A recent study titled Linking Teacher Learning to Student Success, conducted by Arroyo Research Services and Tacoma Public Schools, has compared the reading fluency of students taught by Walden University’s master’s educated teachers with students taught by non-Walden master’s educated teachers. The study, based on three years of data and sponsored by Walden University, included test scores from 35 teachers and 712 students.

“The study yielded a number of positive findings in early literacy performance of students being taught by Walden graduates,” says Pat Cummings, director of Research and Planning with Tacoma Public Schools. Cummings added that the research “appears to help shed light on the link between good teaching and student learning.”
Key findings from the study include:

•         Students of Walden teachers had gains in reading fluency that were, on average, 14 percent greater than students of non-Walden master’s educated teachers.

•         First graders showed the largest gain, where students of Walden teachers averaged 5.4 more words per minute than the non-Walden group.

•         The findings suggest that the cumulative effect of having a Walden teacher in grades 1 to 5 would show a combined gain in reading fluency of 11.6 words per minute.
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