An Examination of the Association Between Teacher's Instructional Practices and School-Wide Disciplinary and Academic Outcomes

Student academic deficits and problem behaviors have long been demonstrated to be closely related. What is not as clear is the degree to which teacher behaviors are predictive of both academic and behavioral outcomes. Using direct observations of teachers in over 1500 unique elementary and secondary classroom instructional settings, rates of identified evidence-based teacher instructional behaviors were used as independent variables to predict both academic and disciplinary outcomes for students at the school level. Results showed that a school's mean rate of teacher provided opportunities for student response and positive feedback during instruction were significant predictors for lower school-wide suspensions and higher percentage of students scoring in the proficient and distinguished level on state academic assessments. Implications of these relationships as a means of preventing student failure in school are discussed along with recommendations for future study.