Teacher attrition, a critical issue in education, has significant implications for the quality of instruction and student success. The Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, known for its substantial Latinx population, faces a concerning trend of high teacher turnover particularly among Latinx educators who leave teaching within their novice years.…

Teacher burnout is a common phenomenon that is characterized by high rates of teacher turnover. According to the World Health Organization, teacher burnout is a syndrome that results from chronic workplace stress. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the level of burnout and the decision to stay or leave the teaching…

This qualitative study explores the intricate relationship between intergenerational postsecondary education and economic mobility by focusing on the nuanced themes of environment and exposure, encouragement and expectation, and experience and equal opportunity. Drawing from the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), this research seeks to…

Due to the continuous decrease in teacher retention rates in the state of Texas, it is important to understand principals' use of influence tactics and its effects on teacher retention. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional, descriptive design (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; O'Dwyer & Bernauer, 2013) study was to…

The phenomenological methodology employed in this dissertation delves into the intricate interplay between stress, mental health, and socioeconomic mobility among Black individuals in the United States. This study aimed to shed light on the complex difficulties experienced by Black people navigating surroundings, mostly White, in academic and…

Global student mobility, as a rapid growing phenomenon, has had a major impact on the diversification of the U.S. college student population (Laanan, 2006; Jindal-Snape & Rienties, 2016). There were around 1 million international students in 2021-2022 in U.S. higher education (Open Doors, 2023); these students experience different kinds of…

Special education faces persistent challenges with teacher attrition and retention in the ever-changing landscape of education post COVID-19. Using empirical research and scholarly insights, this systematic review investigates the factors that influence whether special educators choose to continue or leave their jobs following the pandemic.…

This dissertation focuses on the structures and impacts of digital skills in the rapidly transforming labor market. It is rooted in the premise that understanding the value of digital skills requires a relational perspective, acknowledging that these competencies are not isolated, but form complex structures across different occupations. The…

Principals are the change agents within their buildings when it comes to improving student achievement (Grissom et al., 2021). However, the role of the principal is increasingly complex and continues to become more complicated as new demands are placed on the role. These complexities, alongside a lack of resources, contribute to principal…

Principals are the change agents within their buildings when it comes to improving student achievement (Grissom et al., 2021). However, the role of the principal is increasingly complex and continues to become more complicated as new demands are placed on the role. These complexities, alongside a lack of resources, contribute to principal…

Principals are the change agents within their buildings when it comes to improving student achievement (Grissom et al., 2021). However, the role of the principal is increasingly complex and continues to become more complicated as new demands are placed on the role. These complexities, alongside a lack of resources, contribute to principal…

Principals are the change agents within their buildings when it comes to improving student achievement (Grissom et al., 2021). However, the role of the principal is increasingly complex and continues to become more complicated as new demands are placed on the role. These complexities, alongside a lack of resources, contribute to principal…

Issues of the multi-faceted, complex problem of teacher attrition in the U.S. have long been studied by researchers working to stem the tide of teachers leaving the field: dimensions of class size, salaries, working conditions, and accountability measures are most often interrogated in relation to this issue. However, this study takes up the…

This qualitative study explored the perceptions, challenges, and lived experiences of women, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, holding executive level leadership positions to inform tailored support strategies. As female educators aspire to higher levels of leadership in schools and districts, limited avenues of structured informal and formal…

This dissertation provides empirical evidence on estimating the treatment effects of school choice programs using quasi-experimental data. Chapter 1 implements the new econometric method proposed by Abdulkadiroglu et al. (2017a) in the context of the magnet school program in Wake County, North Carolina. Chapter 2 gives an in-depth analysis of the…