Reimagining Targeted Classroom Management Supports for Teachers to Increase
Teacher Retention Perceptions in the Reading School District

A Doctoral Capstone Project
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies and Research
Department of Education

In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Education

Geina Maria Beaver
PennWest University of Pennsylvania
July 2024

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO INCREASE RETENTION

© Copyright by
Geina Maria Beaver
All Rights Reserved
July 2024

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CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO INCREASE RETENTION

PennWest University
School of Graduate Studies and Research
Department of Education

We hereby approve the capstone of

Geina Maria Beaver

Candidate for the Degree of Doctor of Education

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Dedication
This project is dedicated to the current, former, and future staff of Central Middle
School in the Reading School District. Without their tireless and painstaking work to do
what is right for kids despite every barrier placed in their way, this project nor my life’s
work would not be possible.

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Acknowledgements
I wish to thank my husband, Jeremy, and my children, Allison and Mark, who
suffered through three years of additional chaos in our lives for me to complete the
requirements of this program. Without exception, I would also like to thank my Assistant
Principals and teacher leaders who were able to bear with me through my additional time
requirements and probable lack of focus due to my over analysis of my new learnings.
Additionally, I wish to thank the doctoral faculty of Pennsylvania Western University,
especially Dr. Mary Wolf, for their quality feedback and supports; my cohort
counterparts for their insights and collaboration throughout this journey; my external
committee member, Dr. April Halligan-Rostek, for her time and encouragement over the
past several months; my Superintendent, Dr. Jennifer Murray, for her support of this
research; and Dr. Brittany Purr-Brehony, for her editing expertise.

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Table of Contents
Dedication

iv

Acknowledgements

v

List of Tables

xi

List of Figures

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Abstract

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CHAPTER I. Introduction

1

Background

1

Identification of the Capstone Focus

2

Research Questions

3

Expected Outcomes

3

Fiscal Implications

4

Summary

4

CHAPTER II. Review of the Literature

6

Teacher Shortage Crisis

6

Teacher Attrition

9

Causes of Current Teacher Shortage

11

Classroom Management

11

Lack of Support

12

Lack of Professional Development

13

Effects of Teacher Shortage

14

Effect on Students

14

Effect on Staff

16

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO INCREASE RETENTION
Effect on the Profession
Implications for High-Need Schools
Classroom Management Strategies and Practices

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17
18
18

Student Misconduct

19

Classroom Management Strategies

20

History of Classroom Management Programs

21

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

23

Restorative Practices (RP)

25

Effective Use in Middle Schools

27

Effective Use in Urban Schools

29

Structured Supports for Teachers

30

Professional Development

30

Sustained

33

Intensive

34

Collaborative

35

Job-Embedded

36

Data-Driven

37

Classroom-Focused

38

Peer Mentoring and Coaching

39

Administrative Support

42

Summary

43

CHAPTER III. Methodology

45

Setting

45

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Purpose

48

Research Intervention Plan

51

Participants

59

Research Design, Methods, and Data Collection

65

Validity

71

Summary

73

CHAPTER IV. Data Analysis and Results

75

Data Analysis

75

Designated Master Teacher Selection

75

Study Participant Selection

77

Quantitative Survey

79

Qualitative Structured Interview

80

Data Security

80

Results

81

Quantitative Survey

81

Consent to Participate

82

Gender Identification

83

Age Identification

84

Ethnic Identification

85

Level of Education

86

Teaching Experience

87

Grade Level Teaching Assignment

88

Content Area Teaching Assignment

89

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Resignation Perception

90

Resignation Rationale

91

Qualitative Structured Interview

92

Code Frequency

94

Code Occurrence by Demographic Marker

95

Gender

96

Age

98

Professional Development Impact

100

Peer Observation Impact

102

Observation Feedback Impact

103

Discussion

105

Summary

106

CHAPTER V. Conclusions and Recommendations

107

Conclusions

107

Quantitative Survey

108

Qualitative Structured Interview

110

Research Question 1

112

Research Question 2

112

Research Question 3

113

Implications

113

Application

114

Fiscal Considerations

115

Limitations

116

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Internal Factors

116

External Factors

118

Recommendations for Future Research

120

Summary

124

References

126

APPENDIX A. IBR Approval

140

APPENDIX B. Reading School District Letter of Approval

141

APPENDIX C. Informed Consent

142

APPENDIX D. Quantitative Survey

145

APPENDIX E. Qualitative Structured Interview Questions

150

APPENDIX F. Observation of Professional Practice Evidence Collection Form

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List of Tables
Table 1. State Reportable Behavioral Incidents at Central Middle School

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Table 2. Professional Staffing at Central Middle School as of February 2024

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Table 3. Study Participant Demographics

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Table 4. Central Middle School Faculty Content Area Teaching Assignments

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List of Figures
Figure 1. Elements of Positive Behavior Interventions and Support for the

53

Classroom
Figure 2. Elements of Restorative Practices for the Classroom

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Figure 3. Peer-Led Classroom Management Support Intervention Plan

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Figure 4. Classroom Management Support Intervention Plan Professional

56

Learning Compliance to ESSA
Figure 5. Data Collection Methods

69

Figure 6. Action Research Timeline

70

Figure 7. Designated Master Teacher Selection

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Figure 8. Study Participant Selection

78

Figure 9. Consent to Participate in Research Study

82

Figure 10. Central Middle School Faculty Gender Identification

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Figure 11. Central Middle School Faculty Age Identification

84

Figure 12. Central Middle School Faculty Ethnic Identification

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Figure 13. Central Middle School Faculty Level of Education

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Figure 14. Central Middle School Faculty Teaching Experience

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Figure 15. Central Middle School Faculty Teaching Assignments

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Figure 16. Central Middle School Faculty Resignation Perception

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Figure 17. Central Middle School Faculty Resignation Rationale

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Figure 18. Qualitative Data Coding System

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Figure 19. Qualitative Code Count by Study Participant

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Figure 20. Gender Descriptor by Code Configuration

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Figure 21. Age Descriptor by Code Configuration

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Figure 22. Peer-Led Professional Development Resignation Reduction

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Bubble Plot
Figure 23. Peer-Led Peer Observation Resignation Reduction Bubble Plot

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Figure 24. Peer-Led Observation Feedback Resignation Reduction

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Bubble Plot

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Abstract
With teacher attrition and retention issues causing a nation-wide crisis of instructional
vacancies in our public schools, research was conducted in a large, urban, high-need
middle school in Pennsylvania to determine if a peer-led classroom management support
system was effective for teachers already considering resignation. A mixed-methods,
embedded design model that included a quantitative survey and a qualitative structured
interview was used to determine how targeted booster professional development, peer
observations, and observational feedback of professional practice impacted teachers’
retention perceptions. The intervention system focused on the evidence-based practices
of Restorative Practices and Positive Behavior Intervention Supports, and it was
purposefully designed to meet the professional development requirements of the federal
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): sustained, intensive, collaborative, job-embedded,
data-driven, and classroom-focused. The designated master teachers who led the
intervention system protocols were required to meet rigorous selection criteria. Results
indicated that the intervention system had positive impacts due to its peer-led nature and
perceived increase in skillset, support, and connectedness. The results also indicated that
the classroom management support system was effective in changing most of the study
participants’ retention perceptions, particularly for those who identified as female and
within their first three years of teaching.

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CHAPTER I
Introduction
As an advanced society, we have developed education systems that are designed
to impart our children with multidisciplinary learning on a vast array of topics that we
deem essential. To accomplish this monumental venture, we employ teachers who design
lessons to ensure learning occurs. While some recent advancements in computer
applications have developed streamlined learning that eliminates the need for a multitude
of individual teachers, our education systems cannot continue to exist without the service
of professional teachers.
Despite this essential societal need, teacher vacancies abound in the Reading
School District, a large, urban, and low socioeconomic public school district in
southeastern Pennsylvania. Without a viable plan to retain new and experienced teachers,
the future success of the students at the Reading School District will be in jeopardy.
Background
Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of people
who continue to work as teachers in our nation’s school system. By the summer of 20222023, the percentage of vacant teacher positions in the Reading School District secondary
schools was over ten percent. Furthermore, state-assessed content areas such as English,
Mathematics, Science, English Language Learning, and Special Education accounted for
many of the identified vacancies. For a school system where every secondary school has
been identified by the state for comprehensive or targeted support due to extremely low
academic proficiency, the lack of teachers is the most significant concern facing the
secondary schools of the Reading School District.

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Indeed, many factors have impacted teacher attrition and retention. Student
misconduct has been cited by multiple teachers upon their resignation as the top reason
for leaving their position. This research seeks to understand how a multi-faceted and
peer-led mentoring support system for classroom management practices can begin to
support struggling teachers and increase teacher retention outcomes.
Identification of the Capstone Focus
In the Reading School District, Central Middle School is a historically hard-tostaff, urban middle school. High rates of teacher vacancy, teacher turnover, Special
Education, ELL, student misconduct, and student violence, coupled with low academic
achievement, limited parental engagement, and problematic facilities infrastructure, have
continued to plague the potential success of the school, despite state-guided
comprehensive support. Improvement efforts have focused on building capacity for
professional learning communities to support academic teams, as well as the
implementation of evidence-based, behavioral support programs, such as those based on
Restorative Practices and schoolwide Positive Behavior Intervention Supports.
However, vacancies continue to rise annually, adding increased pressure and
stress to the remaining professional staff. Additionally, the continuous cycle of teacher
turnover has limited the forward progression of the improvement efforts, thwarting
significant advancement in student achievement. The lead researcher, who also serves as
the current Principal of Central Middle School, has planned to conduct action research to
discover the impact of experimental teacher support system protocols to increase teacher
retention efforts.

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Research Questions
The following research questions will guide the research to determine which areas
of a classroom management support plan have the greatest potential to positively impact
teacher retention. The research questions include:
1. How does a modeled professional development series on classroom
management techniques that is provided by designated master teachers affect
teacher perception of their own willingness to remain in their current position?
2. How do structured peer observations of designated master teachers on
classroom management techniques affect teacher perception of their own
willingness to remain in their current position?
3. How does feedback of professional practice on classroom management
techniques that is provided by designated master teachers affect teacher
perception of their own willingness to remain in their current position?
Expected Outcomes
Through mixed-methods action research, both quantitative and qualitative data
will be used to identify which elements of the experimental classroom management
support system have the most significant impact on teachers’ perception of their own
willingness to remain in their current position. While the primary goal of this research is
to support teachers towards retention, if elements of the developed system demonstrate
positive effects towards the research goal, those factors will be further developed into a
model classroom management support system that can be replicated in various schools
and school systems.

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Fiscal Implications
As Central Middle School and the entirety of the Reading School District are
designated as Title 1 schools, federal funding sources can be used for future implications
of this research. Once the initial research is conducted, the annual plan to supplement
traditional professional development support for instructional staff using the proposed
classroom management support system will incur several specific costs. While much of
the cost will be encumbered in salaries and benefits for overtime work in a proposed
three-hour per month peer mentorship program focused on effective elements of the
classroom management support system, additional funds will be needed for nominal
professional development supplies.
As the lead researcher for this action research, the time spent in research to
develop the professional development sessions, peer observation guides, and peer
reflection rubrics are solely indirect costs that do not have monetary values to consider
when the positive aspects of the study are formulated into an official classroom
management support system and encumbered annually to budgetary line-item expenses.
Other indirect costs include the use of the school facility after hours, including basic
utilities services that will be consumed to support the personnel staying overtime to
complete the work.
Summary
Given the reality of the situation at Central Middle School, and in the Reading
School District as a whole, teacher retention is a barrier to student success. Relentlessly
hiring and training new teachers has become a never-ending cycle of frustration for all
staff, and student behaviors continue to worsen year after year when teachers are

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stretched to the point of exhaustion and defeat attempting to compensate for the
overwhelming lack of staff. By developing and focusing a support system that will allow
struggling teachers to gain support from successful peers around classroom management,
there is potential for teacher retention to increase, driving students towards successful
learning outcomes. Although the projected cost for an annual classroom management
support system may seem high due to paying professional staff members overtime wages,
the cost of failing to solve the teacher revolving door is infinitely higher. And,
unfortunately, that is a cost that will ultimately be paid by students who leave Central
Middle School less prepared for high school and beyond.
A thorough review of the existing literature on teacher attrition and retention,
classroom management systems, and professional development strategies will follow in
the next chapter. Specific methodology, findings, conclusions, and recommendations
will also be detailed in subsequent chapters.

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CHAPTER II
Review of the Literature
The following research will explore the current reality of teacher attrition and
retention to determine a viable path towards peer collaborative practices that will bolster
classroom management strategies in support of struggling teachers. Additionally, it will
explore the perceptions and causes of the national teacher shortage, as well as the effects
this crisis has on student learning and schools, particularly middle and high-need learning
centers. Moreover, this research will explore widely used middle-level classroom
management programs and strategies that seek to reduce negative student misconduct,
specifically Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports and Restorative Practices.
Finally, there will be a review of effective strategies to support new and struggling
teachers from the lens of a proficiently designed peer-led professional development and
support program.
Teacher Shortage Crisis
Currently in the United States, recent statistics show that interest in becoming a
teacher has dropped by half from the 1990s, with job satisfaction measures being reported
at the lowest levels in half a century (Ingram, 2023). While this is not the only time in
the nation’s education system history when the shortage of teachers caused a national
dilemma, it is certainly the most significant in eighty years. For context, in the 1950s,
after the end of World War II, the United States faced significant teacher shortages as the
baby boomer generation entered elementary school with a 100% increase in enrollment
(Darling-Hammond et al., 2023). To combat this crisis, Darling-Hammond et al. (2023)
reported that several United States presidents, including Eisenhower, Kennedy, and

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Johnson, championed teacher loan repayments and forgiveness under the National
Defense and Education Act to entice more individuals into the teaching profession.
There are similar efforts being proposed currently, both at the national and state level, in
addition to the official and established Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and the
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. However, even if those efforts to grant additional
teacher loan forgiveness would be approved, the personal financial aspect of the teacher
shortage does not appear to be the only barrier to solving the crisis.
Today, there are different reasons for the crisis, but the data is even more bleak
when you look at specific measures, many of which have been significantly impacted by
a multitude of societal and economic forces since the COVID-19 pandemic. For
example, the National Center for Education Statistics (2022a) reported that 18% of public
schools had at least one teaching vacancy and 27% of public schools had multiple
teaching vacancies. Overall, it was also reported that “4% of all public-school teaching
positions across the country were vacant” (National Center for Education Statistics,
2022a, p. 1). While teacher shortages were a general concern for some public-school
districts prior to the pandemic, the Learning Policy Institute reported that the number of
vacant teaching positions is about 300,000, which is three times the number from just five
years ago (Darling-Hammond et al., 2023). Given the context of this research, it is also
important to note that 57% of those teaching positions were reported in high-poverty
public schools, versus only 41% reported in low-poverty schools, showing an increased
inequity for students who attend the poorest public schools (National Center for
Education Statistics, 2022a). Specific to middle school teachers, as we move forward,
the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023) reported that while the job outlook shows

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little to no change overall, there are 42,200 middle school teaching jobs per year through
the year 2032 that will need to be filled due to teacher attrition trends. To give support to
the need for this research to be conducted, Fuller (2022) reported that high-need middle
schools are the most impacted by teacher shortages in Pennsylvania. Notably, for
Pennsylvania middle schools that serve high percentages of students of color, almost 25%
of teachers have less than three years of teaching experience and the same percentage of
teaching staff leaves the schools each year (Fuller, 2022).
During the past four school years since the pandemic, Pennsylvania has reported
increased staffing challenges because some districts created more teaching positions to
fill in learning gaps caused by the pandemic school closures, further adding to the teacher
shortage crisis (Fuller, 2022). Additionally, looking at teacher migration trends in the
national data, teachers move from schools with high-need student populations at higher
rates, leaving urban schools serving students of color and high-poverty with additional
staffing vacancies (Allensworth et al., 2009).
When we investigate where we will find individuals to fill these vacancies, there
is no easy answer. For context, in Pennsylvania alone, the total number of teaching
certifications drastically decreased from 15,000 in-state certifications in the 2010-2011
school year to only 4,200 in-state certifications in the 2021-2022 school year (Hill, 2023).
Perhaps the most telling numbers of the teacher shortage come from the percentage of
college graduates who are receiving degrees in education. The Pew Research Center
reported that the total percentage of education degrees fell from 19% in the 2000-2001
graduation year to just 4% in the 2019-2020 graduation year (Schaeffer, 2022).
Moreover, in Pennsylvania, high school students who took SAT assessments in

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preparation for college entrance reported a significant decline in intention to major in
education from 11.2% in 2009, down to 4.5% in 2019 (Fuller, 2022).
Teacher Attrition
To fully understand the ramifications of the teacher shortage crisis, it is essential
to look at teacher attrition and its impact. Cooper and Alvarado (2006) defined teacher
attrition as “leaving teaching altogether, either to take another job outside of teaching, for
personal reasons as child rearing, health problems, family moves, and retirement” (p. 1).
The factors cited within the definition are not unique to the United States’ public
education system and share similarities with other related occupations. What makes the
current teacher attrition situation perilous is the drastic disinterest of teachers to continue
in their current roles and occupations. Specifically, Sutcher et al. (2016) stated that even
prior to the pandemic “the most important driving factor of teacher shortages is high
teacher attrition” (p. 38). In the United States, teacher attrition rates of 8% are double the
rates of other high-achieving nations such as Canada, Finland, and Singapore (Sutcher et
al., 2016). Though Pennsylvania fares better than the national average, it still reports
teacher attrition rates at 6.2% (Fuller, 2022). While other professions see retirement as
the greatest source of attrition, two-thirds of teachers who are vacating their positions are
leaving teaching for other reasons (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2019).
In Pennsylvania, Fuller (2022) reported that data suggests that 11.3% of first-year
teachers leave the profession outright. Prior to reaching tenure at the end of the third
year, the percentage leaving increases to 16% (Fuller, 2022). In a survey conducted
during the past year, teacher perceptions collected in the annual Merrimack College
Teacher Survey recorded that 35% of current teachers reported that they are likely to quit

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the teaching profession entirely within the next two years (Will, 2023). Although there is
a growing body of research regarding why this is happening, there are certainly
compounding factors that need to be analyzed in a holistic systems approach.
In an analysis of the deeper trends of teacher attrition, Ramos and Hughes (2020)
report that the first and second reasons for teacher willingness to leave their current
positions are student behavior and classroom climate, respectively. Garcia et al. (2022)
furthered this claim by noting additional factors that are reported to contribute to the
current dilemma, such as a lack of teacher voice, unsupported work environments, a
multitude of school problems, lack of teacher morale, base salary figures, and increased
work hours.
The prevalence of negative attitudes in the United States towards teachers is also
a trend that has impacted the profession. Since the Gallop Poll first started to assess the
American public perception of confidence in public schools in 1973, the confidence rates
have dropped from 58% favorability to 26% in 2023 (Jones, 2023). In fact, negative
perceptions are rampant with secondary school students who have immediate access to
social media and who have made personal attacks on teachers and the teaching
profession, including using websites specifically created to rate teachers and school
officials, which have been reverberated through negative perceptions and social media
critiques by parents and politicians (Fuller, 2022).
Salary concerns impact the decisions of individuals prior to becoming teachers, as
well as those already in the profession. In Pennsylvania, Fuller (2022) reports that
teachers’ salaries have remained relatively stagnant for the past two decades, but the
buying power of each dollar has decreased by half. Inflation and salary stagnation has

