A Correlational Study of Teacher Quality and Student Achievement in 4th Grade English Language Arts Classes

This study focused on determining the aspects of the relationship between teacher quality and student achievement. These teacher quality measurements were framed around overall evaluation scores, teacher experience, teacher certifications, and teacher degree levels. This study investigated whether there was a correlation between teacher quality and student achievement at three elementary schools in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. A quantitative correlational research design was utilized for this study. A statistical analysis was completed to determine the correlation between student achievement results for the statewide testing in the area of 4th grade English Language Arts and the following teacher quality components: teacher evaluation scores, teacher experience, teacher certification, and teacher degree level. The study consisted of four Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient® tests. The student data included a total number of 379 students who took the state 4th Grade TNReady Assessment for the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 school years. The results revealed a statistically significant correlation between teacher degree levels and student achievement, particularly for teachers with a specialist degree. There was an increase in the student mean scores for teachers with a specialist degree compared to student scores of teachers who possessed a bachelor’s or master’s degree. This study has implications for future research on teacher quality and student achievement regarding teacher degree level. If school districts and principals continue to investigate the relationship between the student achievement of students and assignment to teachers with a specialist degree in other elementary subjects such as math and science, it may be beneficial for teachers to pursue advanced degrees