An analysis of student academic outcomes in high -poverty schools
Abstract
The present study explored the relationships between student performance outcomes in math and reading and school level variables. The purpose was to analyze the relationship between student achievement on the Tennessee Comprehensive Exam and student academic growth as measured by value-added scores and five school-level variables. The sample group was 102 Title I elementary and middle schools in the Memphis City School District. Data from three school years, 2000–2001, 2001–2002, and 2002–2003, were used. The five school level variables were school poverty rate, average class size, teacher mobility rates, percentage of teachers on permit, and percentage of teachers on waiver. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine the interrelationships among the five independent variables and the interrelationships among the four dependent variables. This was to determine whether these relationships were significant and had explanatory power in helping to identify reasons for student academic progress in the schools studied. Four hypotheses were tested using straight correlation, multiple regression, and stepwise regression. For each of the four hypotheses, at least one independent variable was found to be significantly correlated with student achievement and growth at a = .05. The percentage of teachers on permit was found to be significantly correlated with three of the four dependent variables: student achievement in math, student achievement in reading, and student growth in math. Class size was also found to be significantly correlated with math achievement. School poverty rate was the only variable found to be significantly correlated with student growth in reading. School poverty rate was also found to be significantly correlated with reading achievement. The test for relationships among the dependent variables showed that math and reading achievement were significantly correlated with each other. Schools that had higher achievement in reading were also found to have higher achievement in math. The same correlational relationship was found with value-added scores. As with math and reading achievement, math value-added scores and reading value-added scores were found to have a positive correlational relationship at a ≤ .05. In addition, math achievement was positively correlated with math value-added scores at a ≤ .05. Teacher mobility rate was found to be significantly positively correlated with the percentage of teachers on permit and the percentage of teachers on waiver. This suggests that a qualified teaching staff is related to a reduced rate of teacher turnover and higher student performance outcomes.
Subject Area
School administration|Mathematics education|Science education
Recommended Citation
Julie P McCargar,
"An analysis of student academic outcomes in high -poverty schools"
(2004).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI3127548.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3127548