Dissertation
At the point of entry: a program evaluation of hiring and development practices in the first two years of employment in an urban charter school
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Jun 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011384
Abstract
Urban K-12 charter schools face persistent challenges in attracting, onboarding, and retaining qualified teachers. Workforce instability is often most pronounced during teachers' initial months of employment, when educators must navigate organizational systems, instructional expectations, and feedback structures simultaneously. Despite the interconnected nature of these challenges, hiring and development systems are often designed and implemented as separate processes, limiting their ability to support workforce sustainability. The purpose of this program evaluation was to examine how hiring and development systems align to support workforce sustainability at an urban K-8 charter school. The central question guiding this evaluation was: How do hiring and development systems align to support workforce sustainability at Philadelphia Civics Academy (PCA)? This study was informed by literature on teacher workforce trends, equity-minded hiring practices, and coaching and development as strategies for retention. The evaluation was grounded in the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model and informed by a Transformative Evaluation approach, which centers equity, stakeholder voice, and the examination of systems shaping participant experiences. The study employed a qualitative program evaluation design. Data was collected through artifact review and semi-structured interviews with school leaders, network leaders, and teachers. Artifacts included hiring protocols, onboarding materials, coaching tools, and evaluation documents. Interviews provided insight into how these systems were implemented, experienced, and interpreted during teachers' initial months in the organization. This evaluation highlights the importance of aligning hiring and development systems to support teachers during organizational entry. Findings suggest that workforce sustainability emerges not from a single initiative, but from the interaction of hiring, onboarding, coaching, and evaluation systems during teachers' earliest experiences in the organization. Findings indicate that workforce stability at PCA is most fragile during teachers' initial months of employment, when educators are simultaneously learning instructional expectations and organizational systems. Hiring practices that prioritize potential expand access to teaching roles while increasing demand on coaching and development systems to support teacher growth. Findings also suggest that workforce stability is shaped by the coherence with which hiring, onboarding, coaching, and evaluation systems are implemented, particularly across varying leadership contexts and conditions such as mid-year hiring. Recommendations include establishing clear ownership of induction and strengthening coordination across hiring, onboarding, coaching, and evaluation systems to support workforce stability during teachers' early experiences in the organization.
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Details
- Title
- At the point of entry
- Creators
- Nichel R. Bryant
- Contributors
- Kristine S. Lewis Grant (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- xvi, 260 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022184475604721