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The Effect of Prior Experiences of Poverty on Teacher Retention in High Poverty Schools

Dania L Freudenburg, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

Teachers can have a substantial impact on students living in poverty and their academic success (Pascopella, 2006), but high faculty turnover rates have been shown to have a negative impact on student achievement (Ronfeldt, Loeb & Wyckoff, 2013). The research question this study explored was how teachers’ experiences with poverty correspond to the retention and longevity in high poverty school districts, specifically within the Council Bluffs (IA) Community School District. Within this dissertation, the researcher surveyed teachers at a high poverty middle school and high school to determine their prior experiences with poverty and compared those experiences with the number of years the teacher has taught in a high poverty school. As contribution to the field of education, the purpose of this dissertation was to analyze current teachers in a high poverty, majority Caucasian school district, and the association of these teachers’ prior experiences in poverty with their longevity in teaching in a high poverty school. Based on the results of this study, the researcher has provided recommendations regarding the use of prior experiences with poverty as indicators of teacher retention in a high poverty school, professional development, volunteer opportunities, and teacher education program requirements which can be utilized in the retaining of educators in high poverty areas.

Subject Area

Educational administration|Educational leadership

Recommended Citation

Freudenburg, Dania L, "The Effect of Prior Experiences of Poverty on Teacher Retention in High Poverty Schools" (2019). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI22615078.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI22615078

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