Mathematics Teacher Certification Status and Student Achievement: A Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

Sixty years ago, James Coleman (1966) released a report called Equality of Education where he focused on inequalities in education between Black and White students. Today, continued research has built on Coleman’s findings particularly on teacher quality and its effects on student achievement (Coleman et al., 1966). The purpose of this quantitative analysis was to explore if any relationship exists between 8th grade math and 10th grade geometry teachers’ certification status and 8th grade math and 10th grade geometry students’ achievement. By utilizing Pedagogical Content Knowledge Theory (PCK) and Mathematical Knowledge for Teachers Theory (MKT) as the theoretical frameworks, the study identified connections between teacher certification status and student achievement. The findings have significant implications for policy makers to invest in professional development for math teachers that focuses on pedagogical content knowledge and mathematical content knowledge. Furthermore, the findings provide insight the importance of subject-specific certification especially in secondary mathematics