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further exacerbated the difference between the profession of teaching versus others that
require baccalaureate degrees (Fuller, 2022).
A Learning Policy Institute report has provided possible remediations and
recommendations for this catastrophic education problem. In the report, DarlingHammond et al. (2023) gave several suggestions for increasing teacher retention and
limiting teacher attrition, which included increasing teachers’ net compensation, creating
debt-free teacher preparation programs, supporting clinical preparation programs,
providing high quality mentoring programs, increasing investments in peer collaboration
to share expertise, designing schools to prioritize teaching and learning, and addressing
changes to school accountability. However, a meta-analysis of substantial studies
concluded that teacher attrition from teacher burnout has a higher predictability than job
satisfaction has to teacher retention (Madigan & Kim, 2021).
Causes of Current Teacher Shortage
Classroom Management. According to the Merrimack College Teacher Survey,
62% of teachers reported this past year that better support is needed for students’
discipline-related issues in their classrooms (Will, 2023). Concerns related to poor
classroom management begin with teacher preparation programs. McGuire et al. (in
press) found no evidence that pre-service teachers received any training related to
specific behavior management. Further, the review also found that the teachers only
received training once they were in-service and when they expressed a desire for more
training in both classroom management and behavior management strategies (McGuire et
al., in press).
Moreover, in a study conducted in a high-poverty, urban school district in

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Arizona, Ramos and Hughes (2020) discussed the top five strategies that teachers
believed would increase their likelihood of retention in their classroom. All of the factors
were rated by level of perceived impact and related to classroom management concerns,
including (1) more resources to manage student discipline, (2) full implementation and
sustainability of the school discipline program, (3) improved working environment, (4)
mentoring programs for classroom management and student discipline, and (5)
professional learning community trainings focused on managing student discipline issues
(Ramos & Hughes, 2020).
Lack of Support. Another factor that was discussed in the study by Ramos and
Hughes (2020) was the perceived lack of support from school principals. The researchers
described that principals believed that they were solely responsible for building up
teachers to be prepared to engage in productive classroom management activities.
According to the perceptions of the teachers, not only was the opposite true, but the
teachers reported feeling that they gained more experience out of managing classrooms
on their own. Additionally, the teachers in this study felt a disconnect with the principals
who they perceived to not have a concrete understanding of the behavioral problems in
their classrooms, a dissonance and lack of trust with reporting frustrations and struggles,
and a discord between themselves and their principals in the ability to implement directed
classroom management programs with fidelity (Ramos & Hughes, 2020).
Using the Teaching and Learning International Survey, Renberger and Davis
(2019) explored the relationship between teacher job satisfaction and several other factors
to determine possible ways to reduce teacher attrition. They reported that strong support
from mentors was found to have a positive relationship, particularly when viewed in the

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context of self-efficacy. Conversely, they found a negative relationship between job
satisfaction and barriers to professional development, furthering the argument that a lack
of support for professional growth is detrimental to solving the concerns around teacher
attrition (Renberger & Davis, 2019).
Lack of Professional Development. When analyzing the data regarding the
impact of professional development on teacher attrition and retention, it is important to
note that the teaching profession has never had as many non-traditional teachers.
Nationally, 27% of those enrolled in teacher candidacy preparation programs are
currently teaching on some type of emergency certification (Darling-Hammond et al.,
2023). In Pennsylvania, Fuller (2022) reported that for the first time in history, there are
more emergency teaching permits issued than full certifications by the Pennsylvania
Department of Education annually.
The impact of this reality is felt nationwide, as there is ample evidence that
teachers are not provided with enough professional development prior to entering the
classroom. Carver-Thomas and Darling-Hammond (2019) specifically reported on this
issue as it relates to teaching in schools with culturally diverse student populations when
they reported that “teachers who enter the profession through alternative certification
pathways are much more likely to leave their schools and the profession, especially when
they teach in schools with high proportions of students of color” (p. 17). This leaves
administrators and school districts with a heavy lift in terms of developing teachers who
lack skills that have traditionally been part of collegiate coursework and practicum.
In a relative study by Pivovarova and Powers (2022) that looked at teacher
attrition prior to the pandemic in Arizona, the rate of teacher attrition between public

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school teachers and charter school teachers was reviewed over six years. It is important
to note that prior to the pandemic, charter school teachers had a higher percentage of
alternative certification, which is now plaguing more areas of the country. The study
showed that teacher attrition in charter schools was 54% higher than in their public
school counterparts. The report noted that school districts need to consider direct
interventions and more mentoring support for teachers who are new to the profession
(Pivovarova & Powers, 2022). Fuller (2022) said that Pennsylvania has also seen this
same impact on its charter schools. While lower, attrition rates for charter school
teachers prior to the pandemic in Pennsylvania were at 20.1% by 2018 (Fuller, 2022).
Digging deeper into the professional development concerns, Koerber et al. (2023)
recognized the teacher attrition crisis and analyzed its link with teachers’ need for
achievement, affiliation, and power. The study reported:
[T]eachers are more often retained when their needs for achievement are met
through supportive and nurturing work environments, sustained by administrators
focused on staff development. Teacher needs for affiliation are met through strong
induction and mentoring programs coupled with a focus on cultivating a
supportive staff through ongoing professional development and learning
communities. (p. 1)
Further, it was found that meeting the teachers’ need for power could be provided in
classroom autonomy and influence (Koerber et al., 2023).
Effects of Teacher Shortage
Effect on Students. A lack of teachers has a direct and profound impact on
students and their learning. Even when teachers are present in the classroom, their

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personal level of stress and burnout can have an impact on students. Zhang and Sapp
(2008) reported that teacher burnout has a direct impact on learning, with lower levels of
affective learning happening in classrooms with teachers noting greater teacher burnout.
Moreso, they described how teacher burnout levels directly impact student motivation in
an opposite direction (Zhang & Sapp, 2008).
Referring to the Merrimack College Teacher Survey, 53% of teachers believed
that their classroom management negatively impacts student learning (Will, 2023).
When teachers need to stop the classroom activities to address student misconduct, the
learning for all students in the room is paused. While this may or may not cause
significant learning loss in any teacher’s classroom, teachers who have chronic student
misconduct would see this happening on a routine basis. Subsequently, there is a logical
direct impact to student learning when eventual teacher attrition causes multiple
vacancies and a complete void of instruction.
Specific subject areas are affected by teacher attrition and retention at higher
rates. Carver-Thomas and Darling-Hammond (2019) noted that math, science, and
special education teachers are more likely to leave than teachers with certifications in
other subject areas. They further noted that this is a nationwide trend. However, they
also explained that data has been reported to show that teacher attrition is “increased in
schools with more students of color and more low-income students” (p. 16). In their
research, they described how teachers in schools with high populations of students of
color “move schools or leave teaching at a rate 46% higher than teachers in schools with
fewer students of color” (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2019, p. 10). Thus,
schools that have marginalized populations that traditionally need additional support to

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succeed have the highest likelihood of having teacher attrition rates that will negatively
impact students’ learning and achievement.
Effect on Staff. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, research was conducted
regarding specific stressors for teachers. Lener et al. (2017) noted such factors to include
large class sizes, student behavioral challenges, workload, and lack of autonomy.
However, they also noted emotional stressors, such as compassion fatigue. This was
particularly high within populations of teachers who served students who came to school
with numerous adverse childhood traumatic experiences (Dorado et al., 2016), which
include schools in high-poverty and urban areas and those who have substantial numbers
of students of color (Lener et al., 2017).
When teacher vacancies rise and candidate pools are low, principals have few
options. Hiring new staff is more about finding candidates who are willing to take on the
challenges of classroom duties and less about finding teachers who are the best match for
students. In a recent publication, Zuo et al. (2023) shared that principals tend to hire
candidates who at least identify with a similar vision for student success, regardless of
their qualifications or the diverse needs of the school. In addition to covering
unsupervised classes for vacant positions, teacher stress and burnout are also responsible
for increased teacher absenteeism and the use of sick time off from work (Lener et al.,
2017). This further adds to principals who have no choice but to cover the unsupervised
classes in other ways.
The National Center for Education Statistics (2022b) reported that even prior to
the pandemic, 61% of schools struggled to find substitutes to fill teacher absences;
however, by the end of the pandemic, the same data point rose to 77%. As evidence, they

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noted that the rate of increase of teacher absences in the 2020-2021 school year was 49%,
but the same rate rose to 77% in the 2021-2022 school year (National Center for
Education Statistics, 2022b). Consequently, principals had to find other ways to provide
supervision for the students sitting in classrooms without a teacher. In the School Pulse
Panel, a monthly survey used by the United States Department of Education to collect a
wide variety of public school data for federal policymakers and educational researchers,
principals reported that these coverages were filled by administrative staff 74% of the
time, support staff 71% of the time, other teachers on their preparation periods 68% of
the time, and by combining classrooms 51% of the time (National Center for Education
Statistics, 2022b). Given this data, teacher absences have had a significant impact on
other school staff members.
Effect on the Profession. Throughout history, the teaching profession has long
been held in high regard. In many countries, this is still the case. However, teachers in
the United States do not always feel that their profession is well-respected. Will (2023)
reported that teachers only feel respected as professionals by 55% of the general public.
As a profession, teachers have argued for increased autonomy over their school
roles. Doherty (2020) stated that “teachers report lower levels of autonomy over what
tasks they do, the order in which they carry out tasks, the pace at which they work and
their working hours, compared to similar professionals” (p. 80). While some school
districts have teacher-led curriculum committees and teacher-initiated professional
development action teams, the administration in most school districts plays a heavy hand
in the day-to-day schedule and duties of each teacher. Unlike other professions, teachers
have limited control over the duties of their job. Changes around teacher autonomy could

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help teachers to feel professionally valued and are likely to abate job dissatisfaction
(Doherty, 2020). Recently, a large quantitative study conducted by Worth and Van den
Brande (2020) found that teacher autonomy has a strong correlation with job satisfaction.
They also noted that there was a strong statistical correlation with workload management
and teacher perception to stay in the profession (Worth & Van den Brande, 2020).
Implications for High-Need Schools
As noted earlier in this review of the literature, school systems that are
characterized as high-need, as well as those that serve students of color, are
disproportionately affected by teacher attrition for multiple reasons. While the rates are
steadily increasing, these concerns have been ongoing since prior to the pandemic. In
fact, Miller and Chait (2008) described this phenomenon as cyclical due to the more
difficult working conditions present in higher-need schools. Specifically, they noted that
the constant turnover of staff prevents high-need schools from developing and sustaining
viable instructional programming and limits their ability to fully develop staff to deal
with daily challenges. When we consider the examples provided regarding the 25%
turnover of staff in high-need middle schools, these are significant concerns (Fuller,
2022). Miller and Chait (2008) contended that the subpar status and conditions of highneed schools also contribute to a generational lack of graduates from the same high-need
schools who would even consider teaching as a profession.
Classroom Management Strategies and Practices
Effective classroom management systems have become the centerpiece of ample
educational research over the past decades. Given the propensity of teachers to feel that
students’ behavior is a catalyst for their attrition from the profession, it is imperative to

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take a closer look at the literature around effective classroom management strategies and
specific practices that support middle school teachers, as well as those teaching in highneed urban schools.
Student Misconduct
Even prior to the pandemic, the United States Department of Education data for
the 2019-2020 school year has shown that exclusionary consequences for serious
disciplinary incidents, described as violent or illegal acts including fighting, assaults,
possession of weapons, and possession of drugs, had risen nationally in both middle and
high schools (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022c). However, there are
limited data sets available that provide quantitative information on classroom level
misconduct incidents, such as those that are non-violent and non-criminal, which distract
from the classroom learning environment. This is most likely because there is no
universal reporting system for such data beyond those created at the local school level.
Despite the lack of general classroom misconduct data, there is perceptual data
from teachers in relation to the interference of general student misconduct with teaching
and learning. In terms of student behavior in middle schools, Zoronski et al. (2021)
wrote that 89% of middle school teachers report having at least one student with chronic
disruptive misconduct in their classroom. Moreover, during the 2020-2021 school year,
32% of teachers believed that student misconduct impacted classroom instruction, with
the highest percentage of that national average being middle school teachers at 37%
(National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). From the same survey, the report
referenced the perceptions of teachers on rule enforcement of chronic classroom
misconduct. Teachers surveyed believed 67% of teachers enforce student rules, while

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83% believed that the principal enforces the rules (National Center for Education
Statistics, 2023). Since most student behaviors do not warrant an exclusionary action by
an administrator and are best handled by the classroom teacher who has the strongest
relationship with the student, this is an area of concern. It also does not align with
comparative research that only 1.8% of teachers reported regularly sending students to
the principal for rule enforcement (Zoronski et al., 2021). This data suggests that there is
a disconnect between teacher perceptions of student behaviors and responsibility for
effectively eliminating such behaviors.
Classroom Management Strategies
Brophy (2006) defined classroom management as “actions taken to create and
maintain a learning environment conducive to successful instruction” (p. 17). Beyond the
traditional ideas of classroom management where teachers focused on establishing
physical seating configurations and large group communication skills, he expanded on
this definition by explaining that classroom management cannot be interpreted
conceptually without also articulating that student socialization and disciplinary
interventions are key elements to modern classroom management (Brophy, 2006). While
maintaining order is a foundation to a successful classroom, until more recently, teachers
and administrators have most often responded to student misconduct by assigning
punitive measures to change the students’ behavior and limit the impact to the learning
loss (Oxley & Holden, 2021). Indeed, early student behavioral theorists, like Skinner and
Pavlov, discussed student behaviors in relation to how positive behaviors are reinforced
so that students can remain productive members of the classroom environment, therefore
seeking to limit exclusionary practices and keep students in their learning environment

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(Brophy, 2006).
Certainly, logic implies that disruptions to the learning environment and lesson
pacing are problematic. Zoronski et al. (2021) reported that disruptive behavior causes
multiple types of negative outcomes, including lower student achievement and increased
teacher burnout. To abate this problem, experienced teachers and theorists in the early
1900s began to write about aspects of management theory and how teachers could
productively use them to maintain routines and respond to students or events that caused
interruptions in learning (Brophy, 2006). Management theories continued to be
developed through the twentieth century, with more emphasis on research methods and
empirical data as the century progressed. As corporal punishment began to be dismissed
as a legally available option for teachers and administrators, specific structures and
frameworks to eliminate negative behaviors developed into more modern classroom
strategies and programs.
History of Classroom Management Programs. In the 1980s, coinciding with
education programs aimed at the prevention of drug use and teen pregnancy, educational
researchers started to evaluate the need to increase student outcomes using prevention
systems for negative behaviors (Sugai & Simonsen, 2012). Concurrently, classroom
management theories went from prescriptive and organizational actions teachers needed
to communicate, to classroom-based systems that focused on individual student needs
(Brophy, 2006). By the 1990s, the focus and attention nationally was on providing
technical assistance for schools to develop and implement behavioral support systems
based on leading behaviorist theories (Sugai & Simonsen, 2012), but not everyone agreed
with this trajectory. Besides theorists who conversely trialed counterproductive systems,

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education leaders like Ronald Butchart pointed out that the classroom management
systems needed to be more conducive to establishing classroom order and imparting lifelong social skills that would ensure the continuation of a democratic social order
(Butchart, 1995). This amplified the argument that classroom management programs
need to incorporate a goal of appropriate student socialization while still building systems
of support focused on the students’ current social skills needs.
By the early 2000s, inclusive practices became increasingly used in American
schools. With behaviorally diverse students included in all classrooms, teachers were
presented with behaviors that needed structured responses (Flower et al., 2016). As
discussed by Lanterman et al. (2021), much of the educational research on classroom
management theory involved creating frameworks for teachers to use to support their
ability to manage their classrooms while reacting to the individual needs of students,
particularly those with defined disabilities.
As classroom management theories continued to develop, a keen focus on efforts
that the teacher makes to organize and communicate student behavioral reinforcement
became evident in both teacher preparation programs and professional development for
in-service teachers (Sugai et al., 2000). Because research revealed that the actions of
teachers in their classrooms have twice as much impact as external forces, it is essential
that teacher actions regarding behavioral expectations in their classroom management
system are explicit (Marzano & Marzano, 2003). Today, two of the classroom
management theories that are used widely in American classrooms, specifically Positive
Behavior Intervention Supports and Restorative Practices, are based on the described
classroom management theories developed over the past half-century.

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Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Funded by grants from
the United States Department of Education, intensive research on Positive Behavior
Interventions and Supports (PBIS) within schools and classrooms began after the
implementation of IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Sugai and
Horner (2002) described that the historical nature of PBIS was developed from the need
to effectively respond to student negative behaviors to ensure student achievement.
According to the Center on PBIS (2023):
PBIS is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’
behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. When
implemented with fidelity, PBIS improves social emotional competence,
academic success, and school climate. It also improves teacher health and
wellbeing. It is a way to create positive, predictable, equitable and safe
learning environments where everyone thrives. (p. 1)
Moreover, one of the main goals of the PBIS system is to create a sense of social equity
in the classroom, as staff and students come together to prioritize expectations and
expected outcomes. In this, PBIS uses classroom practices and systems that allow the
teacher to review established data points collected to track positive and negative student
behaviors to understand additional interventions that may need to be created (Center on
PBIS, 2023).
Sugai and Simonsen (2012) discussed the four main elements of an effective PBIS
program. They reported that teachers must first define the specific outcomes that
students need to achieve. Next, these outcomes, usually written in positive behavioral
language, are translated into student-friendly behavioral matrices that are designed to

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outline the explicit behaviors that teachers expect in the classroom. To ensure that
students are aware of each behavioral expectation, the Center on PBIS (2023) affirmed
that there should be no more than five expectations and that these must be explicitly
taught to students by the teacher, as well as continuously communicated to students.
Then, classroom routines must be developed and consistently used to provide a
continuum of support in daily activities. Finally, to interpret the data based on the actual
behaviors that occur, teachers must use feedback regarding the specific behavioral
expectations, which can include both positive and negative results (Sugai & Simonsen,
2012).
PBIS programs are built on the framework that there are multiple tiers needed to
manage various levels of student behavior, from basic classroom disruptions to repetitive
or violent acts. While the tiered system is more closely associated with school-wide
PBIS, teachers can build tiered levels of support within their assigned classroom when a
school-wide PBIS program does not exist (Center on PBIS, 2023).
By 2018, there were roughly 30,000 schools using PBIS (Center on PBIS, 2023)
and there is ample research, particularly at the elementary school level, that it can be an
effective system to improve student outcomes, reduce exclusionary discipline practices,
and improve teacher outcomes (Bradshaw et al., 2008). At the middle school level,
Nocera et al. (2014) described research conducted on a high-need middle school that not
only yielded reductions in school discipline and suspensions, but also demonstrated
statistically significant increases in student achievement in both math and reading.
Further, Lloyd et al. (2023) studied middle school student perspectives on the use of
PBIS in their classrooms. Generally, the students’ attitudes were positive, but their

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perspective was recorded to view the system as being all about getting rewards. The
students also shared that they believed that it improved both their school climate and
student behavior, most specifically prosocial behaviors that were included in the expected
behavioral matrices of the PBIS program. Ultimately, student perceptions suggested that
PBIS in middle school classrooms encouraged transparent teacher to student
conversations and opportunities for students to take an active role in their own school
experience (Lloyd et al., 2023).
Restorative Practices (RP). In the later part of the last century, classroom
management strategies were beginning to develop that were backed by cognitive
behavioral theory. Daunic et al. (2006) wrote that using this theory, there is a focus on
the student’s metacognitive state, seeking to encourage students to look at their behaviors
critically, focusing on their actions and the reasons behind those actions. What started
out in the criminal justice reform era, Restorative Practices (RP) became a prominent
classroom management strategy in the early 2000s (International Institute for Restorative
Practices, 2023). The ability of RP to assist teachers in building both positive teacherstudent relationships and classroom communities has been well-documented within the
existing literature.
The International Institute for Restorative Practices (2023) defined RP as “a field
within the social sciences that studies how to strengthen relationships between
individuals as well as social connections within communities” (p. 1). From this
definition, RP is not merely set to be used within the classroom setting. In fact, Oxley
and Holden (2021) stated that the model is focused on relationships, specifically repairing
harm done, either to self, other individuals, or institutions.

