INFORME DEL COMITÉ DE AUDITORÍA SOBRE LA INDEPENDENCIA DEL AUDITOR EXTERNO

Introduction

This chapter explains the methodology and process that was utilized to investigate the school-level leadership and micropolitical context in one elementary school, and the resulting effect on novice teacher retention. This chapter is divided into six main sections. The first section of this chapter describes the context of the study, to include the school and community context and the means of gaining access. Second, the qualitative methodology is described and the study design is outlined, with attention to the use of micropolitical theory. Next, the data sources are outlined, to include sampling techniques and types of data that were collected. After that, data collection methods and procedures are presented, including a description of interviewing techniques, observation, and document analysis, as well as the ways trustworthiness was established. Then, the plan for data analysis and the interpretation and generation of findings are presented to readers. The final two sections of this chapter explain the role of the researcher and the presentation of the study‟s

participants.

Context of the Study

National data from the Schools and Staffing Survey's Teacher Follow-up Survey indicated that both elementary and secondary schools are experiencing similar retention levels.1 _{Other research has shown mixed results on teacher retention rates at the secondary}

level, particularly with respect to content area instruction (Ingersoll, 2007; NCCTQ, 2007).

1 _{According to the most recent data from the Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), in 2004-05 elementary}

schools posted an 8.5% attrition rate, while secondary schools posted an 8.6% attrition rate (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), 2004-05).

In particular, 28 percent of secondary school teachers surveyed stated that they would leave the classroom for another career in education and 9 percent would leave the field altogether; furthermore, 30 percent of teachers did not think they would remain in the profession longer than ten years (NCCTQ, 2007). Because there are other variables at work in these two types of schools, it was necessary to select a context that would produce meaningful results for this study. An elementary school was selected as the focus for this study because in keeping with the assets-based approach, which focuses on the strengths of a situation, it was necessary to evaluate a school that could have a propensity for specific micropolitical factors, such as strong leadership, administrative support, positive school culture, and collegiality (Ashby, 1996; Blase & Anderson, 1995; Blase & Blase, 1999; Blase & Roberts, 1994).

There are some central differences in the two school types that would make a micropolitical study of secondary school more complex. The departmentalization of high schools and division of teachers into content area teams tends to create divisions that could be problematic for a study of this nature. Furthermore, the administrative structure of high schools makes it difficult to determine which administrator holds primary responsibility for the micropolitics of school and the induction of novice teachers. In addition to

administrative support, collegiality is widely variable for secondary school teachers. Only 26 percent of novice secondary school teachers affirm that they "get excellent advice from fellow teachers on lesson plans and teaching techniques, compared with 39 percent of elementary school teachers" (NCCTQ, 2007, p. 12). The same recent study of new teacher perceptions reported that "while majorities of all new teachers say they are generally satisfied with their administrators and fellow teachers, new high school and middle school

teachers are significantly less content" (NCCTQ, 2007, p. 12). The varied challenges that high school teachers face, including class assignments, student behavior, and time and resources, can all be cause for a wide range of teacher and administrator experiences (Ingersoll, 2003c; Ingersoll, 2007; NCCTQ, 2007). Finally, elementary and secondary teachers tended to enter the profession for different reasons. While elementary teachers were apt to enter teaching with a desire to help children, high school teachers were more inclined to enter with a passion for their content area. These divergent motivations, combined with the fact that high school teachers believed they were less likely to be positively influencing their students (NCCTQ, 2007), can potentially influence their satisfaction.

On the other hand, elementary schools appeared to demonstrate a higher propensity for teacher retention, due in part to the unique characteristics of teachers at this level, but also because of the micropolitical context of an elementary school. Sixty-eight percent of elementary teachers contended that teaching was a lifelong career choice for them and while 25 percent of teachers claimed that they would be likely to leave the profession within the first ten years, their reasons for leaving varied greatly (NCCTQ, 2007).

