Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

12-2013

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Virginia P. Foley

Committee Members

Eric S. Glover, Donald W. Good, Ryan A. Nivens

Abstract

Educators and policymakers have demonstrated interest in finding ways to better equip mathematics teachers so they can help students achieve at a higher level. Academic coaching has been identified as an effective professional development activity for teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference between students’ achievement levels before and after a mathematics initiative in a Northeast Tennessee school district. In this study I analyzed grades 3 – 6 students’ Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program or TCAP scores in the year prior to the hiring of a mathematics coach and their respective scores 2 years after the placement of the mathematics coach. All statistical analyses were analyzed at a .05 level of significance. All null hypotheses under both research questions were analyzed with a pairsampled t-test using repeated-measures design. The results indicate significant difference in students’ TCAP scores prior to and after specialist. Scores after specialist were significantly higher than scores before specialists. The difference was present for students who attended Title I schools as well as for students who attended non-Title I schools. School administrators and school district leaders can benefit from such a study because it presents academic coaching as a viable means to equip teachers so they can help students increase their achievement in mathematics.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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