Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, PhD Dissertation Chair for Robert Marcel Branch, PVAMU, Member of the Texas A&M University System

1. Hispanic Teacher Recruitment and Retention Initiatives in Texas Schools A Proposal Defense By Robert M. Branch

2. Dr. William A. Kritsonis (Dissertation Chair) Dr. David Herrington (Member) Dr. Douglas Hermond (Member) Dr. Camille Gibson (Member) Committee Members

6. Conceptual Framework Approaches of Administrators & District Personnel to Recruit & Retain Hispanic Teachers Internal Motivations Of Hispanic Teachers Hispanic Teacher Recruitment & Retention Initiatives in Texas Schools The Impact of Academic Achievement for Hispanic Students

19. Review of Literature Author/ Year Findings U. S. Department of Education, 2003 The United States Hispanic student population has made the most significant changes with a 6.4% increase compared to a White student decrease of 9.2% and a small African-American student increase of 1.1%. Author/ Year Findings Ochoa, 2003 The achievement trends of Hispanic students over the past 20 years indicate that their achievement in the three primary content areas is not competitive with the achievement of White students in our nation.

20. Review of Literature Author/ Year Findings National Center of Education Statistics, 2003 The 2003 reports from the NCES indicate that 16.9% of all teachers are minorities. Author/ Year Findings Dee, 2004 In the year 2000, 8% of all teachers in the United States were African-American, 6% were Hispanic, and 84% were White.

21. Review of Literature Author/ Year Findings Zientek, 2007 Across certification routes, ethnic groups and teachers with varying educational attainment were equally committed to teaching. African-American teachers were the most committed, with 90% planning to remain in teaching for an extended time, followed by 82% of Whites and 71% of Hispanics. Author/ Year Findings Wehrman, 2002 Wehrman reported that it is important in communities, which have substantial populations of color, to have teachers of color in the classrooms as role models. It was believed that if the teacher and student share a prominent characteristic, deeper bonds would be formed.

22. Review of Literature Author/ Year Findings Dee, 2004 It has been reported that a teacher of color as a role model will also help to boost minority students’ confidence and enthusiasm for learning. Author/ Year Findings Howard, 2003 Howard suggests students will benefit from having well-trained teachers who come from similar racial/ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. These teachers can contribute to the students’ sense of belonging and academic achievement.

23. Review of Literature Author/ Year Findings Kirby, Naftel, & Berends, 1999 Diversity in the teaching force will foster knowledge and understanding of different cultures on the part of all teachers. Author/ Year Findings Ingersoll, 2001; Johnson, Verg, & Donaldson, 2005 Attempts to alleviate the shortage of teachers have taken place on multiple levels. Some have focused on the attrition rates and recommended attention to mentoring and developing new teachers.

24. Review of Literature Author/ Year Findings Winter & Melloy, 2005 Urban high-poverty schools are hard to staff according to recent findings of Winter & Melloy. Schools labeled as low achieving had significant effects on the perceptions of potential applicants. Author/ Year Findings Darling-Hammond, 2003 Since the early 1990’s the number of teachers who exit the teaching profession has surpassed the number of teachers who entered the profession. Schools are always fighting an uphill battle to staff classrooms with qualified teachers.

33. Analysis of Data (Quantitative) Research Questions Hypothesis Independent Variables Dependent Variables Statistics Is there a relationship between the percent of Hispanic teachers and the percent of Hispanic students passing the TAKS Exit level examination in the core area of Mathematics? There is no statistically significant correlation between the percent of Hispanic teachers in Texas high schools and the percent of Hispanic students passing the TAKS Exit Level Mathematics examination. Correlation using Pearson r Percentage of Hispanic Teachers in Texas Schools Achievement levels for Hispanic students taking the TAKS Exit level Mathematics examination

34. Analysis of Data (Quantitative) Research Questions Hypothesis Independent Variables Dependent Variables Statistics Is there a relationship between the percent of Hispanic teachers and the percent of Hispanic students passing the TAKS Exit level examination in the core area of English/ Language Arts? There is no statistically significant correlation between the percent of Hispanic teachers in Texas high schools and the percent of Hispanic students passing the TAKS Exit Level English/ Language Arts examination. Correlation using Pearson r Percentage of Hispanic Teachers in Texas Schools Achievement levels for Hispanic students taking the TAKS Exit level English/ Language Arts examination

35. Analysis of Data (Qualitative) Surveys/Questionnaire & Interviews Data will be presented in tabular to show categories & frequencies. The weighed mean will be computed for recruitment & retention factors. Responses for questions will be categorized into emergent themes. These will be presented in tabular form showing the categories with corresponding frequencies and percentages. Inputs from the administrators will be identified, summarized and explained.