Elementary teachers were more likely than secondary teachers to feel confident about the work they do. Most influential were the teacher satisfaction differentials at the elementary and secondary level; relationships with administrators and fellow teachers were cited as primary reasons for the dissatisfaction on the part of secondary teachers. Elementary teachers rated their school administration at 85 percent for providing material resources and at 79 percent for providing instructional leadership, as compared to secondary teachers, who rated material resources at 69 percent and instructional leadership at 65

percent (NCCTQ, 2007). These differences in teacher satisfaction as related to

administrative actions and decision-making have an effect on novice teachers and were a central reason for considering the micropolitical factors at an elementary school in this study.

School and Community Context

The case study described took place in a large school district located in a

metropolitan area in the eastern United States. The school district is situated in a diverse, dynamic, and professional community located outside a major urban city. The county is the third most populous in the state, and the school district is the second largest in the state. The district mission statement describes a diverse and inclusive school community, committed to high quality educational opportunities, where all students can become effective communicators, problem solvers, and good citizens (School Website, 2011).

The Pre-K-12 enrollment for 2010-2011 was estimated at 79,115 students. Students were served by fifty-five elementary schools, fifteen middles schools, ten high schools, and nine specialized schools. The district's student population was comprised of a diverse demographic, with a population breakdown as follows: White 35.9%; Hispanic 28.5%; African American 20.3%; Asian 7.5%; and two or more races 7.2%. The percentage of students categorized as English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) was at 17.2%; the percentage of students categorized as Special Education is at 16.3%; and the percentage of students receiving subsidized meals was at 33.7% (School Website, 2010). Data on teacher and administrator statistics and demographics indicated that the school district employed over 9,600 employees, including 5,152 teachers and 213 school administrators. The personnel racial demographics were as follows: administrators at the district level are

20.2% African American; 4.3% Hispanic; 75.5% White, while teachers at the district level are 11.2% African American; 3.9% Hispanic, and 79.7% White. Gender breakdowns for the district were as follows: administrators are 22.3% male and 77.7% female, while teachers are 8.3% male and 91.7% female.

More specifically, the school data reflected a demographic that was representative of the district as a whole. The elementary school in the study had a student population of 635 in the 2010-11 school year. The school had the capacity to hold 568 students in a total of 29 classrooms, however there were six trailers in place on the school property, and construction was set to expand the school beginning in fall 2011. The attendance rate for the student body was 95.5% and the average mobility index was at 31.2%. The average class size in grades K-2 was 21 students, while the average class size for grades 3-5 was 25 students.

The student demographics at Smith Elementary School were as follows: 6 % Asian-Pacific Islander; 26.3% African American; 16.5% White/non-Hispanic; 43.9% Hispanic; and 7.2% Other. Additional student characteristics were as follows: 70.6% economically disadvantaged; 48.5% ESOL; 4.5% gifted (grades K-3); 6.4% gifted (grades 4-5); 11.7% special education; and 9.6% Title I. As compared to the overall district

demographics, Smith Elementary School had a lower Hispanic population, but was

relatively similar in the African American and White populations. The major differences at the school level were seen in the percentage of students who were economically

disadvantaged and receiving ESOL services. These factors were important to

understanding the overall community context of the school. Two female administrators served the school, one of whom was African American and the other was White. The

instructional personnel was 86% female and 14% male, with 5.3% African American; 82.5% White/non-Hispanic; 8.8% Hispanic; and 3.5% Other. Sixty-eight percent of the instructional personnel held graduate degrees.

The most recent student achievement data was represented in the assessment scores for spring 2010, at the school level and at the district level as presented in Figure 2.

Overall, the students at Smith Elementary School achieved in comparable ways to the students in the district as a whole.

In the last three years, AYP status was as follows: in 2008-09, the school made AYP; in 2009-10, the school did not make AYP; and in 2010-11, the school made AYP. In all three years, the school was fully accredited and in the years 2008-09 and 2010-11, the school was also named a school of excellence for the district.

