An Examination of Teachers’ Effects on High, Middle, and Low Aptitude Students’ Performance on a Standardized Achievement Test

Abstract

This research examines the functional relationship of teacher effectiveness (as defined by students’ mean residual performance on the total mathematics score of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills) and the achievement of high, middle, and low attitude third- and fourth-grade students (as measured by the Cognitive Abilities Test). Significant main effects were found for both teacher competence and student aptitude with no significant interaction between the two variables. The data suggest that relatively effective teachers as a group get their achievement gains from all levels of student ability. Similarly, relatively ineffective teachers as a group do not appear to disproportionately depress the achievement for any particular level of student aptitude.