Delaware Valley principal presents study identifying leadership practices tied to early‑career teacher retention

Dr. Christopher Ross, Delaware Valley’s career and technical education principal and high school assistant principal, presented results of a qualitative study Tuesday on strategies principals use to retain early‑career teachers. Ross told the school board he interviewed seven principals in a Pennsylvania intermediate unit who together had 70 years of experience and a 97% retention rate from first year through tenure and identified four recurring themes. The research is aimed at answering what leaders can do to keep teachers after they enter the profession. “The purpose of the study is to find out what principals are doing to keep teachers in the classroom,” Ross said. He said the four themes were inclusive, welcoming onboarding; structured mentoring and coaching; a supportive, visible leadership presence; and a culture of open communication and feedback. Ross described examples from interviews: principals inviting new teachers into classrooms over the summer, pairing them with carefully selected mentors and trusted colleagues, making time for face‑to‑face problem solving instead of email, and removing nonessential duties so new teachers have time to establish balance. One interviewed principal said he intentionally sees new teachers twice a day to build relationships. Board members and staff responded positively to the presentation. A board member compared Ross’s description of visible leadership to business management practices and praised the humanistic emphasis of the interviewed principals. Ross noted the national context that 40%–50% of teachers who enter the profession leave within five years — a statistic he cited from the literature he reviewed — which he said makes retention strategies especially important. Ross recommended leaders reflect on their own practices and consider how to pivot toward more humanistic and visible approaches. He said the principals he interviewed relied on informal, relationship‑based methods rather than forms or checklists, and argued that those practices could be taught and adopted by other leaders. The board did not take formal action on the presentation; members discussed next steps for sharing the findings more broadly at district administrative meetings.