This explanatory mixed-methods study is focused on the sustainability of the triple-threat model of teaching found at elite American boarding schools. In this model, faculty members are expected to teach, coach, and perform residential duties as part of their contract. While elite boarding schools have been researched in recent years, no research exists on the teachers at these institutions or the hiring model used to staff them. In recent years, a great deal of discussion has come to the fore within elite boarding schools concerning the future of the triple-threat model. With cultural and economic changes impacting elite boarding schools, the long-standing staffing model is being pressured from both internal and external forces. These pressures bring the future of the triple-threat model into question. Viewed through a grounded theory approach, the researcher is using collected data to determine if the triple-threat is indeed under pressure and if so, whether this model is sustainable given these pressures. Surveys given to heads of 28 schools identified as elite were combined with interviews with heads of these schools to construct a review of the triple-threat model and its place in these elite schools in the years to come. Results of this study can be applied to hiring practices in both elite and non-elite schools to create a staffing model that is both good for the students and sustainable for the school. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]