JOB SATISFACTION, ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH, AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN SELECTED TENNESSEE MIDDLE SCHOOLS

This quantitative study explored teacher perceptions of job satisfaction and school organizational health and whether significant differences existed between these perceptions and school performance. Empirical data were gathered by surveying a stratified, purposive, cluster sample of 177 teachers in selected middle schools across Tennessee; instruments used included the Organizational Health Index-Middle ([OHI-M]; Hoy, 2003) and the Job Satisfaction Survey ([JSS]; Spector, 1997). Secondary data on school performance—school achievement based on standardized test scores and valueadded scores derived from Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS)—were extracted from the Tennessee Department of Education Report Card (2010). These were used to create the accountability matrix separating Tennessee middle schools into four quadrants: Quadrant I, high achievement and high value-added scores; Quadrant II, high achievement and low value-added scores; Quadrant III, low achievement and high valueadded scores; Quadrant IV, low achievement and low value-added scores. Statistical analyses (e.g., ANOVA) helped to determine if any significant differences existed between the accountability matrix and the teacher perceptions of job satisfaction and organizational health, as well as teacher perceptions of job satisfaction and organizational health with the respondent demographic characteristics. A regression analysis was used to determine if any significant relationships existed between teacher perceptions of job satisfaction and facets of job satisfaction, and organizational health and dimensions of organizational health. This study yielded the following findings: (1) an inverse impact between job satisfaction and value-added scores, (2) a positive impact between organizational health and student achievement, but an inverse one between organizational health and value-added scores, (3) a significant relationship between job satisfaction and organizational health, and (4) no significant differences between the demographic variables and the overall job satisfaction scores, but a significant difference was found between experience level and the total organizational health index. The results are more reflective of teachers from East Tennessee middle schools.