This study investigated teacher impact on the academic achievement of students of poverty. Teacher impact was analyzed based on two factors: (1) teacher emotional empathy and (2) teacher professional development experiences. The results of this study indicate a non-correlative relationship between teachers' overall emotional empathy and student achievement in reading and math. However, when emotional empathy was explored based on its two subscales (Empathic Concern and Personal Distress), a correlation between teachers. Empathic Concern and students' academic growth (from fall to spring) in reading were noted. Teachers. empathic concern level significantly predicted academic growth in reading. For every 1-unit increase in empathic concern, students. growth in reading increased by 0.266 points. Through a hierarchical regression, further exploration of this relationship revealed, however, that the variability in students. reading growth scores cannot be attributed to teachers. level of empathic concern alone, as teachers. level of empathic concern was not found to be statistically significant when other variables were controlled. The R[superscript 2] change was 0.006, ß = 0.079 (p = 0.240). From this finding, it can be concluded that a teacher with high empathic concern does not increase the likelihood that the teacher's students of poverty will experience achievement gains in reading. Additionally, teachers. professional development experiences were reviewed and compared with the academic achievement of their students of poverty to determine if there was a relationship between the two. The findings of this study indicate a correlation between teacher professional development credits and student achievement in both reading and math. Professional development credits significantly predicted spring semester reading scores. For every 1-unit increase in teacher professional development credits, students. reading scores increased by 0.093 points. Professional development credits also significantly predicted spring semester math scores. For every 1-unit increase in teacher professional development credits, students. math scores increased by 0.089 points. Through a hierarchical regression, further exploration of this relationship revealed, however, that the variability in students. reading and math achievement scores cannot be attributed to teachers. level of professional development alone, as teacher professional development credits was not found to be statistically significant when other variables were controlled. For reading achievement, the R[superscript 2] change was 0.001, ß = 0.021 (p = 0.553). For math achievement, the R[superscript 2] change was 0.001, ß = 0.031 (p = 0.286). From this finding, it can be concluded that a teacher with high professional development credits does not increase the likelihood that the teacher's students of poverty will experience achievement gains in reading and math. Additionally, statistical analyses showed mean differences in reading and math scores between students whose teachers did and did not participate in various professional development events. An analysis of twelve professional development events exposed common features of professional development events for which participating teachers. students of poverty outperformed non-participating teachers' students. The common features were: (1) instruction was facilitated by a cross-section of instructors; (2) instruction occurred on both a short-term and a long term basis, but did not include one-time sessions; and (3) instruction was facilitated using a two-way and field-based approach. These findings imply that professional development events with these constructs yield more favorable student academic outcomes than do professional development experiences that lack these constructs. [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.]