Teacher Quality: The Correlation between Teacher Effectiveness and Student Achievement

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to describe the associations between the specific Central Florida district's final instructional summative evaluation scores and student achievement scores for Grade 4 instructional staff teaching ELA or mathematics within the district for the school year 2017-2018. The self-determination theory served as the theoretical framework for this study utilizing archival teacher evaluation scores and Florida VAM scores for Grade 4 teachers within a central Florida school district. A Pearson correlation analysis was applied to determine if there was a statistically significant association between teacher effectiveness and student achievement based on Florida VAM ELA scores; results showed a statistically significant correlation coefficient, r (106) = 0.30, p = 0.002. The association between teacher effectiveness and student achievement based on Florida VAM mathematics scores showed a significant correlation, r (107) = 0.32, p = 0.001. Results of the analysis indicated that there was a statistically significant positive association between teacher effectiveness, as measured by the final instructional practice rating during the school year 2017-2018, and student achievement in both ELA and mathematics, as measured by the percentage of students meeting expectations through Florida VAM scores for the school year 2017-2018. The results of this study added to the limited body of knowledge on teacher effectiveness and student achievement and offered a better understanding of contributing factors that may lead to student success. Future research should encompass diverse school districts and states to elevate the extent to which the findings can be extrapolated. [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.]