Abstract:
Beginning with the Coleman Report (1966) through present time, a sizeable
research base exists regarding effective schooling. With continual pressure on schools to
improve student achievement, this area of research is expected to continue to grow, and
needs to be synthesized. As effective schools have been identified through ensuring high
levels of student achievement, a list of variables or correlates that help promote student
achievement have been outlined. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that
two of the effective schools variables have on student achievement. Specifically, this study
sought to find the magnitude of the impact that school-wide staff expectations of students
had on student achievement, and the extent of the impact that school-wide professional
development had on student achievement. To conduct this research, the technique of
meta-analysis was utilized. 790 studies were reviewed. Eligible studies were read, coded,
and analyzed using meta-analytic techniques. There were no studies that met the eligibility
criteria for staff expectations. School-wide professional development produced 10 studies
with an average effect size of g=.208. This is a very conservative estimate of the effect of
school-wide professional development on student achievement. Implications for research,
theory, and practice are discussed.