This holistic view of the district and the school describes the context in which the elementary school is situated. The range and diversity of students represented lends this

Math Reading Science Social Studies SES District SES District SES District SES District 95 % 93 % 89 % 84 % 90 % 91 % 95 % 94 %

87 % 88 % 89 % 89 % n/a n/a 78 % 86 %

93 % 92 % 84 % 91 % 84 % 85 % n/a n/a Figure 2: Spring 2010 Assessment Scores for SES and District, Grades 3-5

Figure 3: Spring 2010 Assessment Scores for Smith Elementary School and for the School District. The student achievement data is displayed for students in grades 3, 4, and 5 in math, reading, science, and social studies

district and school to a study of this nature because it has the potential to be informative to the local community as well as having some possible applicability to other similar settings. Gaining Access and Selecting a School

As a researcher and educational consultant in the metropolitan area in which the targeted district is located, I have developed and maintained professional contacts in local school districts. Through those contacts, I was able to gain entry into the district that was selected for the study. I approached a principal of a local school to describe the study's purpose, the ways in which the principal and teachers could support the study, and the benefits to the school and district for their participation. The primary contact of interest was a school principal who was willing to open her school for this study, as well as the district's program evaluation supervisor who mediated approval for the study and entry in to the district and school. The goal for the study was to select an elementary school to meet the following criteria: (a) having an average teacher retention rate of 90% or greater over the last three years2; (b) having at least five teachers who were characterized by novice status (having been in the teaching profession for three years or less); (c) having a principal that has been at the school for at least three years.

The average to high teacher retention designation was based on the most recent data from the Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) which indicated that 8.4 % of teachers were movers in 2004-05 (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). In keeping with the national average of 91.6 percent retention, it was important to select a school that had an average retention rate of 90 percent or greater. Smith Elementary School retained an

2 _{This percentage was designated based on the most recent data from the Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS)}

which indicates that 8.4 % of teachers were movers in 2004-05 (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), 2004-05).

average of 91 percent of the teachers over the last three years (D. Franklin, personal communication, May, 18, 2011). As compared to recent national data which cited attrition rates between 16 and 20 percent (NCTAF, 2007), Smith‟s retention data placed the school in the average-high range.

After communicating with the school principal to ensure that the school data matched the requirements for the study, I sought and received approval from the Texas A&M University Institutional Review Board and also sought formal approval to conduct the study in the school district. Once formal approval was obtained by the district, I relied on the principal to select study participants who met the novice teacher criteria. At that juncture, I contacted each of the novice teachers through email, at which time I offered an explanation about the purpose of the study, the amount of time that would be needed for data collection, and plans for using the data (Cresswell, 2007). I shared information about how formal consent would be requested and ways in which their participation would remain confidential. At the initial face-to-face meeting with the teachers, I had them read and sign the consent form for participation in the study.

Study Design A Qualitative Case Study

Cresswell (2007) and Yin (2009) would agree that a case study is useful in studying an event, a program, or an activity of more than one individual. Further, Yin (2009)

contends that within a particular context, the individuals are the unit of analysis and the data gathered is important on a collective rather than an individual level. Because this study focused on micropolitical events that involved individuals within a school, the selected design matches well with the purpose of the research.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the retention pattern in one elementary school, as influenced by the micropolitics of that school; in particular, principal decision- making processes, leadership activities, and the relationship between principals and

teachers were studied. A qualitative case study design was used to assess the context of the school while concentrating on the phenomenon of teacher retention. Peshkin (1993)

described some goals of qualitative research to include changing behavior, problem finding, clarifying and understanding, or theory development. The primary goal of a case study is to clarify and understand a phenomenon through the application of theory (Peshkin, 1993).

A qualitative approach was selected for this study because the problem at hand required research that was value-based and meaningful (Smith, 1983). Since meaning is embedded in the experiences people have and is mediated through the researcher‟s own perceptions (Merriam, 1994), it was through a qualitative study that I gained insight into the perspectives of teachers and principal who were impacted by the issue of teacher retention. By viewing the phenomenon from the emic perspective (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2007), or as the participants view it, I have attempted to make meaning about the participants' experiences. These perspectives can generally be sought through direct observation, informal conversations, and interviews, all of which were used in this study.

