There is a pattern of students' mathematics achievement scores dropping in the first year of middle school, typically sixth grade in Florida (fldoe.org, 2014). Sixth grade is of particular interest as this is typically a transition year from elementary to middle school. This quantitative study seeks to examine the mathematical teacher characteristics that are present and significant for Teacher Value-Added measures, as a proxy for sixth grade mathematical learning gains. The teacher characteristics that will be evaluated include certification area, degree held, and years of experience. Additionally, the effects of school demographics, specifically socioeconomic status (SES), as measured by the percentage of Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which determines a districts eligibility for the national free lunch program, on sixth grade student achievement in mathematics will be examined and accounted for when evaluating teacher characteristics. Teachers' Value-Added scores were collected from the Florida Department of Education. The teachers included were those that taught mathematics in a sixth-grade classroom that was NOT in a K-6 or K-8 setting, but a 6-8 or 6-12 setting. Each participating teachers' school CEP status was also gathered from the Florida Department of Education. These results will be compared for all teachers and the following results are anticipated: (1) Schools with lower socioeconomic status (as measured by CEP), higher percentage of CEP (over 40%), will have overall lower teacher Value-Added Scores (VAM) on the Math FSA (Florida Standards Assessment) for the end of sixth grade administration, regardless of teacher characteristics. (2) After accounting for CEP, teachers with higher levels of degrees held (BS vs MS, EdS, or PhD), will have higher teacher VAM scores on the Math FSA for the end of sixth grade administration. (3) After accounting for CEP, teachers with more years of experience will have higher VAM scores on the Math FSA for the end of sixth grade administration. (4) After accounting for CEP, teachers with certification in mathematics will have higher VAM scores on the Math FSA for the end of sixth grade administration. With these results, policy makers, education preparation programs, and school districts can make more informed decisions about the educational preparation that mathematics teachers need to possess in order to teach students during their first year of middle school.
