Darrell W. Moore
School systems throughout the United States are obligated to meet requirements established by federal law and benchmarks established by state governments in student achievement. Therefore, understanding how children learn and the impact of learning environments may be factors in obtaining annual yearly progress (AYP) and improving student achievement. This study contributes to current research identifying teacher perceptions of learning practices and organizational structures needed to improve student achievement in upper elementary grades in public schools. The purpose of this study was to identify if associations exist between classroom organizational structures and student achievement (CRT/TCAP) scores. Quantitative data were used to distinguish grade organization in relation to student achievement using standardized test data. Demographic data were collected from 67 returned surveys representing six school systems in Northeast Tennessee.
The statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in fourth and fifth grade student achievement scores in language arts, science, and social studies between students in self-contained and departmentalized classrooms. Although fourth grade students revealed no differences in math, fifth grade students had significant differences in
achievement math scores between those students in self-contained and departmentalized classrooms favoring departmentalized classrooms. Further analysis revealed no differences in student achievement scores for fourth and fifth grade students between teachers who favor and those who do not favor departmentalized or self-contained classrooms. The recommendations from this study include the use of a similar study to incorporate more school systems with a larger sample of teachers
