Relationship between teacher performance and student growth outcomes in a school district in North Carolina's public schools' fifth grades

by 1942- Spiggle, Jo Anne

SPIGGLE, JO ANNE BLACKMON. Relationship between Teacher Performance and Student Growth Outcomes in a School District in North Carolina's Public Schools’ Fifth Grades. (Committee Co-Chairs: Dr. James L. Flowers and Dr. Dewey A. Adams) The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the teaching performance of 5th-grade teachers and student achievement growth in 5th-grade reading and mathematics. Using the classroom as the unit of analysis, the entire population of fifty-three 5th-grade teachers and their students were included. The students’ class average achievement growth scores in reading and in mathematics were measured by standardized North Carolina End-Of-Grade Tests, and the student class average growth scores were determined by comparing the class mean of the students’ scores in each teacher’s 5th-grade class with the class mean of the same students’ scores on the 4thgrade end-of-grade tests in reading and mathematics. The teachers’ classroom performance was measured by the North Carolina Teacher Performance Appraisal Instrument (NCTPAI) rating scale. Ratings on the first five functions of the NCTPAI were included in the study. These items are (a) Management of Instructional Time, (b) Management of Student Behavior, (c) Instructional Presentation, (d) Instructional Monitoring, and (e) Instructional Feedback. For the teachers, data were also collected on type of license and years of teaching experience. The data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation, point biserial correlation, and regression. Stepwise selection results showed the best overall significant predictor of students’ mathematics improvement to be Function 3: Instructional Presentation. This model accounted for 11% of the variance in students’ improved class average achievement growth in mathematics. A four variable model showed a combination of Function 1: Management of Instructional Time, Function 2: Management of Student Behavior, Teachers’ Years of Experience, and Teachers’ Type of License to be the best overall predictor for improved students’ class average achievement growth in reading. This model accounted for 23% of the variance in students’ improved class average achievement in reading. Additional research is needed to validate and expand upon these findings. ii