Teachers, principals have huge influence

When it comes to the racial achievement gap, principals or teachers can have a bigger impact on achievement in one year than whether a child is poor or from a single-parent home, according to a study by a Carnegie Mellon University professor. The study looked at 89 principals, 236 English teachers and 199 math teachers of students taking the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests in reading and math in March 2005. The study found that 62 principals had an effect on math results—ranging from scores 17.5 percent higher to those 37.2 percent lower. And 33 principals had an effect on reading—ranging from scores 15.66 percent higher to 35.65 percent lower. Among teachers, 148 had a significant impact in math scores and 90 did so in reading, both also by a wide range, positive and negative. Read more of this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.