The Relationship Between Professional Learning Communities and Online Professional Development Models and Student Achievement in Texas
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D)
Department
Educational Administration
Date of Award
Summer 2013
Abstract
Early in the 1800s, Horace Mann launched an effort to improve education and training of America's teachers. Since then, professional development has been a focus of those responsible for preparing teachers to educate America's youth. Professional development has gone through many stages of evolution. Also, school districts have gone through significant budget cuts in recent years. Educational administrators are forced to do more educationally with less funding. Administrators must prioritize spending decisions. Professional development often falls to the bottom of the task list; however effective professional development is imperative in order to implement educational programs with fidelity. This study sought to determine whether the use of professional learning communities and online models of professional development has a statistically significant relationship with student achievement in the areas of math and English Language Arts as determined by the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) in Texas. The Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) annually gathers a variety of data such as the performance of students in every school and district in Texas. The study was designed to examine student achievement data and district expenditures per pupil in order to determine if a relationship exists between district expenditures on professional development for teachers. Student achievement data for the school year 2010-2011 were the focal point of this study. Findings from this research will provide educational administrators with objective data upon which to make sound decisions regarding expenditures for professional development. Data were collected from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website, specifically the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) student math and English language arts statewide performance data for the school year 2010-2011 and was analyzed for statistical analysis.
Advisor
Maria Hinojosa
Subject Categories
Education | Educational Administration and Supervision
Recommended Citation
Buchanan, Debra, "The Relationship Between Professional Learning Communities and Online Professional Development Models and Student Achievement in Texas" (2013). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 163.
https://digitalcommons.tamuc.edu/etd/163
