There is a pattern of students' mathematics achievement scores dropping in the first year of middle school, typically sixth grade in
Florida (fldoe.org, 2014). Sixth grade is of particular interest as this is typically a transition year from elementary to middle school. This
quantitative study seeks to examine the mathematical teacher characteristics that are present and significant for Teacher Value-Added measures,
as a proxy for sixth grade mathematical learning gains. The teacher characteristics that will be evaluated include certification area, degree
held, and years of experience. Additionally, the effects of school demographics, specifically socioeconomic status (SES), as measured by the
percentage of Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which determines a districts eligibility for the national free lunch program, on sixth
grade student achievement in mathematics will be examined and accounted for when evaluating teacher characteristics. Teachers' Value-Added
scores were collected from the Florida Department of Education. The teachers included were those that taught mathematics in a sixth-grade
classroom that was NOT in a K-6 or K-8 setting, but a 6-8 or 6-12 setting. Each participating teachers' school CEP status was also gathered from
the Florida Department of Education. These results will be compared for all teachers and the following results are anticipated: (1) Schools with
lower socioeconomic status (as measured by CEP), higher percentage of CEP (over 40%), will have overall lower teacher Value-Added Scores (VAM)
on the Math FSA (Florida Standards Assessment) for the end of sixth grade administration, regardless of teacher characteristics. (2) After
accounting for CEP, teachers with higher levels of degrees held (BS vs MS, EdS, or PhD), will have higher teacher VAM scores on the Math FSA for
the end of sixth grade administration. (3) After accounting for CEP, teachers with more years of experience will have higher VAM scores on the
Math FSA for the end of sixth grade administration. (4) After accounting for CEP, teachers with certification in mathematics will have higher
VAM scores on the Math FSA for the end of sixth grade administration. With these results, policy makers, education preparation programs, and
school districts can make more informed decisions about the educational preparation that mathematics teachers need to possess in order to teach
students during their first year of middle school. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2018. / October 29, 2018. / Florida, sixth-grade mathematics, student achievement, teacher certification, teacher degrees, teacher
experience / Includes bibliographical references. / Elizabeth Jakubowski, Professor Directing Dissertation; Eric Chicken, University Representative; Diana
Rice, Committee Member; Angela Davis, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_661153 |
| Contributors | Kendrick, Michelle Wells (author), Jakubowski, Elizabeth M. (professor directing dissertation), Chicken, Eric, 1963- (university representative), Rice, Diana Claries, 1949- (committee member), Davis, Angela F. (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Education (degree granting college), School of Teacher Education (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, doctoral thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (89 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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