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According to Costello et al. (2019), teachers can begin to use RP in their
classrooms by using affective statements, which are statements that include the “affect”
that actions have on the individual. For example, instead of a teacher saying, “Don’t run
across the classroom,” an affective statement would be rephrased to say, “When you run
across the classroom, I get worried that you will trip and hurt yourself.”
The next level of RP includes affective questioning when a student engages in
negative behaviors. In this instance, Costello et al. (2019) explained that teachers engage
students in metacognitive thought on the following essential questions:
•

What happened?

•

What were you thinking at the time?

•

What have you thought about since?

•

Who has been affected by what you have done?

•

In what way have they been affected?

•

What do you think you need to do to make things right? (p. 14)

Moving to whole class strategies, “circles” are used to blend the sense of
community into the classroom. Costello et al. (2019) described how different classroom
circles can be used for different classroom events. For routine classroom community
development, classroom circles can be used in a proactive manner to establish bonds and
communication norms. As such, when negative classroom events occur, responsive
circles can be used to provide all students with an opportunity to share how the negative
event impacted their work, feelings, or life (Costello et al., 2019).
Over the past two decades, RP has gained support from teachers, administrators,
educational researchers, and state legislators. In fact, there is currently a proposal in the

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Pennsylvania House of Representatives that would amend the Public School Code of
1949 to require public school districts to use RP to limit school exclusionary practices
and keep a statewide database of school discipline data (H.B. 845, 2023). In practice,
Acosta et al. (2019) validated that RP has been shown to produce a promise towards the
reduction of disciplinary suspensions and exclusions, particularly for students of color.
In fact, Darling-Hammond (2023) reported findings that academic achievement, by
means of increased grade point average, where evident in schools with classrooms that
used RP. However, evidence to support the statistical significance of RP is limited by the
fact that disciplinary decisions are subjective in nature, which leads to ample limitations
in empirical studies (Acosta et al., 2019).
Effective Use in Middle Schools
To combat chronic student misconduct for adolescence, numerous plans,
programs, and strategies are available on the topic of classroom management (ZoderMartell et al., 2023). That said, when focusing on middle school environments, the
existing literature is limited because most evidence-based classroom management
programs conducted empirical trials in elementary settings (Herman et al., 2022).
Gunersel et al. (2023) described the importance of classroom management being essential
for middle school teachers, but they also stated that “relatively little is known about the
middle school teachers’ perception of effective classroom management practices … or
the school level structures that support them” (p. 1). In their qualitative study of middle
school teachers, they found that teachers’ active use of a specific strategy was important.
Positive impacts were described when the following elements were included in the
classroom strategies: (1) positive and negative reinforcement, (2) teachers’ consistent

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follow-through, (3) positive and immediate feedback to students, (4) student buy-in to a
reward system, and (5) positive teacher-student relationships (Gunersel et al., 2023).
For middle school classrooms, Beaty-O’Ferrall et al. (2010) discussed the specific
need for middle school teachers to develop the knowledge and skills to create and use
systems that are effective for their individual classrooms due to the differences in middle
school aged student engagement and behaviors. They provided guidance that for teachers
to develop effective practices, the teachers must first understand their students by
building relationships. Specifically for effective middle school classroom management,
they explained that developing empathy, embracing inherent life skills, and dropping
teacher ego at the door are among the critical areas of focus. Moreover, they contended
that focusing on structures and activities that allow multicultural connections within the
classroom to develop are essential in modern classrooms (Beaty-O’Ferrall et al., 2010).
For middle school teachers struggling with student behaviors, there are few places
to turn to gain evidence-based practice programs. Indeed, in a search on What Works
Clearinghouse, a prominent online search engine for evidence-based educational
programming options produced by the United States Department of Education’s Institute
of Education Sciences, only three classroom management strategies meet the Every
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier I category of evidence. Of those, two programs are
individual reports regarding strategies used in specific subject areas. The Good Behavior
Game strategy was the only evidence-based program to qualify for overall
implementation in all middle school classrooms. The What Works Clearinghouse says:
Good Behavior Game is a classroom management strategy that aims to improve
social skills, minimize disruptive behaviors, and create a positive learning

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environment. Teachers place students into teams and reward them for
demonstrating appropriate behaviors and following classroom rules. (Institute of
Education Sciences, 2023, p. 1)
In further analysis, the Institute of Education Sciences (2023) reported on the What
Works Clearinghouse that the Good Behavior Game only yields positive results around
individual student behavior and teacher practice. Unfortunately, of the sixteen eligible
studies reviewed that met the standard of evidence in this meta-analysis, there was no
apparent effect on overall school climate, intrapersonal competencies, literacy
achievement, or math achievement. Furthermore, when reviewing the demographic
configurations of the research studies, there was no evidence available that the Good
Behavior Game works with urban middle schools or those with significant populations of
Hispanic students (Institute of Education Sciences, 2023).
Effective Use in Urban Schools
For middle school teachers who teach in high-need urban settings, predominately
to students of color, there is even less available literature. While Bottiani et al. (2019)
found that urban teachers who are provided with classroom resources to address student
misconduct can reduce teacher stress and burnout, particularly when collegial leadership
was used to support teachers, there was no empirical evidence to determine specific
strategies or programs that were most effective. In a separate study, Hunter and Haydon
(2019) focused on an urban middle school in their research of the utilization of a specific
classroom management protocol to extinguish negative behaviors. They found that
classroom disruptions were reduced up to 50% in their case study of teachers who
proficiently used a defined classroom management system (Hunter & Haydon, 2019).

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Structured Supports for Teachers
To support teachers around student behaviors and classroom management
strategies, several modes of assistance are widely used across schools with varying
degrees of success, as evidenced in a review of the literature. Much attention has been
paid to what elements need to be included in quality professional development for
educators, but less attention has been developed to determining exactly how to create
such professional learning opportunities (Patfield et al., 2023). As this area of
professional development is crucially important to encourage teacher retention, as well as
to decrease student misconduct and increase overall student success, it is important to
consider all available methods when designing school or district systems to positively
support teachers and classroom practices, including well-designed professional
development, peer coaching and modeling, and administrative support.
Professional Development
For an education system that provides academic learning to millions of students
each day, there has long been a propensity for schools and districts across the United
States to engage in a wide variety of professional development and learning practices for
their educators. Professional development for teachers has transformed over the recent
decades from stand-and-deliver lectures to embedded learning experiences throughout the
school day and school year (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). Notably, the first mention
of professional development for educators within the context of legally prescribed
practices came in 1965 under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Elementary
and Secondary Education Act, 1965). There was limited substance to any formulaic
plans for educator professional development and it was not until the much more recent

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Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the current federal legislation on public education,
where a comprehensive and designated professional development system for educators is
now required (Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015).
In truth, there are still educators working today who can remember a time when
professional development days required individuals to seek out and attend professional
development of their choice, which led to an amalgamation of one-day learning
opportunities that were disjointed from daily instructional expectations and effective
classroom practices. While recent research on educator professional development shows
that teachers are exposed to evidence-based practices, without purposeful design, it is
unlikely that they will apply their new skills and knowledge into the classroom more than
10% of the time (Germuth, 2018). Specifically, Germuth (2018) discussed that
professional development opportunities rarely provided teachers with an opportunity to
observe or collaborate on best practices with peers designated as master teachers on a
specific topic, which limits teachers’ ability to develop and transfer new skills into their
professional practice.
Ultimately, to increase student achievement, professional practice must be
improved (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). This means that there must be substantial
changes to the way that professional development is provided to educators (Yoon et al.,
2007). Today, not only does professional development need to effect positive classroom
changes, but it also needs to adhere to the legal requirements of ESSA. To emphasize the
necessary conditions under the ESSA parameters, it is important to note that the What
Works Clearinghouse, used in a review written by Yoon et al. (2007), stated that out of
1,300 research works studying educator professional learning, only nine individual

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studies met the criteria for engaging in the standard of rigor necessary to provide
evidence of effectiveness. The study summarized that “teachers who receive substantial
professional development – an average of 49 hours in the nine studies - can boost their
students’ achievement by about 21 percentile points” (Yoon et al., 2007, p. iii).
In the ESSA legislation, schools and school districts are required to implement
professional learning that meets specific criteria. The areas that professional
development must meet include criteria that the learning plan be sustained, intensive,
collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and classroom-focused (Every Student
Succeeds Act, 2015). In a study conducted by the Frontline Research and Learning
Institute, an entity that has access to professional development activities of hundreds of
school districts across the country, it was found that most school districts lack rigor in the
six component areas, specifically reporting:
•

Only 13% of school districts had professional development that
qualified as “sustained.”

•

Only 4.5 hours of professional development annually qualified as
“intensive.”

•

Only 63% of professional development activities qualified as “jobembedded.”

•

Only 9% of professional development activities qualified as
“collaborative.”

•

Only 8% of professional development activities qualified as “datadriven.”

•

85% of professional development activities qualified as “classroom-

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focused.” (Combs & Silverman, 2016, p. 18)
Combined with the knowledge that adult learning models suggest that the ESSA
legislative requirements are in alignment with evidence-based adult learning practices, it
is essential to build educator learning systems around the professional development
standards to ensure that effective professional development positively impacts student
learning and achievement (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). However, understanding
how to develop effective professional learning for teachers needs to incorporate specific
understandings of the required elements (Patfield et al., 2023).
Sustained. Unfortunately, the development of school district academic calendars
does not always take into consideration the need for school leaders to plan and enact
multi-day professional learning for educators. Often, professional development days are
planned sporadically, during times when schools and districts have a desire to provide
students with extended weekends surrounding holidays. Looking at effective
professional development, research has shown that the learning opportunities need to be
at least fourteen hours long to provide evidence that it will be impactful (Yoon et al.,
2007). That said, the idea that professional learning all needs to happen in a continuous
workshop, conference, or training is not necessary. Moreso, Combs and Silverman
(2016) noted that it is essential that professional learning happens regularly over time.
This can happen in short, progressive workshops several times a semester, in instructional
coaching with school administrators or instructional coaches that includes consultative
sessions before and after several observation cycles, or between peers while meeting
regularly in professional learning community meetings focused on professional practice
(Combs & Silverman, 2016). As evidence, Medina et al. (2021) discussed how positive

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evidence of practice was seen in reading program implementation for teachers receiving
more than six, short professional development sessions within the same school year.
However, the rates of success were even higher for teachers in the program who
continued with the sustained professional development sessions for two consecutive years
(Medina et al., 2021).
Intensive. To meet the ESSA requirement of intensive, professional development
must have ample, devoted allocations of time. As in any field, there are a tremendous
number of competing factors for teacher learning time. Schools and districts are
notorious for attempting to engage in multiple new initiatives and programs each year, all
without taking into consideration the additional time necessary for teachers to
competently and proficiently know how to use the new learning and skills. For this
reason, Combs and Silverman (2016) described that intensive professional development
is focused on a particular “concept, practice, or program” (p. 17). Indeed, a competence
goal must be established that provides school leaders with a metric to determine how
much learning will be necessary for the desired outcome (Combs & Silverman, 2016).
Darling-Hammond et al. (2017) described several ways in which intensive professional
development can be accomplished, highlighting formats from summer institutes to
ongoing online learning modules, to purposefully timed coaching cycles to encourage
reflections and growth. It is also important to discuss the concept of differentiated
professional development in this area, as once each teacher has met the intended intensity
goal and reached proficient practice, school leaders should provide differentiated
pathways for educators to either become experts or peer leaders in the competency or be
provided with the opportunity to gain new knowledge in a different area. This concept

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was affirmed in a recent study by Gilson et al. (2022), where after teachers participated in
an intensive professional development cycle on gifted education practices, they reported a
strong desire to continue to receive differentiated learning personally connected to their
daily practice.
Collaborative. For professional development to qualify as collaborative, teachers
must do more together than simply be in the same room or talk about the same topic.
Combs and Silverman (2016) reported that for professional development to be
collaborative, it must demonstrate that the educators are working “together to achieve a
shared understanding of a concept or to develop the same skillset” (p. 9). As an example,
teachers engaged in an expert-peer educator relationship that rotates opportunities for
teaching and learning reciprocally on a piece of relevant content would provide the depth
of professional learning that is called upon under the collaborative parameter. DarlingHammond et al. (2017) provide guidance on the various forms of collaborative
professional development. They state that activities do not have to have multiple peers to
be effective. Opportunities can range from one-to-one mentoring sessions to small group
data analysis sessions, to professional learning community practices (Darling-Hammond
et al., 2017). In a recent study at the middle school level, teachers’ collaboration for
professional learning on specific instructional practices was shown to provide support to
individual teachers, teacher teams, and cross-building collaborative teams (Volante et al.,
2023).
Indeed, perhaps the most impactful evidence on teacher collaboration supports for
professional learning may come from the recent COVID-19 pandemic. When teachers
had to immediately shift their instructional practices to online platforms, the steep

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36

learning curve was mitigated in many instances by peer support. Despite the use of
synchronous and asynchronous professional development platforms prior to the
pandemic, there is currently growing evidence in the literature that collaboration within
these professional learning activities is significantly essential. In a study of secondary
teachers engaged in computational thinking integration last year, teachers were more
successful when professional development opportunities were “designed to support
teachers through scaffolded digital learning engagements [where] virtual environments
can afford opportunities to build and sustain communities of practice” (Jocius et al.,
2022).
Job-Embedded. Professional development that simply happens during a
teacher’s workday is not job-embedded according to the definition provided by Combs
and Silverman (2016). Specifically, they detailed that to meet this criterion, the
professional learning must be part of the “on-going, regular work of instruction and
related to teaching and learning taking place in real time in the teaching and learning
environment” (Combs & Silverman, 2016, p. 17). An example of an activity that meets
this criterion would be lesson study. Doig and Groves (2011) explained that lesson study
is a practice that originated in Japan where teachers plan lessons together, conduct
instructional rounds to observe each other’s presentation of the lesson, debrief regarding
the perceived effectiveness and critiques of the lesson, and create a plan to adjust the
lesson for future use. Assuming the lesson study activities happened on an on-going
basis, they would count as a job-embedded professional development activity, as it is
directly tied to specific instruction in the learning environment. Conversely, a workshop
on classroom management would only be considered as job-embedded if it was

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specifically applicable to strategies concurrently used or expected to be used within the
current teaching or coaching cycle (Combs & Silverman, 2016).
Data-Driven. Contrary to its parameter name, the approach to create professional
development that is data-driven does not mean that teachers simply need to be involved
in learning about student data. While there are many professional learning opportunities
where teachers could be analyzing student data metrics, to engage teachers in learning
that will improve their practice means to make decisions about professional development
based on evidence of professional practice (Yoon et al., 2007). Whether that evidence
comes from administrative evaluations or student achievement data, Ventista and Brown
(2023) reported that there are few research studies available that causally link any direct
data impact with teacher professional learning. To remedy this, there needs to first be a
system of data collection that can be used to inform school leaders and instructional
support coaches on the status and use of specific practices prior to designing specific
professional development opportunities in the hopes of linking instructional practices to
academic success. Darling-Hammond et al. (2017) discussed both school level and
system level approaches to determining the selection of professional development topics.
They highlighted a report by Tooley and Connally (2016) that articulates the importance
of effectively determining teacher needs to ensure that professional learning is valued by
the teachers who are receiving it. By targeting teacher focus areas and looking widely
across proficiency components, areas that show little to no evidence of proficiency can be
targeted for professional growth. With this approach, a data-driven professional
development system can assist in providing much needed differentiated learning
opportunities to specific teachers who need to increase their level of proficiency in

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38

subdomain areas of professional practice, particularly when the teachers themselves
perceive that as an area for personal growth (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017).
Classroom-Focused. In their study of 203 school districts and their prescribed
professional learning plans, Combs and Silverman (2016) found that classroom-focused
professional learning was a strength in most school districts across the United States.
Notably, they found that the implementation plans of school districts often narrowed the
topics presented to teachers to areas that would specifically be part of daily lessons and
programs. Likewise, Darling-Hammond et al. (2017) discovered that “professional
learning that has shown an impact on students’ achievement is focused on the content that
teachers teach” (p. 5). Indeed, most teachers in public schools may be presented with
multiple opportunities throughout the school year to engage in content-specific
professional development, but due to the structural differences of teacher preparation
programs between elementary and secondary teachers, a simulation trend has started to
be used in some schools to allow teachers to participate in practical applications of
content-specific development outside of their classroom for practice purposes. Dove et
al. (2023) described how teachers can engage in low-risk practice via simulation systems.
Their research aligns with modern professional learning design in the medical field and
provides in-service teachers with a less stressful way to practice their new content-based
learnings before integrating them into the classroom. Additionally, content-based, online
learning micro-credentialing tools, such as Google Classroom certification, have gained
prominence in both school districts and higher education for students and teachers alike.
Hughey (2020) discussed the implications for personalized learning, highlighting the
potential use of micro-credentialing for content-specific and differentiated learning

