ADVANCING THE SCIENCE OF HIRING TEACHERS : AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF TEACHER CHARACTERISTICS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Abstract

This study examined the effect of teacher characteristics on student achievement as measured by the 2011 North Carolina End-of-Course English I exam. The purpose of this study is to identify teacher characteristics with a positive effect on student achievement as measured by North Carolina End-of-Course English I exams in low-wealth school districts in rural southeastern North Carolina. The method of analysis used to conduct the study examining the relationship between teacher characteristics and student achievement will be multiple linear regression. The research design includes: (a) criteria used for study selection, (b) operational definitions of the constructs being studied, (c) description of instruments used to measure the constructs, (d) the processes used to locate data, and (e) a description and table of the identified data. This is followed by a description of the coding processes used in documenting pertinent data from the study. The research design includes a description of the multiple linear regression processes used in synthesizing the data and the processes used in the analysis of the statistics generated from the multiple linear regression. All data relating to this study was collected from the database at the North Carolina Education Research Data Center (NCERDC) at Duke University after receiving approval from East Carolina University's Institutional Review Board. Results of the data indicated that the teacher characteristics, National Board Certification, college attended, and teaching experience had a significant effect on student achievement on the 2011 North Carolina End-of-Course English I exam. The data indicated student test scores associated with National Board Certification, attended a UNC institution as an undergraduate, and zero years experience were higher than student test scores associated with other teacher characteristics.