Kurt OsuchFollow

Date

2-2014

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

John Pantana

Keywords

alternative certification, career change, retired military, second-career teacher, teacher preparation

Disciplines

Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching | Teacher Education and Professional Development

Abstract

The purpose of this causal-comparative study is to examine the impact of Troops to Teachers (TTT) participants on student achievement by comparing the mean scores of Texas students in the eighth grade during the 2011-2012 academic year taught by TTT participants with the mean scores of all other Texas eighth grade students on each of four mandatory standardized examinations. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) provided the archival data used in the evaluation, which consisted of limited teacher demographic information, as well as individual student scores on the vertically equated 2011-2012 version of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests in mathematics, reading, science, and social studies. The results of the analysis indicate that students of non-TTT participants achieved statistically significant higher mean STAAR scores in mathematics, science, and social studies when compared to students of TTT participants. Students of TTT participants achieved higher, but not statistically significant, mean scores in reading when compared to students of all other teachers. This research informs teaching practice and alerts human resources practitioners, school administrators, teachers, legislators, veterans' program officials, and recruiters, to how school systems may design learning communities to take advantage of second-career teachers to further student achievement. Suggestions for further research are included.

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