Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Education, Ed.D.

Department

Education

First Advisor

Jacqueline Waggoner

LC Subjects

Employee retention--United States; Mentoring in education--United States; Teacher education

Abstract

Teacher attrition and retention has been a challenge that the educational world has faced for many years. Educators have tried to combat the attrition rates of teachers through the creation of meaningful induction programs and teacher training programs. Residency models are one form of a teacher training program whereby institutions of higher education partner with school districts to train new teachers in a clinical setting as they earn their state certification and teaching license.

The University of Portland (UP) has a Catholic residency program known as the Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education (PACE). PACE began in 1998 with 3 graduates, and its 2015 graduating class had 23 graduates. This study is the first analysis of the PACE program. This study analyzes the retention rates, the demographics of graduates who stay in teaching, and the impact of PACE’s Three- Pillar Support Program (Academic Learning, Professional Service, and Community Living). This mixed-method study used a Qualtrics survey to analyze the retention rates and coded Reflective Exit Papers written by PACE participants upon graduation.

This study found that 88.29% of graduates were teaching in the first year after graduation, 84.81% of graduates were still teaching three years after graduation, and 81.34% of graduates were still teaching five years after graduation. It also found that of the graduates that stayed in teaching, 92.86% stayed in Catholic school teaching in the first year after graduation, 85.29% stayed in Catholic school teaching in the third year after graduation, and 85.71% stayed in Catholic school teaching five years after graduation. Finally, it found that the Three-Pillar Support program had a major impact on PACE teachers’ decision to stay in teaching, with Academic Learning and Professional Service having the biggest impact on graduates’ decisions to stay in teaching, and Community Living having the biggest impact on graduates during their time in PACE.

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Copyright for this work is retained by the author.

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