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Dissertation
Cultivating diversity: a qualitative case study of a teacher residency program's role in increasing racial representation in the K-12 educator workforce
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Aug 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011161
Abstract
The persistent underrepresentation of racially diverse educators in U.S. public schools remains a critical equity challenge, one that has deep historical roots in the aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education and continues to shape student outcomes today. While research affirms that students benefit academically, socially, and emotionally from a racially diverse teacher workforce, systemic barriers in recruitment, preparation, and retention have limited progress, particularly for Black educators. This qualitative case study explored the effectiveness of the Three Rivers Teacher Residency Program (TRTRP), a teacher residency that is transforming into a Grow Your Own (GYO) initiative in Western Pennsylvania, in addressing these inequities by intentionally recruiting and supporting racially diverse teacher candidates. Guided by four research questions, the study investigated participants' motivations for joining the residency, the supports and challenges that shaped their completion and persistence, the perspectives of mentors and administrators on program effectiveness, and the extent to which the residency contributed to diversifying the educator workforce. Data were collected through 17 semistructured interviews with teacher residents, mentors, and program leaders, supplemented by researcher notes, archived program documents, and thematic coding analysis. Findings revealed five interconnected themes: (a) emotional and logistical challenges, (b) mentorship and peer support, (c) diversity, equity, and cultural responsiveness, (d) program design and structural incoherence, and (e) school culture and leadership. While participants credited the residency's mentorship, peer networks, and intentional recruitment practices with fostering professional growth and representation, they also highlighted barriers such as financial strain, inconsistent leadership alignment, certification hurdles, and the emotional toll of identity-based labor. The study concludes that teacher residency models can serve as powerful equity levers for increasing educator diversity when coupled with sustained financial support, culturally responsive mentorship, and systemic alignment across universities, school sites, and district leadership. Policy implications include the expansion of registered teacher apprenticeships, the removal of certification barriers, and the establishment of long-term state and district investments in residency pathways. By centering the lived experiences of program participants, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how teacher residencies can move beyond recruitment to retention, ultimately cultivating a more racially diverse, inclusive, and equity-driven K-12 educator workforce.
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Details
- Title
- Cultivating diversity
- Creators
- Shannon Teresa Conner
- Contributors
- Valerie Klein (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- xii, 164 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022092655804721