Between Staying and Leaving: an Exploratory Analysis of Institutional Determinants Affecting Black Male Educator Retention

Black Male Educators comprise 1.2% of the public educator workforce nationwide, with disproportionate attrition rates of 25-35% compared to the national attrition rate of 8.4%. Grounded in Critical Race Theory and intersectionality frameworks, this exploratory quantitative study analyzed data from the National Center for Educational Statistics 2021-2022 Teacher Follow-Up Survey documenting institutional climate patterns generating hypotheses for future confirmatory research. Using descriptive statistics, this study examined a nationally representative sample of 4,800 educators, including a subsample of 96-100 Black male educators. The investigation progressed through three interrelated research questions documenting institutional climate characteristics examining differences between retention groups and identifying patterns warranting future investigation. Exploratory analysis revealed colleagues sharing beliefs about the school's central mission demonstrated the largest observed difference between Black male educators planning to remain versus those considering departure (d = 0.38), followed by administrative support (d = 0.31) and material resource availability (d = 0.28). Support for teaching students with special needs showed a moderate pattern (d = 0.22). Staff cooperation showed no observable difference between groups, while differences in salary satisfaction proved negligible (d = 0.15) despite low ratings. These patterns generated specific hypotheses for future testing, substantially exceeding available data. This study provides the documentation of institutional climate patterns among Black male educators, transparently acknowledging the sample size limitations that preclude inferential statistics. The exploratory patterns documented establish methodological foundations and concrete sample size requirements for future hypothesis-testing research addressing the persistent crisis of Black male educators' underrepresentation in American schools.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Alabama Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Porter, Claude David

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• McDaniel, Sara C.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Johnson, Kerri
• Melchoir, Shelly
• Michael, Elizabeth

• Black
• Climate
• CRT
• Intersectionality
• Male
• Retention

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US, English

Dc Identifier Other

1207945

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ir.ua.edu:123456789/17652