-18. Bobek, B. L. (2002). Teacher resiliency: A key to career longevity. The Clearing House, 75(4), 202-205. Bolich, A. M. (2001). 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Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc. Council of the Great city Schools. Critical Educational Trends: Fifth Biennial Survey of America’s Great City Schools. Washington, DC: October 2006. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications. Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement. Education policy archives, 8, 1. Darling-Hammond, L. (2003). Keeping Good Teachers: Why It Matters, What Leaders Can Do. Educational leadership, 60(8), 6-13. Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). Powerful teacher education : Lessons from exemplary programs (1st ed., The Jossey-Bass education series). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). Recruiting and retaining teachers: Turning around the race to the bottom in high-need schools. Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 4(1), 16-32. Darling-Hammond, L. (2014). Strengthening clinical preparation: The holy grail of teacher education. Peabody Journal of Education, 89(4), 547-561. DeAngelis, K. J., & Presley, J. B. (2011). Toward a more nuanced understanding of new teacher attrition. Education and Urban Society, 43(5), 598-626. Dove, M. K. (2004). Teacher attrition: A critical American and International education issue. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 71(1). Emmer, E. T., & Stough, L. M. (2001). Classroom management: A critical part of educational psychology, with implications for teacher education. Educational psychologist, 36(2), 103-112. STAYING POWER 123 Fink, A. (2013). Chapter 2: The Survey Form. In How to conduct surveys: A step-by-step guide (5th ed.) (pp. 29-56). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Flynt, S. W., & Morton, R. C. (2009). The teacher shortage in America: Pressing concerns. In National Forum of Teacher Education Journal 19(3), pp. 1-5. Glesne, C. (2011). Chapter 6: But is it ethical? Considering what is “right.” In Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (4th ed.) (pp. 162-183). 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New Structures and Approaches for Teacher Preparation: Do They Make a Difference in Teacher Retention? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. New Orleans, LA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 472813). STAYING POWER 124 Hong, J. Y. (2012). Why do some beginning teachers leave the school, and others stay? Understanding teacher resilience through psychological lenses. Teachers and Teaching, 18(4),417-440. Hughes, G. D. (2012). Teacher retention: Teacher characteristics, school characteristics, organizational characteristics, and teacher efficacy. The Journal of Educational Research, 105(4), 245-255. Humphrey, D. C., Wechsler, M. E., & Hough, H. J. (2008). Characteristics of effective alternative teacher certification programs. Teachers College Record, 110(1), 1-63. Ingersoll, R (2004). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organizational analysis. American educational research journal, 38(3), 499-534. Ingersoll, R. M. (2002). The teacher shortage: A case of wrong diagnosis and wrong prescription. NASSP bulletin, 86(631), 16-31.Ingersoll, R. M. (2001). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organizational analysis. American educational research journal, 38(3), 499-534. Ingersoll, R. (2002). Holes in the teacher supply bucket. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/gse_pubs/128 .Ingersoll, R. (2003). Is there really a teacher shortage?. CPRE Research Reports. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/cpre_researchreports/37 Ingersoll, R., Merrill, L., & May, H. (2014). What are the effects of teacher education and preparation on beginning teacher attrition?. CPRE Research Reports. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/cpre_researchreports/78 STAYING POWER 125 Ingersoll, R. M., & Strong, M. (2011). The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers: A critical review of the research. Review of educational research, 81(2), 201-233. Johnson, S. M., & Birkeland, S. E. (2003). Pursuing a “sense of success”: New teachers explain their career decisions. American Educational Research Journal, 40(3), 581-617. Johnson, R. B., & Christensen, L. B. (2015). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE. Chapter 10, pp. 247–264 Johnson, S. M., & Kardos, S. M. (2008). The next generation of teachers: Who enters, who stays, and why. In M. Cochran-Smith, S. Feiman-Nemser, D. J. McIntyre, & K. E. Demers (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education: Enduring questions in changing contexts (3rd ed.) (pp. 445–467). New York, NY: Routledge. Jones, B. K., Destin, M., & McAdams, D. P. (2018). Telling better stories: Competence-building narrative themes increase adolescent persistence and academic achievement. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 76, 76-80. Kelly, S. (2004). An event history analysis of teacher attrition: Salary, teacher tracking, and socially disadvantaged schools. The Journal of Experimental Education, 72(3), 195-220. Kirkpatrick, J. D., & Kirkpatrick, W. K. (2016). Kirkpatrick's four levels of training evaluation. Association for Talent Development. Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Blooms Taxonomy: An overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(4), 212 –218. Kross, E., & Ayduk, O. (2017). Self-distancing: Theory, research, and current directions. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 55, pp. 81-136). Academic Press. STAYING POWER 126 Kross, E., Ayduk, O., & Mischel, W. (2005). When asking “why” does not hurt distinguishing rumination from reflective processing of negative emotions. Psychological science, 16(9), 709-715. Labaree, D. F. (2008). 