The First Year is the Steepest: An Exploration of Variables Affecting Teacher Retention in an Urban Teacher Preparation Program
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Date
2024-12
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Abstract
We partnered with a teacher preparation program (TPP) whose program model begins with a one-year teacher residency. Unfortunately, since 2020, nearly 24% of TPP educators have failed to complete their residency year. We sought to identify the most salient factors within TPP’s program that contribute to resident retention, identify factors that are disproportionately relevant to Black educators, and develop suggestions related to how the TPP residency year can be reimagined to improve resident retention without compromising program rigor. We utilized Ryan and Deci’s Self Determination Theory as a conceptual framework to guide our work and collected data by: exploring TPP’s business intelligence dashboards, surveying current TPP educators, interviewing TPP staff, and interviewing TPP educators who recently completed their residency year.
We found that TPP educators who have developed strong intrinsic motivation, whose basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and connection) are met, and who see themselves operating in alignment with TPP’s mission are more likely to persevere in the program. We further found that the recent and disproportionate trend, where Black TPP educators have lower retention, is driven primarily by a higher dismissal rate amongst Black educators. When only considering voluntary resignation, we found that the ability to bring your authentic self to the workplace is particularly important to Black TPP educators. We offered TPP ten recommendations pertaining to its organization structure, program administration, resident experience, and future evaluation initiatives.
Description
Leadership and Learning in Organizations capstone project
Keywords
Teacher Retention, Teacher Preparation Program, Teacher Residency, Self Determination Theory