Date of Award

Spring 2-27-2020

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

EdD Education Leadership, Management and Policy

Department

Education Leadership, Management and Policy

Advisor

Michael Kuchar, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Christopher Tienken, Ed.D.

Committee Member

G. Kennedy Greene, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Gerald Babo, Ed.D.

Keywords

education, superintendent longevity, PARCC, achievement, teacher mobility, teacher characteristics, student achievement, multiple regression, socioeconomic

Abstract

In New Jersey public schools, one constant measure of academic success is defined by the outcomes on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of the relationship between the school district superintendent and resulting PARCC scores, while also examining the strength of the relationship between the superintendent and the teacher mobility rate of each school district.

The conceptual framework for this study was based on theories and research by the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning’s (McREL) School District Leadership That Works; The Effects of Superintendent Leadership on Student Achievement, a working paper by Waters and Marzano (2006), and Fullan’s (2006) Change Theory: A Force For School Improvement. This research study utilized publicly available data from multiple sources including the New Jersey Department of Education.

This study examined the strength of eight independent variables, two focus variables of superintendent experience in the school district and overall experience, and six control variables: teachers with advanced degrees, teacher attendance rate, students with free and reduced lunch, student chronic absenteeism, English language learners, and special education percentage in districts. The dependent variables in this research were 2017 PARCC scores for Grade 5 math and English Language Arts/Literacy, Algebra 1, Grade 10 English Language Arts/Literacy, and faculty mobility rate. Ten models were analyzed using SPSS V. 26 providing numerous statistical outputs including a correlational bivariate analysis and a simultaneous multiple regression analysis.

The results from this statistical analysis indicate four significant independent variables impacted the student academic outcomes of 2017 PARCC scores. The most significant variables impacting PARCC scores were teachers with advanced degrees, students receiving free and reduced lunch, and teacher attendance rate. In eight of the ten models, the percentage of teachers with advanced degrees was the most significant variable, accounting for the most variance of 2017 PARCC scores, with students on free and reduced lunch being the next most significant predictor and teacher attendance rate being third. Superintendent years in district was significant in one model indicating that there was a statistically significant relationship between superintendent longevity and 2017 PARCC Algebra 1 scores. Remaining models indicated no statistically significant relationship between independent and dependent variables in this study.

Outcomes and insights of this research can assist local policy makers, legislators, and boards of education to recognize the importance of school district leaders and shape their beliefs that stability in educational leaders is important to create stable educational environments. This research identified three aspects of the school community that have significant influences on student academic outcomes and the results of this research can assist federal, state, and local school leaders develop new policies and practices to improve student academic environments. The significance of socioeconomics and characteristics of teachers continues to be an area of focus for improving the academic outcomes of the students served by the public school systems and can shape hiring practices, professional development opportunities, and contractual negotiations.

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