18 An uneasy relationship: the history of teacher education in the university. Liston, D., Whitcomb, J., and Borko, H. "Too little or too much: Teacher preparation and the first years of teaching." (2006): 351-358. Loeb, S., Darling-Hammond, L., & Luczak, J. (2005). How teaching conditions predict teacher turnover in California schools. Peabody Journal of Education, 80(3), 44-70. Martin, L. E., & Mulvihill, T. M. (2016). Voices in Education: Teacher Shortage: Myth or Reality?. The Teacher Educator, 51(3), 175-184. Malterud, K., Siersma, V. D., & Guassora, A. D. (2016). Sample size in qualitative interview studies: guided by information power. Qualitative health research, 26(13), 1753-1760. Maxwell, J. A. (2013). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. pp. 39–72. Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. National Center for Educational Statistics. (2012). Teacher questionnaire schools and staffing survey 2011-2012 school year. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/pdf/1112/SASS4A.pdf Murphy, P., DeArmond, M., & Guin, K. (2003). A national crisis or localized problems? Getting perspective on the scope and scale of the teacher shortage. education policy analysis archives, 11, 23. STAYING POWER 127 Newberry, M., & Allsop, Y. (2017). Teacher attrition in the USA: the relational elements in a Utah case study. Teachers and Teaching, 23(8), 863-880. Papatraianou, L. H., & Le Cornu, R. (2014). Problematising the role of personal and professional relationships in early career teacher resilience. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(1), 7. Pazzaglia, A. M., Stafford, E. T., & Rodriguez, S. M. (2016). Survey Methods for Educators: Analysis and Reporting of Survey Data (Part 3 of 3). REL 2016-164. Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands. Pajares, F. (2006). Self-efficacy theory. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/self-efficacy-theory/. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Rico, P., Marshall, G., & Virgin, P (2013). Preparing and Credentialing the Nation’s Teachers. Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. S. (2012). Chapter 6: Conversational partnerships. In Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data (3rd ed.) (pp. 85-92). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Rueda, R. (2011). The 3 dimensions of improving student performance. New York: Teachers College Press. Sanders, W. L., & Rivers, J. C. (1996). Cumulative and residual effects of teachers on future student academic achievement. From http://www.education.com/reference/article/expectancy-value-motivational-theory/. Salkind, N. J. (2017). Statistics for people who (think they) hate statistics: Using Microsoft Excel 2016 (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. STAYING POWER 128 Schwarzer, R., & Hallum, S. (2008). Perceived teacher self ‐efficacy as a predictor of job stress and burnout: Mediation analyses. Applied psychology, 57(s1), 152-171. Shute, V. J. (2008). Focus on formative feedback. Review of educational research, 78(1), 153- 189. Scott, C., & Dinham, S. (2008). Born not made: The nativist myth and teachers' thinking. Teacher Development, 12(2), 115-124. Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2011). Teacher job satisfaction and motivation to leave the teaching profession: Relations with school context, feeling of belonging, and emotional exhaustion. Teaching and teacher education, 27(6), 1029-1038. Smith, T. M., & Ingersoll, R. M. (2004). What are the effects of induction and mentoring on beginning teacher turnover?. American educational research journal, 41(3), 681-714. Stansbury, K., & Zimmerman, J. (2000). Lifelines to the Classroom: Designing Support for Beginning Teachers. Knowledge Brief. Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & Carver-Thomas, D. (2016). A coming crisis in teaching? Teacher supply, demand, and shortages in the US. Learning Policy Institute. 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(1994). Learning from strangers: The art and method of qualitative interview studies. New York, NY: The Free Press. Williams, J. P., & Atkins, J. G. (2009). The role of metacognition in teaching reading comprehension to primary students. Handbook of metacognition in education, 26-43. Wynn, S. R., Carboni, L. W., & Patall, E. A. (2007). Beginning teachers' perceptions of mentoring, climate, and leadership: Promoting retention through a learning communities perspective. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 6(3), 209-229. STAYING POWER 130 APPENDIX A: Interview Protocol Thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview. Before we get started I want to remind you of the purpose of this study which is to better understand your experiences at WRGSE and hear more about your experience teaching. Your responses will be kept confidential, so please share your thoughts openly. Know that you are welcome to stop the interview at any time, and so if you ever feel uncomfortable, please let me know. If it’s ok with you I’d love to record our conversation so that I can use it for reference later. The recording will not be shared with anyone else, but will be transcribed without any identifying information for data analysis. Do I have your permission to record? The last thing before we get started is just to look over the consent form which just outlines what we’ve discussed. Please sign it to indicate that you understand the terms of the interview. Thanks so much! 1. How did you make your decision to attend WRGSE? What were you looking forward to about the program? Probe: How did the program match (or not match) up to those expectations? (O) 