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39

opportunities for teachers. Although the primary goal is to ensure content-specific
knowledge and skills are developed, it is possible for this method to also increase teacher
motivation to use the newly learned skills (Hughey, 2020).
Peer Mentoring and Coaching
According to Darling-Hammond et al. (2023), mentoring and coaching can be
effective tools to increase the use of specific instructional strategies throughout a school,
while simultaneously ensuring that support is provided for teachers for retention in their
positions. For many years, researchers conducted dueling studies about the effectiveness
of peer mentoring programs. However, more recently, studies are beginning to coalesce
around evidence that there are strong correlations between extensive peer mentorship
programs and inexperienced teacher progress. In a meta-analysis, Keese et al. (2023)
concluded that not only did peer mentoring programs have a statistically significant
impact on teacher retention, but they also had a statistically significant impact on teacher
efficacy and student achievement.
The purpose of peer mentoring programs is generally limited to supporting novice
teachers. However, as discussed in earlier segments, novice teachers are not the only
ones who are prone to considering careers outside the classroom. Educators across the
profession are reconsidering their current employment decisions, particularly those who
are struggling with student behaviors and classroom management. For school and district
leaders, initiating or bolstering peer mentoring into peer coaching programs may be a tool
that will stop the growing teacher vacancies.
In Pennsylvania, peer coaches are expected to be master teachers who can model
instructional strategies for peers, plan professional development opportunities, and build

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trusting relationships with classroom teachers. Regarding qualifications for instructional
coaches, it is essential that teachers being recommended for instructional coaching roles
demonstrate the ability to connect with peers, recognize quality instructional practices,
and provide honest feedback, as those are the most basic elements of their role. On a
technical note, Pennsylvania school districts are encouraged to also select qualified
coaches based on the following criteria:
•

Pennsylvania Level II teaching certification

•

track record or evidence of improving student achievement

•

demonstrated knowledge and use of a rich array of instructional
approaches, resources, and technologies

•

demonstrated skills in analyzing and using data for instructional decisionmaking

•

interpersonal, problem solving, and organizational skills required to
effectively facilitate coaching and staff development

•

ability to design and/or broker - individually or in collaboration with
others - high quality professional development for teachers/school staff

•

knowledge of equity issues in current education reform

•

knowledge and skills to implement a standards-based education system
utilizing the Pennsylvania Core Standards. (Pennsylvania Department of
Education, 2023)

Much of the literature around peer coaching is specific to instructional coaching.
However, coaches can model classroom management practices to new or struggling
teachers, complete classroom demonstrations of essential practices, and give feedback to

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41

peers through a designated coaching cycle. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fallon et
al. (2019) demonstrated this in a study in a high-need school that focused on peer
coaching for classroom management strategies. In the study, three teachers received
professional development on a classroom management plan to use in their assigned
classrooms. After two weeks, when the teachers did not produce data that supported
effective use of the practices, booster training was provided by a peer coach. In addition,
the coach verbally modeled strategies that were part of the classroom management plan.
While there was a slight decrease noted in the student behaviors, the study found that
there was increased student engagement (Fallon et al., 2019). In another recent study,
utilizing peer coaching to provide structured feedback to new teachers was shown to have
been successful. Specifically, Wiens et al. (2019) discussed the positive teacher retention
rates, including positive teacher transiency rates, in a large, urban school district where
the Peer Assistance and Review Program, a program where designated mentor teachers
conduct classroom observations of new teachers to provide more regular feedback, was
used to supplement less frequent administrative observation and feedback cycles.
Specific to urban middle school teachers, Behm Cross and Thomas (2017)
researched a university collaboration model that expands peer teacher mentoring and
coaching across a three-year span to provide novice teachers with more structured
support. In year one, pre-service teachers built collaborative partnerships with mentors
and participated in specific collaborative training. In year two, the novice teachers
received a co-teacher, a mentor teacher, and paid summer internship time to focus on
specific job-required practices, along with additional collaborative training. Finally, in
year three, the novice teachers were provided with continued support from a mentor

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42

teacher and collaborative training, but they were no longer in a co-teaching environment
(Behm Cross & Thomas, 2017).
Administrative Support
Central to any focus on improving teacher attrition and retention is administrative
vision, consistency, and support. New ideas and new approaches to solving problems in
education need to be supported by building and district level administration. Indeed,
Campoli and Darling-Hammond (2022) discussed positive effects on teachers’ retention
when principals embraced their own professional learning and growth.
Germuth (2018) suggested that failures to create and implement appropriate
teacher support are often due to a “lack of encouragement and guidance when
implementing new approaches in the classroom” (p. 77). Further, Germuth (2018) added
that administrative support is essential to communicate expectations, leadership, and
support. Often support takes on different avenues. Verbal support can take the form of
praise or feedback during classroom observations or active participation in collaborative
discussions. Written support can also be given in response to feedback of professional
practice from administrators, as is most often seen in required evaluation systems.
Financial and resource support are also necessary to ensure that teachers feel supported in
having the materials that they need to implement new professional learning (Germuth,
2018).
In a recent education study, Campbell (2023) focused on the administrative
support needs of veteran teachers. Although the study was small and limited, Campbell
(2023) found that veterans wanted administrators to leave them alone. Conversely,
veteran teachers also wanted administrators to inherently protect them and value their

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43

work and opinions as professionals (Campbell, 2023). This research appears to be the
opposite of other studies conducted within the past year that focus on younger teachers.
Burt and Jones (2023) related this concept to the new Generation Z educators. In their
research, they found that new teachers need administrative support in the form of
continuous professional feedback. Furthermore, they found that Generation Z teachers
desire feedback on their use of instructional strategies and classroom management
practices and value close relationships with their administrators. To accomplish this,
Burt and Jones (2023) recommended that administrators visit classrooms frequently and
include new teachers in decision making committees, as they believe that their own roles
are essential in the ongoing efforts to improve educational practices (Burt & Jones,
2023).
When evaluating the time that administrators have to support new teachers, many
schools and districts recognize a gap in teacher supervision need and availability of
administrative instructional leadership support. Because of this, instructional mentoring
and coaching often fills this gap. In fact, Ridge and Lavigne (2020) reported that
administrative support for the peer coaching model can align with the ESSA requirements
to support effective teacher evaluation practices. This support can become a lifeline to
struggling teachers when administrators are too overwhelmed themselves to get into
classrooms to provide feedback of professional practice on a routine basis (Ridge &
Lavigne, 2020).
Summary
In summary, teacher attrition and retention are significant problems in America’s
public schools. Research has shown that current and potential teachers perceive student

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44

misconduct, lack of professional development, and lack of support to be primary reasons
for considering other professions, particularly in middle, urban, and high-need schools.
To counteract this reality, schools and districts need to focus time, efforts, and supports
on developing effective classroom management strategies for their student populations
that build and strengthen relationships between teachers and students and that explicitly
teach positive behavioral expectations. A well-designed professional learning plan that
meets the legal requirements of ESSA needs to be developed to ensure teachers can
utilize the behavioral strategies with fidelity. Peer coaching supports that include
modeled classroom practices and collaborative feedback cycles will be essential to
ensuring the professional learning plan is successful in reducing teachers’ desires to leave
the profession.

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CHAPTER III
Methodology
Given the urgent need to minimize teacher attrition and increase teacher retention,
it is necessary to develop an intervention plan to combat this educational crisis. Based on
themes and evidence in the preceding review of the literature, the following methodology
has been created to support the retention-related action research being conducted at
Central Middle School in the Reading School District. To intensify support for teachers
around professional development for classroom management strategies and practices, it is
necessary to determine the effectiveness of a peer-led classroom management support
system. Specifically, this chapter outlines the purpose of this action research, along with
detailed information on the setting and participants. The design of the intervention
support system implemented, as well as the timeline, data-collection methods, and
validity used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data sources, is also fully
described.
Setting
The Reading School District is the fourth largest public school district in
Pennsylvania with over 17,000 students enrolled. In terms of geographic location, it is in
Reading, Pennsylvania, an urban area in the center of Berks County, halfway between
Philadelphia and Harrisburg.
Central Middle School is the largest of five middle schools in the Reading School
District, hosting almost 2,000 students annually in the fifth through eighth grades.
Demographically, 94.1% of Central Middle School students qualify as economically
disadvantaged, while 3.5% of the students are homeless. Academically, 27.5% of the

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46

students are English language learners and 28.7% receive special education services.
Ethnically, 87.1% of Central Middle School’s students are Hispanic, with 6.4%
identifying as Black and another 5.0% identifying as White.
For achievement context, Central Middle School was designated in 2018 by the
Pennsylvania Department of Education as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement
school for historically and cyclically low performance. As determined by the
Pennsylvania System of School Assessment data in the spring of 2023, reading
proficiency was 20.8%, math proficiency was 4.8%, science proficiency was 26.5%, and
English language learner proficiency was 3.2%. Additionally, 40.1% of students were
labeled chronically absent (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2024).
Perceptually, Central Middle School has a long history of student behavioral
concerns. In fact, the school has been labelled in the community as the “fight school”
and the “riot school” due to the number of incidents that have historically occurred in and
around the physical school. The school was originally opened as a ninth and tenth grade
high school in 2012, called Reading Intermediate High School, to alleviate overcrowding
at the district’s sole high school building, Reading Senior High School. After the Great
Recession’s financial distress in the middle of the last decade, the Reading School
District made the decision to close four sixth grade magnet school buildings to cut
operational costs, which ultimately caused the grade levels of Reading Intermediate High
School to shift to housing all eighth and ninth graders across the district. After numerous
riots, large scale fights, and staff assaults caused ample negative publicity for the school,
as well as overcrowding at the elementary school buildings, the Reading School District
made the decision to shift the grade levels again throughout the district such that middle

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47

schools would contain grades five through eight. With this move, Reading Intermediate
High School became Central Middle School. Despite the change in name and grade
levels, public and staff perception about the physical school building has been slow to
change, notwithstanding an overall reduction in student misconduct incidents, such as
fighting.
Table 1 reports the student enrollment and state reportable conduct incidents
totals, with specificity to student fighting, over the five-year period from the 2018-2019
school year to the 2022-2023 school year.

Table 1
State Reportable Behavioral Incidents at Central Middle School
________________________________________________________________________
Year
Enrollment
Number of State
Fighting
Reportable
Incidents
________________________________________________________________________
2018-2019
1474
1507
78
2019-2020

2001

1409

136

2020-2021a

1994

0

0

2021-2022b

1973

768

64

2022-2023
1875
1096
46
________________________________________________________________________
Note. This table was compiled by the researcher based on state reportable student
conduct incidents from 2018-2019 through 2022-2023.
a

Students remained virtual for the majority of the 2020-2021 school year, with a low-

attended, optional hybrid schedule opened only in April of 2021.
b

Pandemic protocols that limited student physical contact were still in place for much of

the 2021-2022 school year.

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48

As part of the state-mandated school improvement plan for Central Middle
School, various programs and initiatives have been implemented over the past several
school years to assist the school culture, which includes student misconduct prevention
strategies as well as academic supports. A streamlined and schoolwide Positive Behavior
Intervention and Support (PBIS) system was developed and implemented in the 20222023 school year. It is led by a school action team that includes instructional staff,
students services team members, and administrators. Staff are provided with a thirtyminute professional development presentation on the schoolwide behavioral matrices and
the incentive point system each August, but there is no additional professional
development offered to staff throughout the school year, nor as new staff members start
after the beginning of the school year, that demonstrates the program in the classroom
setting.
In the 2019-2020 school year, Restorative Practices (RP) was implemented at
Central Middle School as an additional evidence-based practice to support the mandated
school improvement plan. The entire school staff received two days of training from the
International Institute of Restorative Practices. While staff members who started working
at Central Middle School after the 2019-2020 school year have still received the two-day
training in their first year, it has been via internal facilitators who are not classroom
practitioners.
Purpose
While chronically understaffed, Central Middle School reached a crisis staffing
level in the 2022-2023 school year when there were 16.7% of the professional teaching
positions vacant. By August of 2023, and throughout the 2023-2024 school year, this

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49

percentage increased to 25.5%.
In both a recent staff survey and focus group cycle during the 2022-2023 school
year, Central Middle School teachers were asked about the reasons why they considered
leaving the school, as well as the reasons why they were considering staying into the next
school year. Interestingly, while the surveyed teachers were among the lowest paid in the
local area, discontent with teacher salaries and benefits was not the primary reason given
for potential resignation. Overall working conditions, including lack of teacher
preparation time due to forced coverages for vacancies and stress related to chronic
student misconduct were the primary factors reported by teachers for their consideration
to leave Central Middle School.
As noted in the review of the literature, the theme of stress due to student
misconduct is not unique to Central Middle School (Ramos & Hughes, 2020). Given the
national and local teacher shortage crisis, coupled with the student behavioral and mental
health crisis post-pandemic, immediate changes in these areas to increase teacher
retention are not likely (Fuller, 2022). Other methods to increase the current teachers’
desire to remain at Central Middle School need to be explored, including internal ways to
build a classroom management support system for teachers who struggle with stress from
chronic student misconduct.
To support the action research in developing a potential intervention support
system, an in-depth analysis of existing literature was conducted to explore potential
methods to include in the study. For instance, Ramos and Hughes (2020) reported that
teachers described the need for fully implemented behavioral support programs,
mentoring programs for classroom management, and professional learning community

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trainings focused on classroom management issues. Additionally, Renberger and Davis
(2019) found a positive relationship between peer mentorship support and reduced
teacher attrition, as well as a negative relationship between overall job satisfaction and
barriers to professional development supports. Further, additional research on positive
teacher retention rates in urban schools was described by Wiens et al. (2019) where
mentor teachers conducted classroom observations of each other to provide reflection and
feedback.
In terms of specific classroom management strategies to incorporate into the
action research, the review of the literature yielded that no one-size-fits-all program or
system demonstrated statistically significant success for high-need, urban middle schools.
However, both RP and PBIS showed some evidence of effectiveness (Acosta et al., 2019;
Nocera et al., 2023).
In essence, this action research attempted to determine the effectiveness of a
planned intervention support system to combat the teacher attrition and retention
concerns at Central Middle School in the Reading School District by utilizing evidencebased practices noted in the review of the literature. To guide the implementation,
analysis, and potential recommendations, as well as to determine the overall effectiveness
of the intervention system on teachers’ perception of their own willingness to remain in
their current teaching positions, this action research was designed to answer the following
research questions:
1. How does a modeled professional development series on classroom
management techniques that is provided by designated master teachers affect
teacher perception of their own willingness to remain in their current position?

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2. How do structured peer observations of designated master teachers on
classroom management techniques affect teacher perception of their own
willingness to remain in their current position?
3. How does feedback of professional practice on classroom management
techniques that is provided by designated master teachers affect teacher
perception of their own willingness to remain in their current position?
It was the goal of this research to assist the administration of Central Middle
School in determining the most effective methods to support the retention of teachers by
building a classroom management support plan for teachers at various career levels who
are considering leaving the district or the profession due to stress from chronic student
misconduct. A one-year permission for this action research was granted by the PennWest
University Institutional Review Board (see Appendix A) and direct permission from the
Reading School District Superintendent, Dr. Jennifer Murray, was granted for Central
Middle School staff members to participate in this study (see Appendix B).
Research Intervention Plan
To create a classroom management support system for teachers at Central Middle
School who are considering resigning from their current positions, it was necessary to
model a research intervention focused on themes found within the review of the
literature. Because Bottiani et al. (2019) found that urban teachers had greater success
reducing stress and burnout when classroom resources were supported by collegial
leadership, both evidence-based classroom management strategies and professional peer
support elements were deemed to be essential in the intervention design. Moreover,
because Hunter and Haydon (2019) discussed the success in the reduction of classroom

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52

disruptions for urban middle school teachers when they were able to proficiently use
classroom management techniques, it was determined that the research intervention plan
must also include intensive support for specific classroom management techniques such
that teachers could gain clarity of practice towards proficiency in utilizing the strategies.
Due to the alignment of PBIS and RP with evidence-based success in the review of the
literature and their existing use at Central Middle School by some classroom
practitioners, the technical process and main philosophical practices of each system were
used as the basis for the development of the intervention system from a contextual lens.
Relative to PBIS, it was important to focus the classroom management strategies
for the research intervention plan on Sugai and Simonsen’s (2012) description of the
main elements of an effective PBIS program. Those elements are detailed in Figure 1.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO INCREASE RETENTION
Figure 1
Elements of Positive Behavior Interventions and Support for the Classroom

Define
expectations in
positive behavioral
language

Explicitly
communicate
feedback to
students on the
expected
behaviors

Establish
classroom routines
that support
expected
behaviors

Communicate
expectations in
student-friendly
matrices and
explicitly teach
them to students

Elements
of PBIS

Explicitly
communicate
behavioral
expectations on an
ongoing basis

Note. This graphical representation was created by the researcher to visually detail the
elements of PBIS, as described by Sugai and Simonsen (2012).

In addition, it was important to focus the classroom management strategies
selected for the research intervention plan on the work of Costello et al. (2019), who
described the specific ways to use RP in classrooms. Those elements are detailed in
Figure 2.

53

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54

Figure 2

Elements of Restorative Practices for the Classroom

Elements
of RP

• Use affective
statements that are
positive and restorative
• Use affective
questioning
• When needed, host
class circles that are
either proactive or
reactive

Note. This graphical representation was created by the researcher to visually detail the
elements of RP, as described by Costello et al. (2019).

To determine the design of the peer support for the research intervention plan, the
review of the literature detailed how peer mentoring and coaching have been effective
tools to increase the use of specific instructional strategies and the retention of teachers
(Darling-Hammond et al., 2023). Indeed, Fallon et al. (2019) noted that successful
outcomes could be achieved in a high-need school where peer mentors provided
professional development sessions to struggling teachers via booster training on
previously learned strategies. In the same study, the peer coach also modeled the
strategies that were part of the classroom management plan. Furthermore, Wiens et al.
(2019) described positive teacher retention rates in a large, urban school district where a

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55

program using designated mentor teachers to conduct classroom observations and
feedback was used. Figure 3 demonstrates the developed intervention plan based on the
successful elements of the previously noted evidence-based research.

Figure 3
Peer-Led Classroom Management Support Intervention Plan

STEP 1: Professional Development Series
•Booster training on PBIS classroom management strategies provided by designated
master teachers
•Booster training on RP classroom management strategies provided by designated master
teachers

STEP 2: Reflection and Practice
•Time for study participants to reflect on booster trainings
•Time for study participants to pracitice PBIS and RP strategies in their classrooms

STEP 3: Modeled Classroom Observation
•Observation by study participants of modeled classroom management strategies by a
designated master teacher

STEP 4: Reflection and Practice
•Time for study participants to reflect on modeled classroom observation
•Time for study participants to pracitice PBIS and RP strategies in their classrooms

STEP 5: Feedback of Professional Practice
•Observation by a designated master teacher of study participants
•Feedback of professional practice to study participants by a designated master teacher

STEP 6: Reflection and Practice
•Time for study participants to reflect on feedback of professional practice
•Time for study participants to pracitice PBIS and RP strategies in their classrooms

Note. This graphical representation was created by the researcher to visually detail the
intervention plan design based on elements of previous studies conducted by Fallon et al.
(2019) and Wiens et al. (2019).

