This quantitative study examined secondary schools across a south Florida school
district to determine the relationship between school characteristics and measures of
teacher quality with the aim of ascertaining the equitable distribution of the educational
resource, teacher quality. Data regarding student population, staff climate survey
responses, school points, and measures of teacher quality were requested from the school
district; however, the requested teacher quality data was not available from the district.
The researcher accessed publicly available teacher quality data from the Florida
Department of Education regarding advanced degree completion, out-of-field teachers,
and highly qualified teachers to serve as measures of teacher quality at secondary
schools.
Data were collected and analyzed using quantitative methods for 119 schools that
served as the unit of analysis. Using multiple regressions, the study found a significant negative relationship between the percentage of students participating in the free and
reduced-price lunch program and the percentage of teachers who possessed an advanced
degree. The study also found a significant positive relationship between the percentages
of Black students, English language learners, students with disabilities, students
participating in the free and reduced-price lunch program and the percentage of out-offield
teachers. Additionally, the study found a significant positive relationship between
the percentages of Hispanic students, students with disabilities, students participating in
the free and reduced-price lunch program, and the percentage of not highly qualified
teachers at schools. The investigation also discovered predictive relationships between
some of these school characteristics and the measures of teacher quality examined in the
study.
All of the findings provided evidence of structural inequality regarding the
distribution of teacher quality and were analyzed by the study’s theoretical framework,
which drew on critical race theory, critical multiculturalism, and other critical studies.
These works underscore the inequitable distribution of teacher quality. Implications and
suggestions for future research are offered for further examination of the equitable
distribution of teacher quality and the role of policy to inform the equitable distribution of
teacher quality across schools in order to address the most urgent problem facing U.S.
education: the unequal distribution of quality teachers. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_13501 |
| Contributors | Richards, Sabrina (author), Burnaford, Gail (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry |
| Publisher | Florida Atlantic University |
| Source Sets | Florida Atlantic University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 133 p., application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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