A Correlational Study of Student Achievement and School Climate

This quantitative study used a survey design to explore the relationship between the variables of student achievement and a school's climate of professional practice. Previous studies of school climate have resulted in conflicting findings. However, school climate as it manifests in the relationships among professionals in a school continues to surface as an important issue for school leaders. The idea that a school's climate of professional practice is related to student achievement is grounded in social interdependence theory, which supports the concept that all members of a learning community influence one another in various ways. The purpose of the research was to determine the relationship between a school's climate of professional practice and the achievement of elementary school students in language arts as measured by a state administered standards based assessment. This study employed descriptive statistics and the Pearson product moment correlation in the analysis of archived public data. Each school's climate of professional practice was measured using the Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations' (QISA) My Voice: Staff Aspirations Survey. The study results did not reveal a significant relationship between a school's climate of professional practice and student achievement. However, both the review of literature and the study results support the need for further exploration of the concept of climate of professional practice and how it influences what teachers are able to achieve with their students. Implications for positive social change include helping school leaders understand how to cultivate a professional climate that supports and nurtures teachers to help them be more successful with their students.