2. What do you think are the desired characteristics of a WRGSE graduate student? (O) 3. Describe one of the best teachers you ever had. What were his/her characteristics? a. Probe: Can those characteristics be taught? Did you learn those characteristics at WRGSE? (K) 4. Describe the teacher that you aspire to be. Is that different from the teacher you are now? Why or why not? (M) 5. Compare your first day or first few weeks/months of teaching to what you do in the classroom now. What do you do differently? (K) 6. How do you approach classroom management with your students? Follow up probe: How did you learn to manage your classroom? (K) STAYING POWER 131 7. Can you describe a recent challenging experience in the classroom and how you handled it? (K) 8. How confident do you feel in your ability to manage a classroom? Why (M) 9. How long do you plan to stay in the teaching profession? Why? Probe What type of school do you plan to teach in (E.G. Public, Charter, Independent) (M) 10. When was the last time you were contacted by WRGSE (Formally or informally)? Are there any materials from WRGSE (either from one of your courses or from a faculty member at the institution) that you currently use? (O) 11. Describe the relationship that you see yourself having with WRGSE as an organization in 5 years (O). 12. What are you most proud of in your years of teaching thus far? (M) Those are all the questions I have for you. Thank you so much for participating! Do you have any questions for me or is there anything else you would like to share about your experience? STAYING POWER 132 APPENDIX B: Survey Protocol Language that will be included to recruit survey participants: Dear WRGSE Student, Congratulations on completing the WRGSE Program! We haven’t met yet, but my name is Sarah Marder-Eppstein and I am a professor at WRGSE. This request is from me personally, not on behalf of WRGSE as an institution. I am currently working on my doctorate in Leadership and Organizational Change at the University of Southern California. My dissertation research seeks to learn more about how WRGSE Alumni think about their future career in teaching. As you exit your time at WRGSE and enter into the Alumni community, please consider sharing your experience with me by completing this 5-7 min survey. Participation is completely optional, and greatly appreciated. Please note that this survey is completely confidential and no identifying information will be shared. For your participation in the survey you will be entered you will be entered into a raffle for one of two $100 amazon gift cards! <survey link> Thank you so much— Sarah Marder-Eppstein Graduate Student Alumni Survey Survey for Graduate Student Alumni (sent to Class of 2018) Demographics 1. With which racial group do you identify (Select as many as apply) Black/African American White STAYING POWER 133 Hispanic/Latino Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander American Indian or Alaska Native Asian I prefer not to respond 2. With which gender do you most identify: Male Female Transgender Other I prefer not to respond 3. What is the school context that you are currently teaching in: Charter School Traditional Public School Parochial School Independent School Other (WRITE IN) 4. Is your school a Title-I school? (For an entire school to qualify for Title 1 funds, at least 40% of students must enroll in the free and reduced lunch program.) a. Yes b. No c. Not Sure 5. Next year, I will be working at a: a. The same school as I currently work at b. A different school (if they click this, it takes them to question 5B) c. I am not working in a school next year (if they click this it takes them to question 5C) Question 5A*: How long do you plan to remain in teaching? As long as I am able Until I am eligible for retirement benefits form this job Until I am eligible for retirement benefits from a previous job Until I am eligible for social security benefits Until a specific live event occurs (e.g. parenthood, marriage) Until a more desirable job opportunity comes along Definitely plan to leave as soon as I can Undecided at this time STAYING POWER 134 Question 5B: I will be working at a ____ next year d. Charter School e. Traditional Public School f. Parochial School g. Independent School h. Other (WRITE IN) Question 5C: Please indicate the reason that you are leaving the classroom: a. I am not paid enough money b. I did not receive sufficient training c. I did not receive sufficient support at my school d. I do not have sufficient autonomy in my classroom e. I didn’t feel like teaching provided me with an appropriate work-life balance. f. I did not agree with the school culture. g. I do not want to be a teacher h. Other (Write in) 6. I have been teaching (full-time) for ____ years. (0- 20+ drop down) 7. I currently teach the following subjects (select all that apply): a. Elementary Literacy b. Elementary Math c. Elementary Social Studies d. Elementary Science e. Elementary Special Education f. Elementary P.E., Music, Art g. Secondary Science h. Secondary Social Studies i. Secondary Math j. Secondary ELA k. Secondary Special Education l. Secondary P.E., Music, Art m. Other (WRITE IN) Please answer the following questions about your experience in the teaching profession: 6 pt Likert Scale: 1-strongly disagree; 2-disagree; 3-somewhat disagree; 4-somewhat agree; 5- agree 6-strongly agree) 1. I am satisfied with the preparation that I received from WRGSE 2. I have learned a variety of teaching techniques at WRGSE. 3. I feel confident in my knowledge of the content that I teach. 4. I receive a great deal of support from WRGSE faculty for the work that I do. 5. I am more likely to stay in the teaching profession because of my experience at WRGSE STAYING POWER 135 6. I feel confident in my ability to achieve academic results with my students 7. I feel confident in my ability to make change in my classroom and school 8. I feel confident in my ability to manage my classroom. 