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56

To ensure consideration of the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA), this study’s intervention research design was also planned to be sustained,
intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and classroom-focused (Every
Student Succeeds Act, 2015). Most notably, it was essential to ensure study participants
had time within the intervention plan to reflect upon and practice the classroom
management strategies. Figure 4 demonstrates how the developed intervention plan
ensures compliance with ESSA.

Figure 4
Classroom Management Support Intervention Plan Professional Learning Compliance to
ESSA
SUSTAINED: Happens regularly over time
• Initial professional development in PBIS and RP provided to teachers upon program implementation and/or start of
employment at Central Middle School
• Booster professional development series, modeled classroom observation, and feedback of professional practice ongoing
during intervention implementation
INTENSIVE: Devoted allocation of time
• Intervention plan designed to occur during the school year over the course of two months
• Intervention timeline includes time for reflection of new learning and practice of included strategies
COLLABORATIVE: Working together towards a shared understanding
• Intervention design pairs peer mentors with study participants to enagage in two-way communication about intervention plan
practices
JOB-EMBEDDED: Related to ongoing teaching in real-time
• Intervention plan happens during the school year when live classroom instruction is observable
DATA-DRIVEN: Makes decisions based on evidence of professional practice

• Feedback of professional practice is provided by peer mentors after classroom observation
• Instuctional modifications based on reflection and learning can happen immediately
CLASSROOM-FOCUSED: Focused on classroom practices that impact students' achievement
• Intervention plan design based on evidence-based classroom managament instructional strategies

Note. This visual representation was created by the researcher to detail the research
intervention plan’s professional learning compliance to ESSA. It includes concepts
described by both Combs and Silverman (2016) and Darling-Hammond et al. (2017).

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57

Once identified, the designated master teachers initially met with the researcher to
develop the booster professional development sessions. The two designated master
teachers who were part of the PBIS Action Team were assigned to the PBIS professional
development booster training and the designated master teachers who were initially
trained by the International Institute of Restorative Practices were assigned to the RP
booster training. After the initial meeting with the researcher, the designated master
teacher pairings spent an additional hour collaborating and preparing practitioner
examples for training sessions. In terms of the presentation of the booster professional
development, each one-hour session was completed at a faculty meeting with all study
participants present.
Specific to the classroom observations, the length of a class period at Central
Middle School for the 2023-2024 school year was forty-seven minutes. The study
participants were provided with a schedule of the designated master teacher classes to use
to conduct their required classroom observation. While the study participants were only
required to complete a single classroom observation, providing them with the
instructional schedules of all designated master teachers gave them the opportunity to
conduct multiple classroom observations if they determined that they needed additional
examples. Conversely, the designated master teachers were directly assigned to study
participants by the researcher to ensure (1) scheduling alignment with the designated
master teachers’ non-instructional time to complete the study participant’s classroom
observation, (2) that each of the study participants was guaranteed to have a classroom
observation by a designated master teacher, and (3) that a clear communication channel
existed for the designated master teachers to communicate and to schedule the feedback

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session.
Each feedback session between the designated master teacher and the study
participant was held either during mutually non-instructional times or before and after
regular school hours. There was no direct compensation to either the designated master
teachers or the study participants if any selected to conduct the feedback sessions beyond
the length of the contractual school day.
To assist with each participants’ collection and organization of strategies noted
during the classroom observations, Appendix F was provided to both the designated
master teachers and the study participants. However, by design, the evidence collection
tool was not provided to the researcher or used in any data collection protocol.
In the aggregate, the research intervention plan directly supported the purpose of
the action research by providing multifaceted, professional peer support to teachers in the
area that they reported having the greatest concerns in consideration towards resigning
from their teaching position: stress from chronic student misconduct. Regarding the
research questions generated, the intervention plan’s specific inclusion of professional
development, peer observation, and observational feedback protocols supported overall
data analysis, conclusions, and recommendations.
Financially, the research intervention plan did not incur a cost to Central Middle
School or the Reading School District. As the lead researcher for this action research, the
time spent in research to develop the intervention plan was solely an indirect cost. There
was no direct compensation to the designated master teachers for time spent during noninstructional hours to prepare the booster professional development sessions and there
was no direct compensation to either the designated master teachers or the study

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participants if any selected to conduct the feedback sessions beyond the length of the
contractual school day.
Separate indirect costs included the use of the school facility after hours,
including basic utilities services, which were consumed during the implementation of the
intervention plan. If found to be successful, the classroom management support system
could be further developed to be used at Central Middle School and other Reading School
District institutions in future school years to support ongoing teacher retention efforts.
The estimated cost of the plan in direct costs would be $52,000 annually for salaries and
benefits, with an additional $1,000 proposed for nominal professional development
supplies. As Central Middle School and the entirety of the Reading School District are
designated as Title 1 schools, federal funding sources could be utilized.
Participants
Given the size of the student population, there are a multitude of positions
assigned to Central Middle School. Table 2 enumerates the professional positions, along
with the number of vacancies in each area as of February of 2024.

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Table 2
Professional Staffing at Central Middle School as of February 2024
________________________________________________________________________
Group
Number of Positions
Current Vacancies
________________________________________________________________________
Administrative
Principal
1
0
Assistant Principal
4
0
Instructional Supervisor
2
1
Dean of Students
1
1
Student Services
School Nurse
3
0
School Counselor
4
0
Restorative Counselor
1
0
School Social Worker
4
0
In-School Suspension
1
1
Instructional
Academic Interventionist
2
2
Reading Specialist
2
1
5th Grade Math and Science
10
2
th
5 Grade ELA and Social Studies
10
2
6th Grade Math and Science
10
2
th
6 Grade ELA and Social Studies
10
2
7th Grade ELA
5
1
th
7 Grade Social Studies
5
1
7th Grade Math
5
1
7th Grade Science
5
1
th
8 Grade ELA
5
1
8th Grade Social Studies
5
0
th
8 Grade Math
5
2
8th Grade Science
5
1
English Language Support
9
3
Special Education
28
10
Gifted Education
1
0
Instrumental Music
2.2
0
General Music
4
0
Art
4
0
Physical Education
8
0
STEAM
2
1
Library
2
1
________________________________________________________________________
Note. This table was compiled by the researcher based on staffing at Central Middle
School as of February 28, 2024.

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In terms of the tenure of the professional staff at Central Middle School, 35.2% of
the instructional and student services staff have been at Central Middle School for less
than three years. Moreover, 30.3% of the instructional and student services staff have
been in the field of education for less than three years. Further demographic indicators,
such as gender, age, ethnicity, level of education, teaching experience, and current
teaching assignment were collected for Central Middle School staff members who
consented to study participation. That data is reported in the subsequent chapter.
For this research, there were two types of participants required. Instructional staff
who provided the peer-led classroom management support were selected as the
designated master teachers, per the intervention support system plan. The second type of
instructional staff were selected as study participants who received the intervention.
Because participation in the action research was voluntary and subject to participants’
continued willingness to participate, the number of designated master teachers was set at
four and the number of study participants was set at eight. This step was critical to
ensure the study would yield various results for data triangulation in the case of a loss in
participants due to withdrawal from the study, as well as potential resignation or
termination of employment at Central Middle School over the course of the action
research.
To qualify as a designated master teacher, Central Middle School instructional
staff members had to meet several selection criteria. In alignment with the Pennsylvania
Department of Education (2023) guidance for peer coaches, much of the developed
criteria required the designated master teacher candidates to have evidence of proven
track records and demonstrated knowledge of specific instructional strategies, specifically

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PBIS and RP. First, they had to willingly consent to participate in the initial quantitative
survey. In a five-point Likert scale rating from “Absolutely Not Interested” to “Accept
Without Hesitation,” the potential designated master teachers had to select either a “4” or
a “5” when asked to rank their willingness to participate in an experimental classroom
management support system which would require them to present classroom management
professional development, host peer observations within your classroom, and provide
peer feedback of professional practice. Next, on an additional five-point Likert scale
rating from “Failing” to “Distinguished,” the potential designated master teachers had to
select either a “4” or a “5” when asked to rank their perception of their own classroom
management. From the potential candidates, the researcher used additional criterion to
ensure credibility for the selected designated master teachers, which included:
•

five years of classroom instructional experience

•

a proficient or distinguished rating on the 2022-2023 evaluation in all
four domains

•

no more than three Level 1 student misconduct office referrals per
month, on average, in the 2022-2023 school year

•

current classroom practitioner

Furthermore, to ensure that the designated master teachers had sufficient
experience in the prescribed classroom management strategies selected from the review
of the literature, two were required to be active members of the Central Middle School
PBIS action team and two were required to have been trained in RP directly from the
International Institute of Restorative Practices. Redundancy of criteria in the parameters
for PBIS and RP involvement was included to control potential participant attrition.

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Moreover, the designated master teachers collaborated with the researcher to plan the
booster professional development sessions so that there was both research and authentic
practice included in the design of each session.
To qualify as a study participant, Central Middle School instructional staff
members also had to meet selection criteria. First, they had to willingly consent to
participate in the initial quantitative survey. Additionally, they had to be current
classroom practitioners. Next, on the initial quantitative survey, the potential study
participant candidates had to select “Yes” when asked “Within this school year, have you
considered resigning from your current position?” Then, when asked “Which category or
categories best describe your main rationale for considering resigning from your current
position?” the study participant candidates needed to select either “Chronic student
misconduct” or “Inadequate professional development.” Because concerns for both
teacher attrition and teacher retention were grounds for this action research, the number
of years of instructional experience was not a limiting factor for study participant
selection.
Participation in the action research was open to all Central Middle School
instructional staff members. Administrators and student services staff were not eligible
to participate in the study because they were not classroom practitioners. A specific
informed consent was provided to all potential participants as a condition to completing
the initial quantitative survey. This informed consent was approved by the PennWest
University Institutional Review Board (IRB) and can be reviewed in Appendix C.
Within the informed consent, the participants were given the option to discontinue
their participation at any time with no negative impact or penalty. In addition, the

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64

participants were informed of the potential risks from participating in the action research
study, which included:
•

loss of time due to participation in the professional development series

•

loss of time due to peer classroom observations

•

loss of time due to peer feedback of professional practice reflection
sessions

•

loss of time due to study participant interview sessions

•

possible diminished collaborative relationships with peers

To control for the potential risks to the participants, the researcher provided the
following accommodations:
•

time during a mandatory professional staff meeting to review the
informed consent

•

time during a mandatory professional staff meeting to participate in the
initial quantitative survey

•

time during a mandatory professional staff meeting to participate in the
classroom management professional development series

•

organization of schedule and explicit directions provided by the
researcher to minimize potential diminished relationships with peers
due to communication and collaboration concerns

Additionally, because the researcher served as the direct supervisor of the potential
participants, an assistant principal was used as an honest broker to introduce the
opportunity for study participation to the Central Middle School professional staff and to
minimize any potential obligatory participation responses or biases.

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65

Participants in this action research were also given information regarding the
potential benefits from their participation. While there was no direct monetary incentive
to participate, the informed consent detailed that those selected as study participants who
completed the research project would receive a ticket for a chance drawing for a $100
Amazon gift card. Additional benefits included:
•

opportunity to provide peer collaboration, professional development,
and mentoring support for the designated master teachers

•

knowledge of additional classroom management techniques for the
study participants

•

peer observation and peer feedback of professional practice for the
study participants

•

potential enhancement of collaborative relationships with peers

Research Design, Methods, and Data Collection
A mixed-methods, embedded design, action research project was used to explore
how the use of various classroom management supports affects teacher retention
perceptions. Because the purpose of the research was to increase teacher retention and
decrease teacher attrition, the intervention plan functioned as an experimental protocol
for a subset of the population of teachers at Central Middle School. Mertler (2022)
explained that this type of action research enhances the design of the study by generating
an alternative type of data for analysis. By following this method, the researcher was
able to extract specific responses from an initial quantitative survey, perform an
experimental intervention plan on the identified study participants, and subsequently
collect qualitative data from the study participants on the effects of the experimental

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66

intervention plan.
In greater detail, the mixed-methods, embedded design allowed the researcher to
first determine which teachers were considering resigning from their current position
from a quantitative survey. From those results, the researcher was further able to
determine which teachers considering retention were doing so due to a perceived increase
in stress due to chronic student misconduct and/or from a perceived lack of professional
development and support. Next, the researcher was able to select study participants from
those specific teachers to conduct the experimental research intervention plan focused on
providing those considering resigning due to perceived stress from chronic student
misconduct and/or lack of professional development and support with a research-based
and peer-led classroom management support system. After the intervention plan was
completed, the researcher was able to perform a qualitative structured interview with the
study participants to gather perceptual data on the impact of the classroom management
support system intervention on their own perception of their willingness to remain in
their current position. To make conclusions and recommendations, the researcher was
able to triangulate the data from both the quantitative survey and the qualitative
structured interview to determine the overall effectiveness of the experimental
intervention plan and answer the research questions.
Prior to the start of the action research study, the researcher successfully
completed multiple courses on ethical guidelines for research conducted with human
subjects. Additionally, all study procedures and data collection tools and methods were
approved by the PennWest University IRB. Proof of these permissions is indicated in
Appendix A.

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Hendricks (2017) wrote about the importance of collecting baseline data to make
comparisons before and after a research intervention, as well as to detail the results of the
intervention plan in answering the overall research questions. For the initial quantitative
survey, a Google Form was created to gather nominal, demographic data and ordinal,
perceptual data. Specifically, demographics about teacher gender, age, race, education
level, instructional content area, and instructional role were collected for aggregate
reference and later data triangulation. Perceptual data points included Likert-scale ratings
of items such as teachers’ willingness to participate in the study, reflections on possible
resignation, and self-evaluations of their classroom management abilities.
As noted by Hendricks (2017), caution was taken to ensure that the survey
questions were aligned with the research questions, written in brief and clear segments,
and strictly related to the research study. Additionally, quantitative survey design
considerations described by Mertler (2022) were addressed, including providing written
directions and ensuring that the questions were focused and grammatically correct, while
simultaneously ensuring that they were not leading or double-barreled. Indeed, the
quantitative survey was also piloted by the researcher and reviewed by the PennWest
IRB; Faculty Committee Chair, Dr. Mary Wolf; and external committee chair, Dr. April
Halligan-Rostek. The survey was offered to all teachers at Central Middle School to
capture the maximum available data. A copy of the survey is available for review in
Appendix C.
While the initial survey was used to determine potential participation interest in
the research study, the basic demographic and perceptual data was collected and analyzed
from all who consented to participate. For those not selected as designated master

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68

teachers or research study participants, individual responses to demographic and
perceptual data were only used and presented in the aggregate with no personally
identifiable information disclosed. Individuals selected as designated master teachers or
study participants did not have names or personally identifiable information included
within the report of the research. Pseudonyms such as “Master Teacher 1” or “Participant
4” were used.
After the experimental protocols in the research intervention plan were
completed, the qualitative data was collected. This was done via a structured interview
protocol. Mertler (2022) described that structured interviews are conducted with the
same set of predetermined questions for the sake of consistency. Because the
experimental intervention plan included multiple types of peer-led support formats, such
as professional development sessions, modeled observation of strategies, and feedback of
professional practice, it was important to focus the qualitative interviews with a set of
consistent questions to gain detailed perceptual information from the study participants
on each of the intervention protocols to ease the analysis of each peer-led support. The
specific questions used in the structured interview are based on the research questions
and can be reviewed in Appendix D.
The qualitative structured interview sessions between the study participants and
the researcher were recorded on the Google Meet platform. To provide privacy and
confidentiality, the researcher and the study participants met in a confidential conference
room at Central Middle School. Moreover, each study participant completed an
individual interview to ensure confidentiality. During the data analysis process, the
Dedoose system was used to code and analyze the data into relevant themes to draw

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conclusions and make recommendations for potential systemic changes and further
research. Additionally, the recordings were stored as a file on the researcher’s password
protected computer drive. However, at the conclusion of the research study, the
recordings were destroyed.
While there were three separate research questions to collect and analyze data, the
general process and timeline was similar for all three research questions. The specific
data collection methods and sources are detailed in Figure 5.

Figure 5
Data Collection Methods
Quantitative Data Collection on Google Form
Survey in December 2023

Qualitative Data Collection during Structured
Interview in April 2024

All Research Questions:

Research Question #1:

• Teachers were invited to participate in a
survey to determine demographic indicators
such as gender, age, ethnicity, highest level
of education, years of public-school teaching,
current grade level of instruction, and current
department of instruction. Teachers’
consideration of resigning within the current
school year, as well as the reasons for
potential resignation were collected. Likertscale ratings towards interest in participating
in the research was collected.
• Teachers who noted interest on the survey in
participating in the research as designated
master teachers were evaluated against
school-based records for the following
criteria: participation in IIRP training and/or
PBIS Action Team, years of teaching
experience, evaluation rating, and historical
office referral data.
• Teachers who noted interest on the survey in
participating in the research as study
participants were evaluated on their answers
to the reasons for their resignation
considerations. Those who selected chronic
student misconduct and/or lack of
professional development were primary
candidates for the study.

• In a confidential, structured interview recorded on the Google Meet
platform, study participants were asked to explain (1) the changes they have
made to their professional practice based on their attendance at the peer-led
professional development sessions, (2) their analysis of the significance of
the peer-led professional development sessions, and (3) their analysis of the
impact of the professional development design of peers leading the
professional development sessions. Overall interview data was used to make
study conclusions and recommendations.

Research Question #2:
• In a confidential, structured interview recorded on the Google Meet
platform, study participants were asked to explain (1) the changes they have
made to their professional practice based on their observation of a
designated master teacher’s classroom, (2) their analysis of the significance
of the classroom observation, and (3) their analysis of the impact of the
classroom observation design of peers leading the protocol. Overall
interview data was used to make study conclusions and recommendations.
Research Question #3:
• In a confidential, structured interview recorded on the Google Meet
platform, study participants were asked to explain (1) the changes they have
made to their professional practice based on the peer feedback of their
professional practice, (2) their analysis of the significance of the peer-led
feedback session, and (3) their analysis of the impact of the feedback session
being led by a peer teacher. Overall interview data was used to make study
conclusions and recommendations.

Note. This graphical representation was created by the researcher to visually detail the
data collection methods.

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The overall study was completed during the 2023-2024 school year. The specific
timeline for the action research is detailed in Figure 6.

Figure 6
Action Research Timeline

December
Initial Data Collection Phase
• Quantitative survey to all staff
• Selection of designated master
teachers and study participants
based on established criterion

January-March
Experimental Phase
• Creation and presentation of
booster professional development
by designated master teachers to
study participants
• Modeled classroom obseravtions of
designated master teachers
• Feedback of professional practice by
designated master teachers
• Ongoing reflection and practice by
the study participants

April
Action Plan Phase
• Qualitative structured interviews
with study participants by
researcher

May
Data Analysis Phase
• Triangulation of data

Note. This graphical representation was created by the researcher to visually detail the
action research timeline.

