Community Matters: The Positive Effect of Teacher Learning Communities on Student Performance

• In Event: Park Central Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: The Teacher Experience of School Climate and Culture

Abstract

This study examines the effect of learning communities (LCs) on elementary school students’ performance in reading and mathematics using data from the ECLS-K. This study also investigates student or school characteristics moderate the effect of LCs. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify correlated LC items from the ECLS-K teacher questionnaire. Hierarchical and cross-classified random effects modeling (HCM) was then used to analyze the impact of LCs’ on students’ reading and mathematics performance. While teacher collaboration had a significant positive effect on growth in reading and mathematics scores, a positive school climate was associated with significantly higher initial reading scores. Rarely did student or school characteristics moderate the effect of LCs.

Author

• Kimberley Raue, 2M Research