Is Authenticity Enough to Keep Teachers in the Classroom? A Quantitative Study of edTPA and Teacher Retention

Teacher attrition remains one of the most pressing challenges in education policy, with novice teachers who feel underprepared for the profession at heightened risk of early-career departure (Darling-Hammond, 2010). This dissertation examined the relationship between teacher preparation, the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), and teacher retention in Arkansas, representing the first study to explore this connection. This study used a quasi-experimental design and drew on both administrative and survey data to investigate trends in preparation satisfaction, edTPA completion, and subsequent retention. Framed by economic, emotional, and environmental theories of teacher persistence, the analyses tested whether completing a performance-based licensure assessment was associated with differences in novice teacher retention. Although the results did not establish a conclusive link between edTPA completion and retention, they contribute to a growing evidence base and offer valuable insights for policymakers and practitioner leaders working to strengthen educator preparation pipelines and reduce teacher turnover.