Effective professional development is accepted as necessary for the improvement of afterschool program quality, which is itself a cornerstone for improving youth outcomes. But professional development is most effective when both individual participants are engaged and building relevant knowledge and skills, and the organizations to which they…

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that lead to retention of exceptional student education (ESE) teachers and what role leaders play at the school level in influencing quality teachers to remain in the field of education. The attrition rate of ESE teachers nationwide grows as school…