School-Wide Professional Community and Mathematics Achievement: Cross-National Evidence From Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 and 2007

• In Event: A Veritable Cornucopia of Student Achievement in a Post-NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Era

Abstract

In this study we examine the cross-national evidence for the conjecture that school-wide and learning-centered professional community is one of the key correlates of student achievement. We use TIMSS 2003 and 2007 data and focus on the mathematic achievement of 8th graders and in-school learning conditions reported by principals and teachers. We ask: To what extent the TIMSS questionnaires capture the attributes of learning-centered professional community? Are there evidences associating learning-centered professional community with student achievement in mathematics? If yes, what is the nature of the association? Results indicate that among high-performing educational systems, core elements of learning-centered professional community such as high learning expectations, teacher collaborations, and peer accountability are most strongly linked with student achievement.

Authors

• Xiu Cravens, Vanderbilt University

• Nianbo Dong, Vanderbilt University