THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHANGES IN HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH ACHIEVEMENT AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF THE TEACHING AND LEARNING CONSTRUCTS DEFINED BY THE TELL MARYLAND SURVEY

Abstract

This quantitative research study uses path analysis to determine relationships between changes in high school English achievement and changes in teacher perceptions of teaching and learning constructs as defined by the Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) Maryland Survey. Using individual western Maryland high schools as the unit of analysis, 2011 and 2013 English High School Assessment (HSA) results reported as percent proficient are correlated to 2011 and 2013 TELL Survey percent agreement of teacher perceptions about the constructs of sufficient time, teacher leadership, school leadership, professional development, and instructional practices and support, as defined by the TELL Survey. Much of the research literature concerning the constructs is descriptive and qualitative, rather than quantitative. This study focuses on perceptions of teachers rather than the direct effect of the constructs on teaching and learning in high schools. The results did not accord with the volume of literature supporting the theoretical framework that sufficient time, teacher leadership, school leadership, professional development, and instructional practices and support are related to student achievement. The results demonstrate that there is a strong correlation between the HSA results in 2011 and 2013, and the same strong relationship between each of the constructs across those two years. Importantly, teacher perceptions of each of the measures of climate are high, but among the broad phenomena of success, teachers report sufficient time as the lowest percent agreement among the constructs. Interestingly, there is a statistically significant relationship between student achievement on the English HSA in 2011 and teacher perceptions of both school leadership and instructional practices and support two years later in 2013.