The Relationship Between Elementary School Climate and Teacher Perceptions about Evaluation


Book Description

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the demand for accountability in schools across America has put a spotlight on teacher quality. As part of the focus on school improvement, one area that is sometimes overlooked is teacher evaluation (Varlas, 2009). Within the research, studies can be found that show a relationship between school climate and the effectiveness of teacher evaluation systems (King, 2003: Stronge, 2006; Wilson & Natriello, 1987). It has also been found that effective teacher evaluation can improve school climate (Colby, Bradshaw, & Joyner, 2002). Learning how the overall climate of a school relates to the evaluation process could be beneficial to school administrators and teachers alike. The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary school teachers' perceptions of their school climate and determine if a relationship existed between those perceptions and the perceptions they have of their formative and summative evaluations. This quantitative study was conducted in 35 public elementary schools within a southeast urban area of Houston, Texas. The Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools (Hoy, Tarter, & Kottkamp, 1991) was administered to the schools' teaching staff to determine teacher perceptions of their school climate. Additionally, the Teacher Evaluation Profile (Stiggins & Duke, 1988) was given to determine the perceptions of teachers related to their most recent evaluation experiences. Data from the 746 participating teachers was analyzed using a Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient and Partial Least Squares (PLS) Modeling to assess the relationship between school climate and the teachers perceptions of evaluation effectiveness. The findings indicated that correlations of scores for the various subtests on the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire Elementary version (OCDQ-RE) with the scores for the various subtests on the Teacher Evaluation Profile (TEP) existed in the direction that supports the stated hypotheses. The six PLS path models defined in this study have practical and/or theoretical significance to predict the relationships between elementary school climate and teacher perceptions regarding evaluation. By understanding the relationship between school climate and teacher evaluation, principals will be better equipped to improve their schools and meet the challenges of NCLB.




School Climate


Book Description

Like a strong foundation in a house, the climate of a school is the foundation that supports the structures of teaching and learning. This book provides a framework for educators to look at school and classroom climates using both informal and formal measures. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of climate and details techniques which may be used by heads or classroom teachers to judge the health of their learning environment. The book sets out to enhance understanding of the components of a healthy learning environment and the tools needed to improve that environment. It also looks at ways to assess the impact of change activities in improving and sustaining educational excellence. The international team of contributors bring perspectives from the school systems in America, UK, Australia and Holland.







A Study of the Comparison Between Teacher Perceptions of School Climate and the Existence of Professional Learning Community Dimensions


Book Description

This research study was conducted to determine whether teachers' perceptions of climate within a school had a significant influence on the dimensions that support a community of professional learners. Teachers from ten middle schools in one central Florida school district completed a combined survey design which included questions pertaining to both climate characteristics and Professional Learning Community (PLC) dimensions. Foundational theories regarding both learning organizations and organizational climate were explored. Recent research on the development of professional learning communities and school climate was also examined. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to investigate each research question; these statistics included Spearman rho correlations, multiple regressions, and chi-square analyses. Findings demonstrated that the null hypotheses were rejected or partially rejected for each research question. Significant relationships were found between teachers' perceptions of school climate and the dimensions of a PLC. Of the demographic variables, only years of teaching experience was found to be not significantly related to the school climate dimensions. The implications of these results validate the importance of building a climate of supportive principal behavior and committed and collegial teacher behaviors, as demonstrated by the significant relationship of these characteristics to schools exhibiting higher degrees of the dimensions that constitute a PLC. Educational stakeholders wishing to develop schools into job-embedded communities of learners with evidence of the five dimensions (shared leadership, shared vision, collective creativity, peer review and supportive conditions) must attend to developing the climate behaviors necessary for that to occur. As demonstrated by the research results, establishing an appropriate school climate that promotes professional interaction, support, and teacher commitment to students is a strong place to begin.




Relationship Between School Climate and Student Achievement


Book Description

This quantitative research study was designed to investigate the relationship between school climate and student achievement. Using survey methods, data were collected using the Organizational Climate Descriptive Questionnaire Revised for Elementary Schools (OCDQ-RE) from 599 teachers in 33 schools located within the Region VII Education Service Center area. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Pearson r correlational analysis method and descriptive statistics to determine the relationship between teachers' perceptions of school climate and student achievement. Findings revealed a moderate relationship between teachers' perceptions of teacher openness when compared to standardized test scores and a small association among teachers' perceptions of principal openness and standardized test scores. By examining the overall campus climate evidence was found that campuses having an open or engaged climate typically had a higher percent of students meeting the TAKS standard when compared to campuses with a closed or disengaged climate.
















Teacher Quality, Instructional Quality and Student Outcomes


Book Description

This volume offers insights from modeling relations between teacher quality, instructional quality and student outcomes in mathematics across countries. The relations explored take the educational context, such as school climate, into account. The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement’s Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the only international large-scale study possessing a design framework that enables investigation of relations between teachers, their teaching, and student outcomes in mathematics. TIMSS provides both student achievement data and contextual background data from schools, teachers, students and parents, for over 60 countries. This book makes a major contribution to the field of educational effectiveness, especially teaching effectiveness, where cross-cultural comparisons are scarce. For readers interested in teacher quality, instructional quality, and student achievement and motivation in mathematics, the comparisons across cultures, grades, and time are insightful and thought-provoking. For readers interested in methodology, the advanced analytical methods, combined with application of methods new to educational research, illustrate interesting novel directions in methodology and the secondary analysis of international large-scale assessment (ILSA).