The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is used in the Cahokia Unit School District No. 187 to give insight on student academic skill level in terms of years and months. Teacher strategies and expertise in the area of education are an integral part of the educational process. Tenure status, or the years of teaching experience, is plagued with the idea that it promotes or has an impact on student achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine if students receiving instruction from non-tenured special education teachers demonstrate the same gains in the areas of reading and math as students receiving instruction from tenured special education teachers in the areas of reading and math. Pre and post-ITBS reading and math scores were used as a basis to examine academic achievement. The hypothesis stated there will be a significant relationship between the tenure status of special education teachers and academic achievement. Scatter plots for each data set were constructed to visually indicate a relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The correlation coefficient was also calculated using the independent and dependent variables, and for some data sets resulted with a negative correlation, meaning there was not a positive correlation, and no further testing was necessary. The correlation coefficient test of significance was the last factor in determining if there was a positive correlation between the independent and dependent variables. The result of the analysis concluded that there was a significant relationship between the independent and dependent variables for some of the data sets. In other words, tenure status had a positive effect on academic achievement. This collaborative research project was conducted by Sheryl Wilson, Trenese Dancy, and Rochelle Harris-Clark. Each researcher studied tenured versus non-tenured teachers; however, they each had a different focus group. Sheryl Wilson focused on instructional special education teachers, Trenese Dancy focused on general education teachers, and Rochelle Harris-Clark focused on all teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]