Yin (1984; 2009) defined a case study as an investigation of a contemporary social phenomenon within its real-life context, and through the investigation of multiple data sources. Moreover, Stake (1995) described case study as a choice of what to be studied, the "what" being a bounded system, a single entity or unit, and finite in terms of time or space. The unit of analysis is the aspect of the phenomenon that will be studied across one or

more cases, and the topic of investigation characterizes a case study (Gall et al., 2007; Merriam, 2009).

The present study's focus on the bounded systems of one particular elementary school necessitated the case study method, rather than the topic of teacher retention dictating the unit of analysis. Selecting the case requires that the researcher establish a rationale for purposeful sampling, defining the case‟s boundaries, time constraints, events, and processes. A researcher can explore a bounded system or multiple bounded systems over time, and through detailed, in-depth data collection that involves multiple sources of information. Because case studies are searching for meaning and understanding, and are highly contextual, the use of this type of qualitative research is appropriate for the study at hand. The context of an elementary school is rich in events and perspectives, which can lead to a thick description that has allowed me to explore the phenomenon of teacher retention and its patterns, themes, and constructs (Gall et al., 2007).

In the analysis of data, the researcher may focus on developing a detailed description of several key issues or themes in order to understand the complexity of the case, but not necessarily for the purpose of generalizing beyond that case (Cresswell, 2007). Throughout the case analysis, the attention to micropolitical theory remained prominent in developing a narrative and in making interpretations. Because the analysis is rich in the context of the case (Cresswell, 2007), readers are able to compare the case being studied with their own situation. The final product includes a narrative that describes the case and case-based themes as related to the research questions.

Anfara and Mertz (2006) contended that it is impossible to observe and describe what happens in natural settings without some theory that guides the researcher in what is

relevant to observe and what name to attach to what is happening. Sampling and design issues must also be matched to the selected theory and units of analysis and desired characteristics of the sample should be consistent with the theory (Boyatzis, 1998). The school and the settings within the school that were chosen for use in the study were done intentionally; in thinking about the tenets of micropolitics, described in Chapter II and further discussed later in this chapter, I decided that certain settings would be more fruitful in producing meaningful data. For example, thinking about the control and hierarchy that may be involved between the principal and teachers, I decided it would be important to observe staff meetings and teacher grade-level meetings. In an attempt to gain information about the academic instruction taking place at the school, I wanted to observe occasions for instructional leadership, which happened during data meetings. Furthermore, as a way to gain richer data about the organizational culture of the school and the interactions between teachers and principal, I observed throughout the school building and made notes about the overall happenings across the building and over time.

Use of Micropolitical Theory

In thinking about teacher retention, and my own beliefs about the causes and implications for this problem, I sought a theoretical orientation to apply to the study. A theoretical orientation is a way of looking at the world and a way of understanding the assumptions people have about what is important and makes the world work (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998). The selection of theory has the potential to influence many choices throughout the research process and to direct the researcher's thinking about the

phenomenon. By viewing the data through a micropolitical lens, I was able to develop a comprehensive understanding of the case in this study. From the methodological planning

of the study through the data collection and analysis, the principles of micropolitical theory grounded my work.

Yin (1994) and Merriam (2009) both contended that case study research requires identifying the theoretical perspective at the outset of the inquiry since it affects the research questions, analysis, and interpretation of findings. In accordance with this philosophy, I structured my research questions with a heavy emphasis on the precepts of micropolitical theory. By aligning the research question with a theoretical framework, the researcher is forced to be accountable to that theory throughout the design of the study (Anfara & Mertz, 2006). Furthermore, I began with the notion that new teachers will thrive when exposed to various types of leadership and when specific administrative supports are