While the purpose of this study was to increase teacher retention through the
development of a targeted classroom management support system, the direct use of
evidence-based classroom management techniques could have had a secondary effect on
student behaviors within the classroom setting. During the study, no student routines
were changed other than the exposure to their classroom teachers’ use of PBIS and RP
strategies. Moreover, no students were singled out in any way and no student data was

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71

collected during this research. Furthermore, no individual teacher practice data from
classroom observations was collected by the research. Any notes on the observation and
evidence collection tool were solely used by the designated master teachers and the study
participants, as they were never shared with the researcher.
Financially, there were limited direct costs associated with the research
methodology outlined. While other quantitative survey platforms such as Survey
Monkey were considered, the decision to utilize Google Forms was made because it did
not add costs to the study and because Central Middle School teachers were already
familiar with the platform, adding reliability to the overall study design. The cost of the
$100 Amazon gift card as the participant raffle ticket prize was the only tangible cost
during the study. The Dedoose system used to organize and code the qualitative data
does have a direct, associated cost. However, since the Dedoose system offers a free
month trial, the researcher was able to conduct all analysis of the qualitative structured
interview data prior to any cost being incurred. The only associated indirect costs
continued to be the use of the school facility, including basic utilities services, which
were consumed during the implementation of the intervention plan.
Validity
Even though this action research was only conducted at Central Middle School in
the Reading School District, it was important to provide high-quality and accurate data
such that the study and any potential positive results can be validated for use across other
schools and districts. Mertler (2022) contended that validity in the data of a research
study is essential and must follow a logical sequence to measure what is being studied.
He also noted that validity can differ contextually between quantitative and qualitative

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72

data sources. Since this action research study took a mixed-methods approach, all
relevant validity characteristics were considered for independent validity and data
triangulation.
For the quantitative data collected in the Google Form survey, Mertler (2022)
stated in action research, it is the ethical responsibility of the researcher to ensure the
validity of evidence derived and inferences made from quantitative data sources.
Allowing the individual teachers to record their own demographic and perceptual data
within the Google Form survey added accuracy, and thereby validity to the data reported.
Furthermore, gathering the quantitative survey data directly before the intervention plan
began also added validity by ensuring timeliness for the interpretation of the data. In
terms of reliability in the Google Form survey, this was not possible, as there was no
relevant means to determine data reliability because the teachers participating were able
to record their own individual demographic and perceptual answers with no way for the
researcher to confirm consistency in the responses to any other available data source.
For the qualitative structured interview, credibility and dependability had to be
established according to Mertler (2022). Credibility in this research study was enhanced
due to the increased number of participants and the increased amount of time and means
that the study participants had to engage in the intervention plan. Specifically, instead of
using a single, designated master teacher and a single study participant, four designated
master teachers and eight study participants were identified. Likewise, instead of simply
selecting one element to create the peer-led intervention plan, multiple strategies on the
same concept were designed into the plan, which added depth to the PBIS and RP content
and credibility to the qualitative structured interview such that the study participants

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73

could focus on the responses to the peer-led methods of support for analysis and not be
confused about the intervention context. All the proceeding factors allowed for
additional data triangulation.
Furthermore, credibility and confirmability were increased for the qualitative
structured interviews because they were recorded on the Google Meet platform, which
kept an auditory and written transcript of the entire response sets from each study
participant and allowed the researcher to have accurate data recordings. In addition,
credibility and confirmability were enhanced by using an honest broker to give the
Central Middle School staff the initial invitation to participate in the research.
To demonstrate dependability and to further the data triangulation of this study,
perceptual response questioning was used on both the quantitative survey and qualitative
structured interview. Also, the extensive audit trails from the Google Form survey data
responses and the Google Meet interview recording transcripts added dependability in the
results and conclusions of this study because the researcher and the readers can both
review the accuracy of the findings against the data sets.
In addition, transferability was provided within the extensive descriptions of the
setting and participants, such that schools or districts with similar teacher retention
concerns could reasonably generalize the findings and recommendations to their settings
and participant groups. Hendricks (2017) also noted that differentiation amongst
participants adds transferability, further supporting the rationale to use multiple
participants in both the designated master teacher role and the study participant role.
Summary
Within this chapter, the overall purpose of the action research was established to

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74

determine the effectiveness of a planned intervention support system to combat the
significant teacher attrition and retention concerns at Central Middle School. After
synthesizing information and evidence-based practices from the review of the literature,
an experimental intervention plan was designed to be used in a mixed-methods,
embedded design, action research study focused on supporting teacher practitioners in
classroom management strategies via specific, peer-led protocols. The setting and the
participants were described and the methodology, intervention plan, participant selection
criterion, timelines, and data collection tools were defined. Financial considerations to
the direct and indirect costs of the study were also noted. Several methods and sources of
validity were discussed and demonstrated, including credibility, transferability,
dependability, and confirmability to the study. The subsequent chapter reports the data
analysis process and the results of the quantitative survey and qualitative structured
interview.

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CHAPTER IV

Data Analysis and Results
To determine the effectiveness of this action research, multiple sources of data
were collected before and after the specific classroom management intervention support
system was conducted. Specifically, this chapter details both the data analysis process
and data results of the research study, utilizing a pre-intervention quantitative survey and
a post-intervention qualitative structured interview. While the data and results are fully
described in written narratives, many pieces of data and information are highlighted in
visual tables and figures to provide informational clarity and ease of readability. Further,
general discussion on the data analysis process is provided.
Data Analysis
In this mixed-methods, embedded design research study, both quantitative and
qualitative data sources were utilized to triangulate the results of the classroom
management support system on the teachers’ perception of their willingness to remain in
their current position. Due to the specific nature of the research design, elements of the
initial quantitative data were analyzed prior to the implementation of the research
intervention to determine which specific teachers from the overall population of teachers
at Central Middle School qualified for the study as either designated master teachers or
study participants. In addition, employee data accessible to the researcher, such as
teacher evaluation ratings, number of discipline referrals submitted by teachers,
practitioner status, prior professional development completed, and participation in
school-based action teams was used in the criterion-based selection process.
Designated Master Teacher Selection
First, the quantitative Google Form survey administered in December of 2023,

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO INCREASE RETENTION
was used to determine potential designated master teachers. As defined in the research
methodology, several questions on the survey were used as criterion to delimit
qualification. Additional historical employee data accessible to the researcher was
reviewed and utilized in this selection process highlighted in Figure 7.

Figure 7
Designated Master Teacher Selection

Requirement 1

Willingly consent to participate in the initial
quantitative survey

70 teachers met the
criteria

Requirement 2

Willingness to participate in an experimental
classroom management support system self-ranked
at level "4" or "5"

19 teachers met the
criteria

Requirement 3

Perception of their own classroom management selfranked at level "4" or "5"

14 teachers met the
criteria

Requirement 4

Five years of classroom experience

11 teachers met the
criteria

Requirement 5

Proficient or distinguised rating on 2022-2024
evaluation in all four domains

11 teachers met the
criteria

Requirement 6

No more than 3 Level 1 referrals per month on
average in 2022-2023

6 teachers met the
criteria

Requirement 7

Current classroom practitioner

5 teachers met the
criteria

Requirement 8

Professional development in Restorative Practices by
IIRP

5 teachers met the
criteria

Requirement 9

Member of the PBIS Action Team

2 teachers met the
criteria

Note. This graphical representation was created by the researcher to visually detail the
delimited criteria results for the selection of the designated master teachers.

76

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77

Also defined within the research methodology was the number of designated
master teachers needed to ensure validity. Given that four designated master teachers
were required in the methodology and five were delimited within the criterion-based
selection process, four of the five were selected for participation as designated master
teachers. Specifically, the two teachers who met the criterion based on membership in
the PBIS Action Team were automatically selected as designated master teachers, as two
were required in the research methodology. The remaining three teachers were numbered
and selected via simple random sampling to select the final two designated master
teachers. To note, all four designated master teachers completed the research protocols
and continued to be employed at Central Middle School as of the date of publication of
this research.
Study Participant Selection
Next, the quantitative Google Form survey administered in December of 2023,
was used to determine potential study participants. Following the research methodology,
several questions on the survey were used as criterion to delimit qualification as study
participants from the overall faculty population of Central Middle School. Figure 8
details the data reviewed and utilized in the study participant selection process.

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78

Figure 8
Study Participant Selection

Requirement 1

Willingly consent to participate in the initial
quantitative survey

70 teachers met the criteria

Requirement 2

Current classroom practitioner

64 teachers met the criteria

Requirement 3

Considered resigning from current position
within this year

10 teachers met the criteria

Requirement 4

Resignation perception rationale from chronic
student misconduct or lack of professional
developement

10 teachers met the criteria

Note. This graphical representation was created by the researcher to visually detail the
delimited criteria results for the selection of study participants.

After the initial data analysis of the criteria defined within the research
methodology, the researcher numbered and selected, via random sampling, eight study
participants from the ten qualified teachers in the participant pool. Table 3 describes the
demographic data for the eight qualified study participants. However, prior to the
completion of the research study, two of the selected study participants resigned from
their positions as teachers at Central Middle School and were unable to complete the
qualitative structured interviews and research requirements.

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Table 3
Study Participant Demographics
________________________________________________________________________
Descriptor
Frequency
Percentage
______________________________________________________________________________________
Gender
Male
Female
Other

2
5
1

25%
62.5%
12.5%

4
1
3

50%
12.5%
37.5%

7
1

87.5%
12.5%

6
2

75%
25%

8

100%

2
2
4

25%
25%
50%

2
1
1
1
1
1
1

25%
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%

Age
21-25
31-35
41-45
Ethnicity
White
Other
Level of Education
Bachelor’s
Master’s
Public School Teaching Experience
1-3
Current Grade Level Assignment
Grade 7
Grade 8
Mixed Grades
Current Content Area Assignment
English
Science
Social Studies
Art
Library
Music
Special Education

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note. This table was compiled by the researcher based on study participant
demographics.

Quantitative Survey
Because the quantitative survey was completed in the Google Form application,
available for review in Appendix D, the researcher was able to extract all responses to a
spreadsheet for data analysis. Moreover, the Google Form also generated several
aggregate data graphs and charts that are reported as results in subsequent portions of this

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chapter. Additionally, the generated spreadsheet from the Google Form was edited to
add a column to identify the respondents as (1) study participants, by number; (2)
designated master teachers, by number; (3) participant pool teachers; and (4) nonparticipant pool teachers. The spreadsheet column that contained the automatically
collected email addresses from the Google Form was deleted to protect the confidentiality
of the responses. Then, the adapted spreadsheet was entered into the Dedoose system to
connect responses to the subsequent coded qualitative responses of the study participants
for data triangulation.
Qualitative Structured Interview
As described in the research methodology, the qualitative structured interviews,
available for reference in Appendix E, were conducted using the Google Meet platform.
This recording platform has the capability to automatically generate a transcript of the
interview, and that setting was enabled for each session. To protect the confidentiality of
the designated master teachers, the transcripts were edited to remove any names
referenced to the designated master teachers by substituting those references with generic
pronouns. The responses to each structured interview question from each study
participant were then entered into the Dedoose system so that responses could be coded
by the researcher for data analysis and data triangulation purposes.
Data Security
To protect the integrity of the research study, research data was stored on the
password protected computer of the researcher. Additionally, no personally identifiable
information was reported in this study and information from this study was confidential
within local, state, and federal laws. The PennWest University Institutional Review

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Board (IRB) had authorization to review the research records upon request. As a
protocol, the study results may be shared in aggregate form at a meeting or within a
journal, but there will be no identifiable information revealed. The records from this
study were not maintained after the study was completed; however, information collected
in this research, such as demographic and perceptual responses, may be used or
distributed for future research solely from the published manuscript.
Results
There are numerous results for this mixed-methods, embedded design action
research study. Though each relevant data point will be articulated in detail, the mixedmethods approach to triangulate the quantitative data and the qualitative data was used to
make conclusions about the data for the following research questions:
1. How does a modeled professional development series on classroom
management techniques that is provided by designated master teachers affect
teacher perception of their own willingness to remain in their current position?
2. How do structured peer observations of designated master teachers on
classroom management techniques affect teacher perception of their own
willingness to remain in their current position?
3. How does feedback of professional practice on classroom management
techniques that is provided by designated master teachers affect teacher
perception of their own willingness to remain in their current position?
Quantitative Survey
The quantitative Google Form survey, displayed in Appendix D, was used to
collect several data points, from basic demographic information to willingness to serve as

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potential participants. While some of the questions were used as criterion markers for
selection as either designated master teachers or study participants, as referenced in the
data analysis descriptions in the preceding segments, other demographic results are
described in narrative and visual form in the following segments.
Consent to Participate. Of the 124 teaching positions filled in December of
2023, 101 Central Middle School faculty members completed the initial reading of the
research study’s informed consent. This data demonstrates that 81.5% of the Central
Middle School faculty read and reviewed the informed consent portion of the survey.
Subsequently, 70 Central Middle School faculty members, which equates to 69.3%,
consented to participate in the research study and completed the quantitative survey, as
referenced in Figure 9.

Figure 9
Consent to Participate in Research Study

Note. This graphical representation was created by the Google Form application from the
data collected in the quantitative survey given to the Central Middle School faculty in
December of 2023.

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Gender Identification. Of the 70 consenting Central Middle School faculty who
completed the quantitative survey, 67.1% identified their gender as female, while 31.4%
identified their gender as male. One Central Middle School faculty member identified
their gender as other. The data in Figure 10 demonstrates that most Central Middle
School faculty members who completed the survey are female. This is consistent with
the overall Central Middle School faculty gender identification data, where 69.3% of the
faculty members identify as female. This data also correlates to the study participant
gender demographics, where 62.5% of the study participants identified as female,
suggesting research generalizability to the Central Middle School faculty population.

Figure 10
Central Middle School Faculty Gender Identification

Note. This graphical representation was created by the Google Form application from the
data collected in the quantitative survey given to the Central Middle School faculty in
December of 2023.

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Age Identification. Of the 70 consenting Central Middle School faculty who
completed the quantitative survey, there was a wide variation in the self-identification of
age. As shown in Figure 11, the largest group of the population, 20%, identified as 26- to
30-year-olds, while the smallest group of the population, 4.3%, identified as 55-year-olds
or older. In terms of potential teaching experience, it is important to note that 35.7% of
the surveyed population identify as 30-year-olds or younger. In fact, 51.4% of the
surveyed population identify as 35-year-olds or younger. In the study participant
population, 62.5% of the teachers identified as being 35-year-olds or younger, which
indicates that the study participant population was younger than the overall Central
Middle School faculty population. While the difference is only 11.1%, this limits the
generalizability of the age-based outcomes to the overall faculty population.

Figure 11
Central Middle School Faculty Age Identification

Note. This graphical representation was created by the Google Form application from the
data collected in the quantitative survey given to the Central Middle School faculty in
December of 2023.

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Ethnic Identification. Of the 70 consenting Central Middle School faculty who
completed the quantitative survey, there was limited variation in the self-identification of
ethnicity. The surveyed population identified as 91.4% White, with only 2.9%
identifying as Hispanic, 2.9% identifying as Black or African American, and 2.9%
identifying as another ethnicity. Indeed, the study participant population, which indicates
87.5% identified as White, was generalizable to the overall Central Middle School faculty
population ethnic identification. While Figure 12 represents the ethnic self-identification
of the Central Middle School faculty, it is important to note that this data is not
comparable to the Central Middle School student ethnic identification of 87.1% Hispanic,
6.4% Black, and 5.0% White.

Figure 12
Central Middle School Faculty Ethnic Identification

Note. This graphical representation was created by the Google Form application from the
data collected in the quantitative survey given to the Central Middle School faculty in
December of 2023.

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Level of Education. Of the 70 consenting Central Middle School faculty who
completed the quantitative survey, the results in Figure 13 indicate that half of the
surveyed population have a master’s degree, while one individual has a doctoral degree.
The remaining population, 48.6%, reported having only a bachelor’s degree. Among the
study participants, only 25% have a master’s degree, so there was limited generalizability
in the level of education from this research study.

Figure 13
Central Middle School Faculty Level of Education

Note. This graphical representation was created by the Google Form application from the
data collected in the quantitative survey given to the Central Middle School faculty in
December of 2023.

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Teaching Experience. Of the 70 consenting Central Middle School faculty who
completed the quantitative survey, the largest group of teachers, 38.6%, reported having
only taught in public schools for one to three years. In fact, Figure 14 shows that when
combined with those having only taught in public schools for four to six years, the
percentage increases to exactly 50%. For comparison with the study participant
population, 100% of the study participants are in their first three years of teaching in
public schools. While this data point limits generalizability to the general population of
Central Middle School faculty members, given the nature of this research, level of
teaching experience may indicate other conclusions for the research study.

Figure 14
Central Middle School Faculty Teaching Experience

Note. This graphical representation was created by the Google Form application from the
data collected in the quantitative survey given to the Central Middle School faculty in
December of 2023.

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Grade Level Teaching Assignment. Of the 70 consenting Central Middle
School faculty who completed the quantitative survey, data was collected regarding their
current teaching assignment relative to assigned grade level. The information in Figure
15 demonstrates the grade levels of the current teaching assignments. Based on the data,
an even distribution in specific grade level teaching assignments was noted, with 11
consenting faculty members from each specific grade level participating in the survey.
The remaining 37.1% of those participating in the survey taught students in multiple
grades at Central Middle School. Within the research study participant population, there
were no teachers who taught Grade 5 or Grade 6. Furthermore, 50% of the study
participants taught multiple grade levels. While limited in generalizability, this data may
indicate other conclusions for the research study.

Figure 15
Central Middle School Faculty Grade Level Teaching Assignments

Note. This graphical representation was created by the Google Form application from the
data collected in the quantitative survey given to the Central Middle School faculty in
December of 2023.

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Content Area Teaching Assignment. Of the 70 consenting Central Middle
School faculty who completed the quantitative survey, data was collected regarding their
current teaching assignment relative to curriculum content area. The information in
Table 4 demonstrates the curriculum content areas of the current teaching assignments.
Based on the data, there is variance among the consenting Central Middle School faculty
around curriculum content. For the study participant population, only Science, Social
Studies, English, Special Education, Art, Music, and Library were represented. This may
limit the generalizability of the research findings to the larger population of Central
Middle School faculty.

Table 4
Central Middle School Faculty Content Area Teaching Assignments
________________________________________________________________________
Content Area
Percentage
______________________________________________________________________________________
Math
Science
Math and Science
English
Social Studies
English and Social Studies
Physical Education
Music
Art
STEAM
Library
Special Education
ESL
Student Services
Gifted Education

8.6%
5.7%
11.4%
10%
7.1%
8.6%
8.6%
5.7%
4.3%
1.4%
1.4%
12.9%
5.7%
7.1%
1.4%

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note. This table was created by the researcher to visually represent the content area
teaching assignments from the data collected in the quantitative survey given to the
Central Middle School faculty in December of 2023.

