Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6464-382X

Advisor

Burson, Debra

Committee Member

Milam, Alisha

Committee Member

Moore, Jenifer

Committee Member

Smith, Kaleb

Date of Degree

5-15-2026

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Major

Education (Educational Policy & Organizational Design)

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Education

Department

Division of Education

Abstract

Teacher attrition in high-poverty K–12 schools continues to undermine instructional continuity, organizational stability, and educational equity. While compensation and accountability pressures contribute to turnover, emerging research identifies workload intensity, emotional exhaustion, and the absence of systemic wellness supports as central drivers of burnout and departure decisions. The purpose of this capstone project is to develop a research-informed wellness guide designed to assist site-based leaders in embedding educator wellness within school systems as a strategic approach to improving teacher retention. This study addresses the question: What leadership strategies and school-level practices does the research recommend for creating supportive, wellness-centered environments in high-poverty schools? A qualitative, desk-based methodology systematically reviews and analyzes peer-reviewed literature and national frameworks published between 2014 and 2024 through a hybrid coding process aligned with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) framework. Emergent themes are then mapped to Kotter’s Change Model to translate research findings into practical implementation guidance. Analysis indicates that institutionalizing time protections, clarifying role expectations, strengthening leadership visibility, and implementing tiered mental-health supports are essential structural strategies for reducing burnout and stabilizing staffing in high-poverty school contexts. The resulting wellness guide provides site-based leaders with structured tools, monitoring systems, and sequenced change-management processes designed to build cultures of educator wellness and strengthen long-term workforce stability.

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