Dissertation Defense Announcement

The College of Education announces the final dissertation defense of

Tamala Boyd Shaw

for the degree of Doctor of Education

April 4, 2016 at 2:00 pm in 320 Ball Hall

Major Advisor: Beverly Cross, PhD

How Does Participating in a Teacher Leadership Program Impact Secondary Teachers’ Retention, Instructional Capacity, and Influence on Other Teachers

ABSTRACT:
As teacher turnover, teacher effectiveness, and the quality of the education profession as a whole become trending topics of education reform, research on how to effectively address those issues is increasingly needed. One such response to these issues of attrition, educational quality, and effectiveness is the increasing presence and impact of teacher leadership programs. Teacher leadership programs are evolving as a change agent in the educational context with implications for impacting participating as well as other teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the ways in which teacher leadership programs impact secondary teachers’ retention, instructional capacity, and influence on other teachers. By conducting this research, it was the intention of the researcher to add to the body of research that informs the education profession about the direct impact teacher leadership programs have on teachers and thus inform the need for and implementation of such programs.