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Resignation Perception. Of the 70 consenting Central Middle School faculty
who completed the quantitative survey, 14.3% of the surveyed population reported
considering resignation from their current position within the 2023-2024 school year.
However, 85.7% of the surveyed population of Central Middle School faculty denied any
consideration for resignation from their current position during the 2023-2024 school
year. Indeed, Figure 16 demonstrates that the majority of Central Middle School faculty
surveyed are not considering resignation. In relation to the study participant population,
100% reported having considered resigning from their current position within this school
year.

Figure 16
Central Middle School Faculty Resignation Perception

Note. This graphical representation was created by the Google Form application from the
data collected in the quantitative survey given to the Central Middle School faculty in
December of 2023.

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Resignation Rationale. Of the 10 consenting Central Middle School faculty who
identified as considering resignation from their current teaching position at Central
Middle School in the 2023-2024 school year, 80% of them reported chronic student
misconduct as at least one of the reasons for their resignation rationale. In terms of
inadequate professional development concerns, which was utilized as the second criterion
factor for study participant selection, 20% of the study participant population reported
this concern as a rationale for considering resignation. Figure 17 shows the graphical
representation of this data set.

Figure 17
Central Middle School Faculty Resignation Rationale

Note. This graphical representation was created by the Google Form application from the
data collected in the quantitative survey given to the Central Middle School faculty in
December of 2023.

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Qualitative Structured Interview
The qualitative structured interview was created by the researcher to answer the
research questions and draw conclusions about the overall study. It is available for
review in Appendix E. According to the research methodology, only the identified study
participants were included in the structured interview sessions. Only six research study
participants met with the researcher to complete this portion of the action research study,
as two of the study participants resigned from their positions prior to the end of the
classroom management support system intervention.
Upon analysis of the study participant responses, a coding system was developed
by the researcher to identify data themes and patterns based on study participant initial
concerns, specific actions in the research intervention system, and impacts due to the
participation in the research intervention system. Then, the responses provided by the
study participants were coded in the Dedoose system according to the defined thematic
coding system in Figure 18.

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Figure 18
Qualitative Data Coding System
Initial Concerns

Parent Code

•Classroom Managament Ability: Notes that the initial concerns of the study participant were in alignment with
classroom managament abilities
•Student Behavior: Notes that the iniatial concerns of the study participants were in alignment with student
behaviors

Professional
Development

Parent Code

•PD + : Notes that the study participant reported a positive perception of the professional development offered in
the classroom managament support system
•PD - : Notes that the study participant reported a negative perception of the professional development offered in
the classroom managament support system

Peer Observation

Parent Code

•PO + : Notes that the study participant reported a positive perception of the peer observation offered in the
classroom managament support system
•PO - : Notes that the study participant reported a negative perception of the peer observation offered in the
classroom managament support system

Observation
Feedback

Parent Code

•OF + : Notes that the study participant reported a positive perception of the observation feedback offered in the
classroom managament support system
•OF - : Notes that the study participant reported a negative perception of the observation feedback offered in the
classroom managament support system

Impact

Parent Code

•Peer-Led: Demonstrates that perceived impact was made on the study participant because the classroom
managament support system was led by peers
•Increased Skillset: Demonstrates that perceived impact was made on the study particpant because the classroom
management support system increased their teaching skillset
•Increased Support: Demonstrates that perceived impact was made on the study particpant because the classroom
management support system increased their feelings of professional support
•Increased Connectedness: Demonstrates that perceived impact was made on the study particpant because the
classroom management support system increased their feelings of professional connectedness
•Resignation Indifference: Demonstrates that the perceived impact of the classroom managament support system
on the study participant did not change the resignation perceptions
•Resignation Reduction: Demonstrates that the perceived impact of the classroom managament support system on
the study participant did reduce the intention to resign

Note. This graphical representation was created by the research to define the qualitative
coding system used to complete the data analysis for this action research.

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Code Frequency. Upon initial data analysis, the coding of each study participant
was reviewed to identify potential patterns within the data. Figure 19 shows the
frequency of the defined code counts by study participant.

Figure 19
Qualitative Code Count by Study Participant

Note. This graphical representation was created on the Dedoose software application to
visually represent the frequency of codes by study participant.

In reviewing the study participant response frequency regarding their initial
concerns that led to considering resignation, student behavior concerns occurred six times
in the excerpts, while classroom management abilities occurred seven times in the
excerpts. This correlated to the pre-intervention quantitative survey data, where all the
study participants had noted resignation concerns that included chronic student

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misconduct and/or lack of adequate professional development.
Specific to the classroom management support system, the data results indicate
that the professional development portion of the research intervention plan was described
more frequently within the study participant interviews, with 20 occurrences in the data,
compared to the peer observation and observation feedback portions, with 15 and 14
occurrences in the data, respectively. Moreover, the professional development data
occurrences did not have any negative perceptual occurrences in the structured interview
responses, whereas both the peer observation and observation feedback portions both had
one negative occurrence each.
Additionally, the code frequency results that related to the perceived impacts of
the classroom management support system were analyzed. Based on the study
participant results, the most frequent response from the intervention system described
was a perceived impact of increased classroom management skillset, with 27 responses
attributed to this code. Another 20 responses were attributed to a perceived impact
because the classroom management support system was peer-led by other classroom
practitioners. The perception impact of increased connectedness was demonstrated in 10
occurrences, while increased support was noted in 9 occurrences.
Code Occurrence by Demographic Markers. To further describe and analyze
the triangulated data reports from the Dedoose software system, the utilized coded
response theme categories by study participant report was reviewed. In this process,
additional analysis about the initial concerns, intervention system facets, and perceived
impacts were able to be inspected by demographic markers. For the purposes of this
action research study, the areas of gender and age were further analyzed due to their

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potential generalizability to the overall population. The demographic marker related to
years of service in public schools was not analyzed, as all study participants reported a
value of one to three years on the quantitative survey. Moreover, ethnicity was not
analyzed due to the limited variance within the self-reported identification in both the
study participant pool and overall Central Middle School faculty population. Further, the
level of education, grade level taught, and content area taught were not analyzed by
coded responses because the study participant population was not generalizable by
percentage.
Gender. In terms of gender, the baseline demographics noted that 62.5% of the
study participants identified as female, while 25% identified as male and 12.5% identified
as other. However, with the attrition of two study participants, one who identified as
female and one who identified as other, the final demographic markers for the study
participant population showed that 66.7% identified as female and 33.3% identified as
male. Notably, the attrition of the two study participants who resigned prior to the
completion of the intervention system caused the gender statistics to align to the overall
Central Middle School faculty population more closely. Given those values, the
following areas were noteworthy in the analysis of the coded responses specific to
gender:
•

Initial concerns regarding student behavior and classroom management
were reported less by females.

•

Negative peer observation perceptions were reported only by males.

•

Negative observation feedback perceptions were reported only by females.

•

Positive observation feedback perceptions were reported less by females.

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97

Perceived impact of the intervention via increased support was reported
more by females.

•

Perceived impact of the intervention via increased connectedness was
reported more by males.

•

Overall resignation reduction from the intervention was reported more by
females.

•

Overall resignation indifference from the intervention was reported more
by males.

Indeed, Figure 20 further reveals the percentage of the study participant population who
responded to specific coding themes by gender.

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Figure 20
Gender Descriptor by Code Configuration

Gender Descriptor by Code Configuration
PD +
PO +
OF +
Classroom Management Ability
Resignation Indifference
Increased Support
Increased Connectedness
0%

20%

Gender: Female

40%

60%

80%

100%

Gender: Male

Note. This graphical representation was created by the researcher in the Excel software
application based on an extracted spreadsheet generated in the Dedoose software
application comparing coded responses of study participants to gender identifications.

Age. To analyze the age demographics, the baseline data showed that 50% of the
study participants identified as aged 21 to 25, with 12.5% identifying as aged 31 to 35
and 37.5% identifying as aged 41 to 45. Removing the resigned study participants from
the percentages, those who finished the research intervention system included 33.3% in
the 21- to 25-year-old range, 16.7% in the 31- to 35-year-old range, and 50% in the 41- to
45-year-old range. Specifically, this reduces the generalizability of the 21-to 25-year-old
subgroup and the 41- to 45-year-old subgroup, while simultaneously increasing the
generalizability of the 31- to 35-year-old subgroup. The analysis of the responses of the
study participants specific to age group showed the following indications:

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99

Initial concerns regarding student behavior and classroom management
were reported more by the 21 to 25 age group.

•

Negative peer observation perceptions were reported only by members of
the 41 to 45 age group.

•

Negative observation feedback perceptions were reported only by
members of the 41 to 45 age group.

•

Positive observation feedback perceptions were reported more by the 21 to
25 age group.

•

Perceived impact of the intervention via increased support was reported
less by the 21 to 25 age group and more by the 41 to 45 age group.

•

Perceived impact of the intervention via increased connectedness was
reported more by the 21 to 25 age group and less by the 41 to 45 age
group.

•

Overall resignation reduction from the intervention was reported more by
the 21 to 25 and 31 to 35 age groups.

•

Overall resignation indifference from the intervention was only reported
by the 41 to 45 age group.

Figure 21 details the percentage of the study participant population who responded to
specific coding themes by age group.

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Figure 21
Age Descriptor by Code Configuration

Age Descriptor by Code Configuration
PD PD +
PO PO +
OF OF +
Student Behavior
Classroom Management Ability
Resignation Reduction
Resignation Indifference
Peer-Led
Increased Support
Increased Skillset
Increased Connectedness
0%

10%

20%

Age: 21-25

30%

40%

Age: 31-35

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Age: 41-45

Note. This graphical representation was created by the researcher in the Excel software
application based on an extracted spreadsheet generated in the Dedoose software
application comparing coded responses of study participants to age identifications.

Professional Development Impact. The first research question asked how a
modeled professional development series on classroom management techniques provided
by designated master teachers affects teacher perception of their own willingness to
remain in their current position. To best determine the effect, the Dedoose system was
used to create a code frequency descriptor bubble plot to analyze the impact of the
professional development on any possible resignation reduction by the study participants.
In the bubble plot displayed in Figure 22, the bubble size was set to show the impact of

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the peer-led nature of the professional development sessions.

Figure 22
Peer-Led Professional Development Resignation Reduction Bubble Plot

Note. This graphical representation was created in the Dedoose software application.

The bubble plot above indicates that the peer-led nature of the professional
development sessions was positive for five of the six study participants, or 83.3%, who
completed the intervention. It also indicates that four of the six study participants, or
66.7%, expressed a reduction in their intention to resign due to the professional
development portion of the classroom management support system. However, it also
displays that while there was a positive impact by the peer-led nature of the classroom
management support system specifically for the professional development element, two

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of the six study participants, or 33.3%, did not note any reduction in their intention to
resign from their current positions at Central Middle School because of the peer-led
professional development series.
Peer Observation Impact. The second research question asked how a structured
peer observation of designated master teachers on classroom management techniques
affects teacher perception of their own willingness to remain in their current position.
The Dedoose system was again used to create a code frequency descriptor bubble plot to
analyze the impact of the peer observation on any possible resignation reduction by the
study participants. Figure 23 also shows how the bubble size was set to show the impact
of the peer-led nature of the peer observations.

Figure 23
Peer-Led Peer Observation Resignation Reduction Bubble Plot

Note. This graphical representation was created in the Dedoose software application.

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The bubble plot above indicates that the peer-led nature of the peer observation
was positive for all six study participants, or 100%, who completed the intervention.
Moreover, it indicates that four of the six study participants, or 66.7%, expressed a
reduction in their intention to resign due to the peer observation portion of the classroom
management support system. Despite the positive impact from the peer-led nature and
the peer observation protocol, two of the six study participants, or 33.3%, did not note
any reduction in their intention to resign from their current positions at Central Middle
School specifically due to the peer-led peer observation.
Observation Feedback Impact. The third research question asked how feedback
of professional practice on classroom management techniques that is provided by
designated master teachers affects teacher perception of their own willingness to remain
in their current position. To generate an answer to this question, the Dedoose system was
used to create a code frequency descriptor bubble plot to analyze the impact of the
observation feedback on any possible resignation reduction by the study participants. In
the bubble plot displayed in Figure 24, the bubble size was set to show the impact of the
peer-led nature of the observation feedback session.

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Figure 24
Peer-Led Observation Feedback Resignation Reduction Bubble Plot

Note. This graphical representation was created in the Dedoose software application.

The bubble plot above shows that the peer-led nature of the observation feedback
session was positive for 100% of the study participants who completed the intervention.
Additionally, it indicates that four of the six study participants, or 66.7%, expressed a
reduction in their intention to resign due to the observational feedback portion of the
classroom management support system. Indeed, it also shows that four of the six study
participants, or 66.7%, expressed positive experiences with the observation feedback
session, even though the two study participants who reported the strongest positive effect
from the observation feedback did not report any reduction in their intention to resign.
Specifically, the peer-led observation feedback protocol in the classroom management

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support system intervention also yielded a 66.7% reduction in the intention to resign from
current teaching positions at Central Middle School.
Discussion
To complete this mixed-methods, embedded design action research, several data
collection and data analysis systems had to be developed. First, in consideration of the
existing literature, the criteria for determining which teachers could qualify as designated
master teachers and study participants had to be determined. Moreover, which types of
relevant demographic factors would be pertinent to the generalizability and transferability
of the research had to be determined. Additionally, a mechanism for collecting the
quantitative data, the Google Form survey viewable in Appendix D, needed to be
established. On the survey, the demographic fields collected markers for gender, age,
ethnicity, level of education, years teaching in public schools, grade level of current
assignment, and content area of current assignment. The perceptual fields on the survey,
which used Likert scale ratings fully described in the research methodology in the
previous chapter, captured data that included recent resignation consideration, including
the reasons for any such perception; a self-reflection of classroom management abilities;
and a willingness indication to participate in the research study as a designated master
teacher.
Once the intervention plan concluded, a separate mechanism, which became the
structured interview available in Appendix E, needed to be developed to capture the
perceptual responses of the study participants. To ensure that all responses were
complete and accurate, the Google Meet platform with transcription functionality enabled
was selected to record the structured interviews. Once the qualitative data was captured,

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an analysis of the responses had to be completed and the Dedoose software system was
selected due to its ability to synthesize and analyze both the quantitative and qualitative
data sources. Because the qualitative data revealed themes that needed to be coded for
further analysis in the Dedoose system, a coding system was created by the researcher to
note patterns and trace outcomes of the responses to the existing demographic markers, as
well as to note frequency and trends within the converged data sets.
Along the way, data security protocols were established and utilized to protect the
data and the confidentiality of the designated master teachers and the study participants.
To provide potential answers to the established research questions, narrative and
graphical representations of the data sets were fully analyzed for frequency, convergence,
and further interpretation for each of the research questions.
Summary
Numerous types of data and results were provided in this chapter to answer the
research questions, which included data sets, descriptions, and visual displays of both the
quantitative and qualitative responses of the study participants. Data analysis protocols
approved by the PennWest University IRB Committee were followed and data was
always secure. Analysis of the results was completed solely by the researcher with
assistance from the Google Form, Google Meet, Excel, and Dedoose software
applications. Despite the use of software products, there was no financial cost to collect
or analyze the data and results, as the Google products are produced at no cost, the Excel
license was already owned by the researcher prior to this action research study, and the
Dedoose application was completed within a free trial period. Conclusions, limitations,
and recommendations for future research are discussed in the subsequent chapter.

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CHAPTER V
Conclusions and Recommendations
The business of any school system is to produce successful students to carry on
the functionality, growth, and continuation of a successful society. To do so, professional
educators are the crucial vehicle to power the mechanisms that have been established to
ensure the viability of the public schools in the United States of America. As described
in the extensive review of the literature, less individuals have a desire to become
professional educators and, of those who make teaching their career path, a significant
number of them are leaving the classroom within the first few years of teaching due to
student chronic misconduct and a lack of professional development to support their
classroom management practices. For this reason, this mixed-method, action research
project was conducted to discover how a multifaceted, research-based, and peer-led
classroom management support system affected the perceptions of teachers who were
already considering resigning from their current position. After a robust intervention
system was applied, the data and results from the action research have informed the
researcher of several conclusions regarding the research questions identified, the internal
and external limitations noted, the recommendations for utilizing the results of this study,
and the future needs to continue research in support of increasing teacher retention.
Conclusions
Numerous conclusions have been drawn from this research. While the researcher
was specifically interested in the defined research questions, results from both the
quantitative survey and the qualitative structured interview also provided evidence to
support the functionality of the action research, as well as potential application and

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further development. Furthermore, the implications and fiscal considerations due to this
research study were examined.
Quantitative Survey
The analysis of the quantitative survey produced many results that must be
considered regarding the conclusions of this research. First, the generalizability of the
study participant pool to the overall instructional population of Central Middle School
was consistent for gender identification and ethnic identification. In contrast, it was not
generalizable for age identification, level of education, teaching experience, grade level
of teaching experience, and content area of current position. Specifically, the study
participants, those consenting teachers who identified their consideration to resign within
the same school year due to chronic student misconduct and/or lack of professional
development, were statistically younger than the overall population of teachers,
suggesting that age impacts resignation consideration at Central Middle School.
Furthermore, the level of education of the study participant population was statistically
lower than that of the overall teaching population, which suggests that an increased level
of education has a positive impact against resignation considerations. Moreover,
teaching experience was statistically lower in the study participant population, as all the
study participants were within their first three years of public-school teaching experience.
Given this data, a correlation between level of teaching experience and a consideration to
resign from their current teaching position is highly likely. When coupled with the age
group and level of education conclusions, this conclusion informed the researcher that
targeted applications of the intervention protocols for the following school year need to
be made for young, less educated, and less experienced teachers.