9. I believe that I am a good teacher. 10. The factor that most contributes to students’ success in the classroom is their teacher (you). 11. I believe that great teaching can be taught. 12. I don’t seem to have as much enthusiasm now as when I began teaching* 13. I think about staying home from school because I’m just too tired to go.* If you could go back to your college days and start over again, would you become a teacher or not*? _a. certainly would b. Probably would Chances about even for and against Probably would not become a teacher Certainly would not become a teacher In your FIRST year of full-time teaching, how well prepared were you to (Likert scale from not at all prepared, somewhat prepared, well prepared, very well prepared). If this is your first year teaching please answer the question for this year A. Handle a range of classroom management or discipline situations B. Use a variety of instructional methods C. Teach your subject matter D. Assess students E. Differentiate instruction in the classroom F. Use data from student assessments to inform instruction G. Meet state content standards Please reflect on your experiences and answer the questions below (7 point scale- (1) not certain at all to 7 (absolutely certain) --- 1 not certain at all, 3 Quite uncertain 5 quite certain 7 absolutely certain How certain are you that you can** …. 1. provide realistic challenge for all students even in mixed ability classes? 2. can wake the desire to learn even among the lowest achieving students? 3. Provide good guidance and instruction to all students regardless of their level of ability 4. Collaborate constructively with parents of students with behavioral problems. 5. Teach well even if you are told to use instructional methods that you would not be your choice. STAYING POWER 136 6. Manage instruction regardless of how it is organized (group composition, mixed age groups etc.) Please reflect on your experiences and answer the questions below. 1. In a lesson with students on an average day (e.g. 45min block of time) with students, there are usually _________ student disruptions. (Drop down 0-20+) 2. I _________ know how to address student misbehavior in the classroom. (Options: Never, sometimes, always) 3. Even if I get disrupted while teaching, I _______maintain my composure and continue to teach well. (Drop down options: Never, Sometimes, Always) 4. I passed my credentialing exams (EdTPA, CST, EAS) ______ [Drop down options: The first time, I had to retake the exam, I have not yet passed, I do not plan to take the credentialing tests Please answer the following questions about RGSE as an institution: (All likert Scale Questions) 1. RGSE supports its teachers past graduation. 2. RGSE graduates teachers that are committed to the teaching profession. 3. RGSE develops its students’ content knowledge in the subject area that they are teaching. 4. RGSE develops its students’ knowledge around teaching pedagogy techniques. 5. RGSE has high quality faculty. Further Participation: Are you willing to share more information on your experience by participating in an interview as part of this study? (yes/no)[Note interviews will take place via zoom video and will take approx.. 30-60 min. of your time. Interviews will allow you expand on the information you shared here. Note: Filling in your email below will double your chances to win one of the $100 amazon gift certificates! If yes, preferred email Thank you! Thank you so much for taking the time to complete this survey. I REALLY appreciate your help. If you have any questions or concerns about the study, please contact Sarah Marder-Eppstein at Smarder-Eppstein@relay.edu *These items are from Schools and Saffing Survey (NCES, 2012) **These items are from the Teacher Self-Efficacy scale (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2010). STAYING POWER 137 Appendix C: Immediate Evaluation Instrument Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree 1. What I learned at WRGSE will help me be a better teacher 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2. I would recommend WRGSE to others in a similar position 3. My participation in classes at WRGSE was encouraged by the instructor 4. My instructors at WRGSE are world-class 5. I believe it will be worthwhile for me to apply what I have learned at WRGSE* 6. I feel confident about applying what I learned at WRGSE in my classroom. 7. I am committed to staying in the teaching profession *This item is from the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) evaluation form. STAYING POWER 138 Appendix D: Blended Evaluation Instrument Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree 1. I have had occasion in my job to use what I learned at WRGSE*. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2. Looking back, attending WRGSE was a good use of my time.* 3. I am effectively managing my classroom. 4. I am able to effectively regulate my emotions. 5. I am already seeing positive results from attending WRGSE.* *These items are from Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) recommended evaluation items.
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Marder-Eppstein, Sarah
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Core Title
Staying power: new teacher retention and educator preparation
School
Rossier School of Education
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Doctor of Education
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Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)
Publication Date
04/26/2019
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