Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

2015 Fall Nutshell, Morehead State University. Institutional Research & Analysis.

Office of Institutional Research & Analysis Publication Archive

Fall 2015 issue of the Nutshell.

A Program Evaluation Of A Literacy Intervention For Reluctant Middle School Readers, James Allison

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine if the literacy intervention program for reluctant readers in one middle school was effective as measured by an increase in student reading scores measured by the Student Reading Inventory Assessment. I investigated perceptions of 100 students and 28 teachers regarding the literacy intervention program through the use of district-administered surveys. I also interviewed eight teachers regarding their delivery of the literacy interventions in the classroom setting. The literacy intervention program targeted the population of students identified as reluctant readers who were not already receiving any reading intervention, but were reading below …

The Importance Of Understanding School Law, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

In an increasingly litigious society wherein parents and their children file a broad spectrum of claims against school systems, it is essential that education leaders have at a minimum a basic understanding of school law.

Before 1954, the Supreme Court addressed only a handful of cases involving K–12 schools and higher education. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), perhaps the Supreme Court’s most important education-related decision, ushered in an era of equal educational opportunities and key legislations, such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, now the No Child Left Behind Act (2002); Title IX of …

Resiliency Of Community College Students With Adverse Childhood Experiences, Laura Elizabeth Brogden

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as defined by Drs. Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda are prevalent in the general population of the United States. These childhood traumas are strongly related to risky behaviors and poor health outcomes. The results of childhood stress may influence students at community colleges. This study of community college students with identified adverse childhood experiences will describe their perceived experiences in community colleges as they relate to their success and completion. This study is done in a framework of resilience in order to identify factors which may be influential in students’ progress and completion. Keywords: community college, …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Sixth Grade Academy: Implications For The Transition To Middle School, Rebecca Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine and evaluate teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of a sixth grade academy program, at a rural middle school in North Georgia, in helping students transition into sixth grade. The transition from fifth grade to sixth grade is a critical year in a student’s educational career. Over the past two decades, transitioning programs have grown as an effort to meet students’ distinct needs. There is very little research documenting teachers’ voices on this matter. The research conducted in this study sought to add the teacher’s perception in identifying the significant features …

Enrollment Management: Structure And Decision Participation, Lauren Haddad Friedman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Once a novel strategy adopted by a limited number of private colleges, enrollment management (EM) is now a standard practice for most institutions in American higher education. The units engaged in EM and strategic enrollment management (SEM) serve as change agents in support of student recruitment, retention and graduation. Over time, the units supporting EM have expanded from admissions to include financial aid, advising, the registrar and institutional research. As a result of this expansion, structural models developed in the 1980s provide little insight into the team organization that EM has become. Using data collected in a survey instrument administered …

Higher Education Alumni Associations And Political Advocacy, Richard N. Buchli

Dissertations

Political advocacy is comprised of speaking on the behalf of a cause or participating as part of a political action group (Weerts, Cabrera, & Sanford, 2010). Because state financial support for public higher education has not been maintained at previous levels, higher education (HE) institutions have been recruiting alumni in an attempt to win state appropriations. As discovered by Avery (2012), very little research exists on the role of alumni associations in political advocacy efforts. In this study, a quantitative research approach was conducted to gather data on D1 public college and university alumni associations. The instrument utilized in this …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Of Teachers’ Attitudes Towards A Computer-Based Assessment System And Student Achievement, Felicia M. Griffin

Dissertations

Since the introduction of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), districts across the country implemented computerized benchmark, or interim assessments, into their curriculum as a means to monitor and improve student achievement. Often, a change in curriculum entails a demand of educators’ time, whether through professional development or lesson planning, and therefore affects teachers’ attitudes. The purpose of this study was to determine what, if any, relationship there was among middle school teachers’ attitudes, monthly computerized benchmark assessments, and student scores on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). Educators of the communication arts and mathematics content areas from one middle school were …

Educational Stakeholders’ Perceptions During Grading Reform In One Middle School, Christy M. Patrick

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors influencing middle school grading reform. The study involved all stakeholders in one middle school community. Participants were surveyed to determine which standards-based grading practices were most welcomed among middle school students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Additionally, students’ perceived motivation levels when evaluated using standards based grading practices were quantified and the necessary support needs of middle school teachers were identified as they attempted school-wide grading reform. Many are calling for school leaders to evaluate unreliable traditional grading methods and reform grading to a standards-based approach (Guskey, Swan, & Jung, 2011; …

Assessing Injury Prevention And Intervention Protocols For High Schools Within The Gateway Athletic Conference, Michael Zacheis

Dissertations

This study was the result of a quantitative methods research design, which assessed: athletic training services, injury prevention at the time of the study, and intervention protocols for high schools within the Gateway Athletic Conference (GAC). This study explored the impact of injuries and concussions on student athletes. The study also examined the types of athletic training facilities, resources for rehabilitation, and procedures for athletic training programs available at the high school level in the GAC. The study uncovered some significant findings between the groups who were surveyed. The participants surveyed represented athletic trainers, athletic directors, and coaches. There were …