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In terms of content area of current teaching position, the study participants had a
variety of curriculum areas noted in the quantitative survey. Due to the size of the
participant pool versus the number of content areas provided at Central Middle School,
the data analysis regarding content area does not provide any conclusions, as the study
population size called for in the methodology did not provide for the possibility of all
content areas being represented.
Most interesting in the analysis of the results of the quantitative survey were the
results regarding the grade level of the current teaching assignments. No study
participants identified as teachers of grades five or six. This is notable because the
structure of the fifth and sixth grades at Central Middle School utilizes a two-man team
concept, with one teacher hosting a section of students for half of the school day to teach
English Language Arts and Social Studies, and a second teacher hosting a section of
students for half of the school day to teach Mathematics and Science. This is different
than the seventh and eighth grade instructional model, which utilizes a traditional fourperson team approach, with each teacher responsible for a specific curriculum content
area. In the fifth and sixth grade model, each teacher only has a maximum of 60 students,
whereas the seventh and eighth grade model prescribes up to 120 students per teacher.
Furthermore, the number of study participants who were responsible for multiple grade
levels, largely related arts teachers who are responsible for up to 600 students each fiveday cycle, was also higher in the study participant population. Numerous reasons
external to this research could cause such an effect; however, a hypothesis for future
research based on this factor would be that the number of students assigned to a teacher
impacts their consideration for resignation due to chronic student misconduct and/or lack

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of professional development.
Qualitative Structured Interview
After the analysis of the data collected in the qualitative structured interviews, the
code frequency was used to determine specific conclusions about the classroom
management support system and its effect on the study participant’s resignation
considerations. As noted in the results section of the previous chapter, the professional
development series, peer observations, and feedback of professional practice elements of
the intervention system all provided multiple positive responses. Indeed, the professional
development series had the highest number of positive responses, discussed 20 times
throughout the interviews. While it is natural to conclude that the greatest frequency may
have generated the greatest impact on the study participants, it is important to consider
that the study participants’ first interaction with the classroom management support
system was through the professional development series and their subsequent peer
observations and feedback sessions all related to the same concepts originally boosted in
the professional development sessions around the topics of RP and PBIS. This is
important to consider because there was a significant amount of conceptual continuity
within the intervention protocols that may have directly impacted which intervention
mode the study participants discussed the most.
A corresponding conclusion can be made regarding the most frequently discussed
impact noted by the study participants. When analyzing the 27 times that the study
participants discussed feeling an increased skillset due to the intervention system, no
distinct disaggregation can be made regarding which of the three intervention protocols
was most impactful because the RP and PBIS concepts were interwoven throughout the

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classroom management support system. Conversely, the 20 times that the study
participants discussed a positive impact due to the peer-led nature of the intervention
system, a conclusion can be adequately made that the peer-led nature was positive
because it was specifically interwoven throughout the methodology of the intervention
plan.
Additional data analysis was conducted regarding the frequency of the code
occurrence relevant to gender and age, as both were determined to be generalizable to the
teaching population at Central Middle School in the data analysis of this research. For
gender identification, statistical conclusions from the data suggest that females reported a
perceived impact of increased support more than males, while males reported a perceived
impact of increased connectedness more than females. Additionally, overall resignation
reductions from the intervention protocols were statistically reported more by females,
concluding that the overall intervention system was better at supporting female teachers
than male teachers.
As age already indicated the conclusion that resignation considerations are more
frequent in younger age groups based on the results of the quantitative survey, it can also
be concluded from the combined data analysis that the overall resignation reduction from
the intervention system was reported more by the younger age groups as well. Overall,
the younger age groups also discussed more positive impacts from the peer-led
observational feedback sessions, as well as more positive perceptual impacts from
increased support and increased connectedness. On the other hand, resignation
indifference, negative peer observation perceptions, and negative observational feedback
perceptions were reported only by the members of the 41 to 45 age group, suggesting that

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the professional development series may be the best path for older teachers who are
considering resignation due to chronic student misconduct.
Research Question 1
The first research question asked how a modeled professional development series
on classroom management techniques provided by designated master teachers affects
teacher perception of their own willingness to remain in their current position. Based on
the results of this study, 66.7% of the participants noted a reduction in their intent to
resign from their current position due to the positive impacts of the professional
development series. Moreover, 83.3% of the study participants indicated a positive
impact due to the peer-led nature of the professional development sessions. This
information concludes that the professional development sessions were overall impactful
to most of the study participants in reducing their retention perceptions; however, the
peer-led nature of the professional development series was still impactful, even for the
study participant who did not change their resignation intention.
Research Question 2
The second research question asked how a structured peer observation of
designated master teachers on classroom management techniques affects teacher
perception of their own willingness to remain in their current position. Given the peer
observation protocol, 66.7% of the participants noted a reduction in their intent to resign
from their current position due to the positive impacts of the peer observation portion of
the intervention system. Additionally, 100% of the study participants indicated a positive
impact due to the peer-led nature of the peer observations. This information concludes
that the peer observation protocol was impactful overall to most of the study participants

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in reducing their retention perceptions; however, the peer-led nature of the professional
development series was consistently positive.
Research Question 3
The third research question asked how feedback of professional practice on
classroom management techniques that is provided by designated master teachers affects
teacher perception of their own willingness to remain in their current position. Like the
peer observation protocol, the feedback of professional practice was 66.7% effective in
reducing retention intentions within the study population. Indeed, 100% of the study
participants also noted that the peer-led nature of the feedback sessions had a positive
impact on their perception of this portion of the intervention system. This information
concludes that the feedback sessions of professional practice conducted by professional
peers were consistently positive and made a reduction in resignation intentions for most
of the study participants.
Implications
The implication of this research extends well beyond Central Middle School and
the Reading School District. Teacher attrition and retention concerns are triaged at the
top of schools’ and districts’ concerns across the nation. The fact that two of the
identified study participants resigned from their positions during the study amplifies the
need to create immediate support systems for teachers who have already indicated their
intent to resign from their positions. Information provided to the researcher from exit
interviews and resignation letters indicated that concerns over chronic student misconduct
were the top reason for both teachers’ resignation mid-year. While there are often several
reasons for a teacher to consider resignation, this research study corroborated recent

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research across the nation that the most consistent reason for resignation is due to chronic
student misconduct. However, this research study also concluded that a peer-led support
system that provides professional development, peer observation opportunities, and
professional practice feedback sessions can also reduce the resignation intentions of
teachers, particularly for females who are in younger age groups. For Central Middle
School and the Reading School District to address its most critical need at the secondary
level by increasing teacher retention, this intervention system will need to be used to
support teachers to stay in their positions.
Application
In the Reading School District, new teachers are required to participate in a weeklong teacher induction program prior to the start of the school year. They are also given a
year-long tenured teacher mentor to review an orientation-style checklist regarding their
new teacher role. Additionally, new teachers are required to spend six hours with school
administrators in after-school training sessions regarding such topics as Special
Education, evaluation, ESL, and parental interactions. This research indicates that there
is a definitive need to provide more support regarding classroom management to new
teachers, as the study participant pool yielded exclusively teachers within their first three
years of teaching in public schools. To accomplish this, it is the recommendation of the
researcher to enhance the intervention system developed in this action research study to
provide more immediate support to new teachers, with the additional intention of making
the enhanced system available to any teachers who feel that they could benefit from the
support or who have concerns over chronic student misconduct. Specifically, the peerled nature of the intervention system was noted to be positive and will need to remain a

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central focus of the enhanced system. Since the positive aspects of the professional
development opportunities were noted most frequently in the study participant responses,
more frequent opportunities for new and struggling teachers to engage with designated
master teachers for additional classroom management training are needed. For the 20242025 school year, Central Middle School has planned to open a three-day per week afterschool teacher “urgent care center” where designated master teachers will provide
immediate and on-demand professional development for any new or struggling teachers
who report to the sessions.
To provide opportunities for new and struggling teachers to more frequently visit
designated master teacher classrooms to conduct peer observations, Central Middle
School will create a special class coverage request system where instructional coaches,
called Academic Intervention Specialists in the Reading School District, can provide
classroom coverage once per month for any new or struggling teachers who desire to visit
designated master teacher classrooms. The same instructional coaches can also be
utilized to provide coverage for the designated master teachers to conduct classroom
observations to provide the new and struggling teachers with feedback sessions of
professional practice. Moreover, the Academic Interventionist Specialists, who by nature
are recent classroom practitioners who meet strict criterion for being selected to fill
instructional coaching roles, can fulfill the role of peer observers to complete additional
feedback sessions to the teachers.
Fiscal Considerations
Even though two study participants resigned prior to the completion of this
research study and two of the six remaining study participants noted an indifference in

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their resignation intentions, the results and conclusions of this research have found that
the peer-led classroom management support system had a positive impact on retention
reduction. As such, the interventions, including the recommendation to expand the
interventions into more intensive and immediate supports for new and struggling teachers
via an after-school support option, will have a significant cost to continue after the
research period. As noted in previous chapters, the estimated cost of the intervention
system alone would be $52,000 annually for staff wages and an additional $1,000 for
supplies. With the modifications applied, the estimated cost would rise to $57,000 for
staff wages. Because Central Middle School is a Title I school, all these costs would be
supported under federal program budgetary expenditures. Indirect costs would remain
for the use of the facility to provide the intervention system. Moreover, the organization
of the classroom management support system could be delegated to the school’s
Instructional Supervisor position, a position already tasked with oversight of the new
teacher mentor program and whole-school professional development programs. This
delegation would not incur any additional cost to the school or district.
Limitations
Mertler (2022) described the presence of limitations within educational action
research. During this research study, both internal factors, those directly limited by the
prescribed methodology, and external factors, those outside the control of the researcher,
were noted to potentially limit the generalizability and transferability of the results and
conclusions to other schools and educational settings.
Internal Factors
The most significant internal factor that limited this action research study was the

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size of the study participant population. When creating the methodology to conduct this
research, careful attention was paid to the number of study participants necessary. In
fact, the researcher used eight study participants to potentially counteract any study
participant attrition. As the study progressed, two of the study participants were removed
from the research due to their resignation from their position at Central Middle School.
This action reduced the study participant population to a cohort of six. Data was
analyzed, results were calculated, and conclusions were discussed all relative to a small
study participant population, which must be interpreted carefully when considering the
application of this research to similar school settings.
Another factor explained within the methodology of this action research was the
selection criteria for the participants who would become the designated master teachers to
lead the professional development series, peer observations, and feedback of professional
practice sessions. Even though strict criteria were articulated to define the qualities
needed in these peer leaders, nothing within the research methodology controlled for
personality or experiential differences of the designated master teachers beyond the
explicit criteria noted. In fact, because the methodology only required one peer
observation and one observational feedback session, significant limitations could have
factored into the qualitative responses of some study participants when compared to the
responses of other study participants who may have had a significantly different
collaborative experience with a different designated master teacher.
The generalizability of this research to other schools and educational settings was
also noted to be a potential limitation. When reviewing the demographic nature of the
research setting, Central Middle School in the Reading School District, there are very few

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urban middle schools in the state of Pennsylvania with such a large student population
and professional educator population. In this light, conclusions that were made based on
the results of this action research at Central Middle School may not transfer into a school
setting that is not the same size or configuration. Also, the conclusions may not be
transferable to another school setting that has a teacher population that is either more
collaboratively supportive of each other or less inclined to support struggling peers.
Caution should be used by any individuals who choose to use the conclusions of this
research in schools and educational settings that do not share similar school
demographics, as the transferability may not yield similar results.
External Factors
Several external factors were also noted in the analysis of the results of this
research. First, this research did not collect any data from the study participants to
determine the extent of their previous training or use of Restorative Practices (RP) or
Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS). Moreover, this research did not collect
any previous perceptions of the RP or PBIS programs. Explained previously in the
methodology of this research, all professional employees at Central Middle School
received the initial RP training and were required to use the schoolwide PBIS program.
That said, the booster training via the professional development sessions were developed
to reinforce previously learned information. While the results clearly indicated that the
largest impact noted from the study participants was their perceived increase in skillset,
there may have been a wide variance in the level of existing knowledge and application
of the strategies provided within the professional development sessions. This factor
limits the potential usefulness of the conclusions of this action research, particularly

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when considering using the intervention system and methodology in other schools,
districts, or school years.
Moreover, this study did not capture study participant existing perceptions of
professional respect for the designated master teachers. While there were no negative
comments made about specific designated master teachers by the study participants in the
qualitative structured interviews, there could have existed a wide range of pre-existing
relationships or pre-existing concerns with the peer leaders that may have compounded
the study participants’ reflections on the suggestions provided within the intervention
protocols. In the future, this limitation could be minimized by having each study
participant interact with multiple designated master teachers, ensuring that any variance
of professional respect for a specific designated master teacher could be avoided in the
aggregate.
Further limitations to this study have been noted regarding the potential impact of
supervisory influence on the study participants’ qualitative responses. With the
quantitative survey, an honest broker was used to present the consent to participate and
the initial quantitative survey. However, once the study participants and designated
master teachers were determined from the selection process, the researcher, who was also
the principal of the school site, was the main contact, organizer, and interviewer to collect
the qualitative responses. Indeed, it must be noted that the study participants’ answers to
the structured interview questions may have been influenced by the fact that their direct
supervisor was conducting the research and the interview. As there was no follow-up
reference to determine any such influence, no data exists to support or refute this
potential limitation. In any future research using this intervention system, the

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methodology may be less limited if an honest broker was also used to conduct the
qualitative structured interviews.
Recommendations for Future Research
This research study was conducted in the 2023-2024 school year at Central
Middle School in the Reading School District. While the results and conclusions can
inform the administration and teacher leadership teams of Central Middle School, the
limitations within this study make the results less generalizable and less transferable to
other schools within the Reading School District and beyond. Several recommendations
to extend this research, including updates to the methodology of the classroom
management support intervention plan, to future school years, schools, or school districts
have been made.
The first recommendation for future research would include the addition of a
qualitative structured interview for the designated master teachers. Within this study,
attention was only paid to the perspectives of the study participants, the teachers who had
noted a consideration for resignation. Indeed, the goal of this research was to identify
how the various intervention support protocols affected the perceptions of the teachers’
willingness to remain in their current positions. However, there was no mechanism
within this research methodology to capture the perspectives of the designated master
teachers and any insights or conclusions they may have had as peer leaders who directly
supported the study participants. Future research could inform the researcher and
additional educational leaders about the designated master teachers’ perspectives to better
inform any future additions or changes needed for the classroom management support
system or the specific methodology protocols.

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In addition, a recommendation for future research would include more training for
the designated master teachers. It was discussed in the limitations that the responses in
the qualitative structured interviews noted distinct variations in the actions taken by the
designated master teachers, from professional development presentation differences to
the quality of the feedback given to the study participants. To ensure consistency in the
intervention protocols for both the classroom management support system and any future
research, it will be necessary to provide more training to the designated master teachers,
including routinized follow-up sessions with them, to ensure the quality of the mentoring
protocols is consistent from one designated master teacher to another.
Another recommendation for future research would be to expand the scope of the
classroom management support system intervention to more teachers and to additional
schools. Within this research, participation in the study was limited to teachers who
consented to participate. Given the positive results of many aspects of the intervention
system, the administration of Central Middle School could mandate this classroom
management support system to teachers who are struggling with classroom management,
regardless of their intention to resign or their willingness to voluntarily participate.
Furthermore, because this action research was solely conducted at Central Middle
School, expanding the intervention protocols and classroom management support system
to other secondary schools in the Reading School District could assist future analysis of
the system by expanding the population and including a wider range of perspectives both
from the future participants and the future designated master teachers.
Moving forward, another recommendation for future research regarding the
classroom management support system would be to change the intervention protocols to

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ensure that the participants are able to see more than one peer observation by requiring
the participants to observe multiple classrooms conducted by multiple designated master
teachers. The variety of instructional and classroom management strategies that the
participants would be able to see could yield variances in perspectives and changes to
professional practice that were not available via the methodology of this action research
project. In addition, future research could determine if participants have differences in
perspectives if they were observed and given feedback of professional practice from
multiple designated master teachers, as this action research only provided one individual
professional feedback session by one designated master teacher.
Moreover, future research could be conducted with the classroom management
support system over the course of several school years to use the participant perspectives
to analyze trends over time by conducting a longitudinal study of the protocols. In doing
so, the researcher and other educational administrators would be able to determine if
protocols that had positive effects in the 2023-2024 school year continue to have positive
effects three to five to ten years into the future. This process can be invaluable because
instructional and behavioral practices change rapidly in the field of education, especially
with new technology and societal impacts that create new scenarios quickly in each
classroom. Failing to assess the long-term use of the protocols in this study could
potentially yield a negative experience for both participants and designated masters
teachers, as well as having a profoundly negative effect on student success.
As noted in the review of the literature, Pennsylvania, as well as other states, have
experienced a rapid increase in the number of emergency certified teachers versus those
traditionally certificated via university-sponsored teacher certification programs. Given

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this fact, an additional recommendation for future research from this study would be to
include a bivariant analysis of the perceptual effects of the classroom management
support system between teachers who received emergency certification and teachers who
received traditional certification. Potential results could assist educational administrators
in determining the best mentoring and induction options for teachers who receive
emergency certification without the benefit of educational coursework and preparatory
programs.
Furthermore, a future research study could also be designed to determine any
similarities or differences in the perspectives of participants who volunteered to
participate versus participants who involuntarily were placed in the intervention protocols
due to professional improvement plans. In this potential future study, the guiding
research questions regarding the willingness to accept feedback from peer leaders, the
utilization of professional development practices, and the transfer of quality instructional
practices from peer observations could be analyzed.
Ultimately, the goal of this research was to determine how a multifaceted
classroom management support system led by peers potentially changed the intent of
teachers who expressed a desire to resign from their positions. Realistically, the desired
effect of increasing the teachers’ willingness to stay in their current positions was to
increase student success. To determine if this intervention system ultimately leads to
student success, future research must be conducted to analyze both student behavioral
outcomes and student academic achievement for the teachers who participated in this
research study and any future variations of this research study that may be conducted. No
intervention protocol in the educational system works with one-hundred percent fidelity

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due to variances in human nature of each student, teacher, and classroom environment.
Nevertheless, considering this classroom management support system requires a
considerable effort on the part of the designated master teachers and educational
administrators, it would be essential to conduct further research on a potential correlation
between the effectiveness of the classroom management support system and student
achievement data. This information would not only be necessary for educational
administrators to determine the usefulness of this intervention protocol, but also to justify
the financial funding of the intervention protocols moving forward.
Summary
In summary, the conclusions detailed in this chapter show that there were positive
outcomes from the use of the classroom management support system for several of the
study participants in reducing their intention to resign from their current teaching
positions. In particular, the benefits of the professional development sessions and the
perceived increases in skillset were noted by the study participants most frequently.
Indeed, the peer-led nature of the intervention also was noted by study participants as a
positive value in their perception of the classroom management support system.
The urgency problem for which this action research was conducted remains the
top priority at Central Middle School and beyond. As of June of 2024, professional
teaching vacancies are still abundant and ample certificated teachers interested in
working in a high-need school like Central Middle School have yet to materialize. That
said, five of the six remaining study participants continued to be employed as teachers at
Central Middle School at the time of publication of this research. The results of this
study will be used by the researcher to modify and expand the classroom management

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support system to yield a potentially more potent impact on new and struggling teachers
for the 2024-2025 school year.

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Appendix A
IRB Approval

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Appendix B
Reading School District Letter of Approval

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Appendix C
Informed Consent

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Appendix D
Quantitative Survey

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Appendix E
Qualitative Structured Interview Questions

Classroom Management Support System Participant Interview Questions
1. What were your initial concerns related to your classroom management before
participating in these experimental protocols?
2. What changes have you made to your professional practices based on:
a. The professional development sessions attended?
b. The peer observations you attended?
c. The feedback you were given on your professional practice?
3. Which, if any, of the above do you believe most impacted chronic student
misconduct in your classroom? Why?
4. In what ways, if any, did peers leading this support system affect your
engagement in the process? Why?
5. Has this support system reduced your intention to resign from your current
position at Central Middle School? Why or why not?
6. What specifically could be improved in this classroom management support
system to better support teachers with chronic student misconduct in the future?

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Appendix F
Observation of Professional Practice Evidence Collection Form

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