A Quantitative Study of Teacher Certification Path and Student Achievement in the State of Missouri

Angel, Joshua R.

A Quantitative Study of Teacher Certification Path and Student Achievement in the State of Missouri

Public Deposited

The United States continues to fall behind other industrial nations in education. The number of teacher shortage areas continue to rise as do alternative certification programs. The studies on the effectiveness of these programs has produced mixed results. School districts need to hire the most qualified and effective educators available. This study examined the impact teacher certification path has on student achievement at the elementary level in the state of Missouri. Data collected from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education was used to examine the impact certification path has on student achievement. A two-way t-test and ANOVA were used to analyze the data. The data included MAP scale scores, teacher certification status, grade level, and years of experience. Results showed that traditionally certified teachers have higher achieving students than their alternatively certified counterparts. It also showed that experience is a factor in the student achievement levels of teachers with alternative certifications. Recommendations included adding additional teacher and student demographics to the study to get a representation across the United States. It was also recommended that more research bedone on the course requirements of alternative certification programs. This study added to the body of research on teacher certification path and its impact on student achievement.

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