Understanding the Influence of Teacher Leadership and Teacher Quality on Student Performance

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to understand how teacher leadership and teacher quality impacted fourth grade student performance on the Louisiana Education Assessment Program (LEAP). The participants chosen were six schools in Louisiana who were labeled academically unacceptable for at least three years that taught fourth grade. A review of the data results provide an indication that, although standardized test scores of students are one piece of information for school leaders to use to make judgments about teacher effectiveness, such scores should be only a part of an overall comprehensive evaluation of the role of teacher leadership and teacher quality on student performance. The results varied by the characteristic of teacher quality and its impact on student performance.