Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Administrative and Instructional Leadership

First Advisor

James Coviello

Second Advisor

Catherine DiMartino

Third Advisor

Roger Bloom

Abstract

Public districts increasingly depend on special-education paraprofessionals to sustain inclusion, yet turnover disrupts instruction, teams, and student support. This qualitative single-district case study examined how leadership, teacher collaboration, and system routines shape retention in a suburban district in the Northeastern United States. Grounded in social exchange and transformational leadership, the researcher used interviews, focus groups, and a document review across several elementary schools. Three linked conditions aligned with stronger intent to stay: (1) stable assignments with clear, written expectations that preserve relationships and signal recognition and fairness; (2) concise, job-embedded preparation with guaranteed access to materials and behavior tools, explicit role clarity, short feedback cycles, and inclusion in relevant professional learning; and (3) visible sustainability routines, including advanced notice coverage, protected daily team planning time, and defined growth paths. These conditions reinforced perceptions of organizational support. Implications include putting role-aligned routines and shared language in writing, embedding paraprofessionals in targeted professional learning, ensuring predictable coverage and planning structures, and making advancement pathways explicit. Together, these steps can strengthen retention and students’ access to consistent, culturally responsive support.

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