| The No Child Left Behind Act requires all students in grades 3-12 to pass standardized tests in math, language arts, and science with 100% proficiency by the year 2014. The Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) implements strategies that aid students in achieving at high rates on standardized tests. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of the teachers who implement TAP into their daily lessons plans. The main question for the study focused on the teachers' perceptions of TAP as it related to the academic success of the students in their third, fourth or fifth grade classroom. Theoretical concepts on how students learn and the best way to affect academic achievement in the classroom guided this study. In-depth interviews with 18 current TAP teachers, all from a large midwestern school district, were conducted and data were analyzed by coding into eight emergent themes. A case dynamics matrix was used to link data with explanations. The major findings indicated that TAP has had a positive influence on student achievement by providing a structured rubric for classroom teaching, promoting colleague collaboration, and making incentive pay available for those teachers who impact growth in their students' achievement. The impact of this study on social welfare includes increased understanding of TAP as a socially viable option for schools seeking to improve student achievement. |
