Torbert, Johnelle LEVERAGING THE POWER OF BEST PRACTICES TO INCREASE RETENTION RATES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS. 2024. Radford University, Ed.D. Dissertation. Radford University Scholars' Repository.
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Abstract
School divisions nationwide are experiencing teacher shortages and challenges retaining teachers. The teacher retention of special education teachers continues to plague our schools without an ending in sight. Currently, school divisions in Virginia are exploring alternate options to fill special education vacancies, such as with provisionally licensed teachers. The Commonwealth issued a total of 8,434 provisional licenses in 2021-22 compared to an average of 6,787 in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a November report from Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, which conducts analysis and provides oversight of state agencies on behalf of the General Assembly (Cline, N., 2023). A provisional license is a nonrenewable license with minimal requirements for an individual entering the teaching field. This study aimed to identify best practices that retained formerly provisionally licensed teachers to remain teaching. School principals utilized those best practices to increase the retention rates of their provisionally licensed teachers. This paper will share findings from research conducted with formerly special education teachers that identified best practices to be implemented by principals to support the retention of special education teachers. Improvement science was utilized to analyze data collection through surveys and interviews. The data collected identified two best practices for principals to implement with their provisionally licensed teachers and a course tracker tool to utilize with provisionally licensed teachers. The two best practices were mentoring and creating a sense of belonging for teachers. The findings demonstrate how increased knowledge of special education paired with specially designed mentorship enhances administrative skills to support special education teachers and increases mindset growth. Creating a space for special education to belong is crucial to creating favorable work conditions. In conclusion, the research recognizes the need for systems such as teacher education preparation programs, school divisions, and legislative mandates to incorporate procedures to support administrators and special education teachers to increase retention rates.
| Item Type: | Ed.D. Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | L Education > L Education (General) |
| Divisions: | Radford University > College of Education and Human Development |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Apr 2025 05:37 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Apr 2025 05:37 |
| URI: | http://wagner.radford.edu/id/eprint/1161 |
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