A Case Study Of The Efficacy Of Middle College On Educational Advancement, Piper Wilson

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the role of a middle college as a viable educational alternative to the traditional school environment and as one that supported student transition from high school into post-secondary education. Middle college is a unique transitional program in which students can participate in high school and college courses, typically on a college campus (Middle College National Consortium (MCNC), 2014a). Student participants usually experience more student support services, and practical, real-world education (Lieberman, 2004). The study consisted of a mixed methods design, with five total research questions, and included participant data from the target …

How To Parlay Your Phone Interview To An On Campus Interview, Pamela Wells, Richard E. Cleveland

Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development Faculty Presentations

This presentation was given during the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Annual Conference.

Hopscotch Building: A Model For The Generation Of Qualitative Research Designs, Ivan Jorrín Abellán

Ivan M. Jorrín Abellán

In this work we describe the process followed to create the “Hopscotch Model”, a tool to help novice researchers to thoroughly accomplish with the design of qualitative research studies. The model helps to incorporate the theoretical background behind any qualitative study, as well as the intrinsic complexity of the multiple technical procedures that could be followed within the many different traditions in the field. The model is supported by an easy to use web-tool that drives researchers through the design of qualitative studies. In this article we describe the different phases followed to generate the conceptual model and the web-tool …

Assessing Ict Literacy Via Computer, Ray Philpot

Ray Philpot

Outstanding Educational Performance Awards: Highlighting High-Achieving Arkansas Schools, 2015, Charlene A. Reid, Gary W. Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

In this report, we are presenting a list of the top 25 schools in each area. In some cases, these “top 25 lists” will contain more than 25 schools as some schools’ GPA scores will be identical. This is not a new phenomenon, as we also exceeded 25 schools in previous reports when using the percent proficient and advanced metric as an indicator for student achievement; however, there are fewer ties using the more precise GPA measure.

Science exams were only administered in grades 5, 7, and to students completing Biology. There are very different performance patterns by grade: Fifth …

Attracting Top Teaching Talent, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

In some of the world’s highest-performing countries, entry to teaching is now as competitive as courses such as engineering, science, law and medicine.

Using Large-Scale Assessments Of Students' Learning To Inform Education Policy: Insights From The Asia-Pacific Region, Mollie Tobin, Petra Lietz, Dita Nugroho, Ramya Vivekanandan, Tserennadmid Nyamkhuu

Dr Petra Lietz

Not much is known about the ways in which assessment data have actually been used in education policy to date. Understanding the role of assessments in informing system-level decision-making is a first step towards helping stakeholders improve the design and usefulness of assessments. Moreover, this understanding can help to further discussions about how assessment data can best be used to inform policy and practice and to evaluate the effectiveness of policy reforms. This paper presents results from a systematic review of 68 studies that examined the link between participation in large-scale assessment programs of students’ learning and education policy in …

Australian Postgraduate Research Student International Mobility: Research Report 2015, Sarah Richardson

Dr Sarah Richardson

This report presents findings of a study of the international mobility of postgraduate research students enrolled at Australian universities. It is based on focus groups with sixty postgraduate research students at seven Australian universities and one focus group with staff from three universities who are involved in supporting research students. Overall, the research indicated that the value of international mobility to research students, their supervisors, their institutions and to Australia more broadly was immense: Students gained access to invaluable resources, contacts with global experts and unique insights that significantly enhanced both the quality of their research and their employment prospects; …

Outstanding Educational Performance Awards: Highlighting High-Achieving Arkansas Schools, 2015, Charlene A. Reid, Gary W. Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

In this report, we are presenting a list of the top 25 schools in each area. In some cases, these “top 25 lists” will contain more than 25 schools as some schools’ GPA scores will be identical. This is not a new phenomenon, as we also exceeded 25 schools in previous reports when using the percent proficient and advanced metric as an indicator for student achievement; however, there are fewer ties using the more precise GPA measure.

Science exams were only administered in grades 5, 7, and to students completing Biology. There are very different performance patterns by grade: Fifth …

Outstanding Educational Performance Awards: Highlighting High-Achieving Arkansas Schools, 2015, Charlene A. Reid, Gary W. Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

In this report, we are presenting a list of the top 25 schools in each area. In some cases, these “top 25 lists” will contain more than 25 schools as some schools’ GPA scores will be identical. This is not a new phenomenon, as we also exceeded 25 schools in previous reports when using the percent proficient and advanced metric as an indicator for student achievement; however, there are fewer ties using the more precise GPA measure.

Science exams were only administered in grades 5, 7, and to students completing Biology. There are very different performance patterns by grade: Fifth …