The relationship between seven Teacher as a Person traits and student growth on the Idaho Standard Achievement Test

In this day of data driven decision-making in education, one might question how the humanistic traits of teachers such as caring, enthusiasm, dedication, fairness, respect, reflective practice, motivation and positive student interaction affect student achievement in measurable terms. Keying off Stronge's (2002) book Qualities of Effective Teachers, six school principals were asked to assess 73 teachers on seven teacher traits deemed to be qualities of the Teacher as a Person according to Stronge (2002). Teachers and principals in grades 2 through 7 participated in this study. These assessments were compared to student growth in reading and math on the Idaho Standard Achievement Test (ISAT) for the 2004-2005 school year in the Madison School District #321 of Eastern Idaho. Teachers assessed were also categorized into two groups (effective and non-effective) using guidelines from Stronge's (2002) Teacher Skills Checklist, delimited in this study to focus on Teacher as a Person traits. Along with the teacher assessments, demographic data were also gathered relating to the teachers and principals in terms of certification, age, years experience and years in present school.; Findings revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in terms of student achievement as reflected by ISAT growth in math and reading, relative to teaching experience, certification or level of education. In terms of teacher effectiveness, there were no statistically significant differences in student achievement as reflected by ISAT math or reading growth scores. Deeper analyses were performed using (a) an ANOVA to see if more refined levels of Teacher as a Person trait assessments would show any relationship between student achievement and teacher effectiveness; and (b) a correlation analysis to look at Teacher as a Person trait scales and teacher effectiveness. Neither analysis revealed statistically significant findings. Interestingly, however, there was a weak, and statistically significant positive correlation between free and reduced lunch student percentages and ISAT growth on math, and a weak, but not statistically significant positive correlation between free and reduced lunch student percentages and ISAT reading growth. The apparent inconsistency between the literature and the researcher's own expertise, experience, and findings reported in this study lend to further inquiry.