Education Commons^™

Building Parent Support For Implementation Of Assessment For Learning ( A4 L ) At The High School Level, Sarah Highfill

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers articulate the positive effects of parental engagement with education. Networking with parents has become a recent focus for educational leaders working to enhance learning. With parent presence diminishing within secondary schools and emphasis on formative assessments rising, this study examined the possibility of family support to supplement the Assessment for Learning (A4L) reform implementation. Using an action research framework, four research questions were addressed. These included what attracts parents to support Assessment for Learning (A4L) reforms at the high school level, the value parents place on assessment reform, and what affects parent perceptions and influences their support of the …

Evaluating The Use Of The Math Reasoning Inventory For Improvement In Fraction Instruction, Kathy Huffman Boyer

Dissertations

In an attempt to close the mathematic achievement gap between students from the United States and students from other countries, a new national set of standards, the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, was developed and adopted by the state of Michigan in 2010. These standards emphasize mathematical reasoning and application, rather than the previous emphasis on performing calculations. Unfortunately, teachers generally have had little training in how to assess students’ mathematical reasoning, how to teach mathematical reasoning, or how to provide remediation to those students who show need. The purpose of this study was to see if use of …

Formative Assessment Through Written Feedback: Examining Elementary School Teachers' Written Feedback Beliefs And Practices, And The Effect Of Models On Written Feedback, Caterina Almendral

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The current study explored three main aspects relating to the use of written feedback as a formative assessment tool: the types (form or content) of written feedback provided by elementary school teachers and the levels (task, process-Self-Regulation) at which those types of feedback are provided; whether elementary school teacher beliefs about written feedback principles and their own written feedback practice correspond to the actual written feedback they provide; and whether exposure to a model of written feedback influences teacher written feedback practice.

Data were collected from 188 elementary school teachers spirally assigned to five groups (four treatment, one control). Treatment …

Using Case Method To Explicitly Teach Formative Assessment In Preservice Teacher Science Education, Amy Elizabeth Bentz

Dissertations

The process of formative assessment improves student understanding; however, the topic of formative assessment in preservice education has been severely neglected. Since a major goal of teacher education is to create reflective teaching professionals, preservice teachers should be provided an opportunity to critically reflect on the use of formative assessment in the classroom. Case method is an instructional methodology that allows learners to engage in and reflect on real-world situations. Case based pedagogy can play an important role in enhancing preservice teachers’ ability to reflect on teaching and learning by encouraging alternative ways of thinking about assessment.

Although the literature …

Teachers’ Knowledge Of Formative Assessment Initial Instrument Validation Study, Amanda L. Bremner

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Formative assessment research indicates that use of formative assessment positively impacts student achievement. Teachers ought to be provided professional development in formative assessment in order to make it an integral part of their classroom practice. Just as teachers need to assess student knowledge prior to instruction, teacher knowledge of formative assessment needs to be assessed in order to guide the professional development teachers receive. However, no instrument exists that assesses teacher knowledge of formative assessment. An instrument to assess teacher knowledge of formative assessment was created and piloted. The results of the pilot study indicated the instrument had modest reliability. …

An Analysis Of Teachers' Classroom Instructional Activities Based On Nwea "Measures Of Academic Progress" (Map) Data, Rhonda S. Medford

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine and assess the effectiveness of the Measures of Academic Progress formative assessment tool on the planning, differentiation, and classroom environment at a rural elementary school in western North Carolina. The teachers had used the MAP testing data for over 5 years. The tools used for data collection revealed how the school was using the data and other formative assessment tools for lesson planning and student differentiation, and the effects on classroom environment.

This case study utilized the mixed methods approach in order to successfully collect and analyze the data to develop a conclusion so …

Effects Of In-Class Formative Assessments And Student Contracts On Homework Completion And Summative Assessments, Brian Robertson

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study was designed to see the effects of formal formative in-class assessments and student contracts on homework completion and summative assessments. The study took place in a small rural high school in Northeast Minnesota and the participants consisted of three sections of intermediate algebra classes of students from eighth grade through twelfth grade. All three sections used the formative assessments, while one of the sections used student contracts in addition. Data collection included three different surveys taken at different times throughout the study, teacher observations of the study, and results of homework completion and summative assessments. The results of …

Examining The Reliability And Validity Of Adept And Celdt: Comparing Two Assessments Of Oral Language Proficiency For English Language Learners, Gina Chavez

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Few classroom measures of English language proficiency have been evaluated for reliability and validity. Researchers have examined the concurrent and predictive validity of an oral language test, titled A Developmental English Language Proficiency Test (ADEPT), and the relationship to the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) in the receptive/listening and expressive/speaking domains. Four years of retroactive data representing 392 student records were obtained from a local urban school district in Los Angeles County with a significant proportion of English language learners. After preparing the data file for analysis, data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) …

The Effects Of The Flipped Classroom Model In A Physical Science Classroom, Patricia Price

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study was designed to examine the effects of the Flipped Classroom model; this inquisition was conducted in ninth grade physical science classes at a Minnesota public high school. All participants had school-issued iPads. Data sources included student interest and self-assessment surveys, formative and summative assessment data, teacher observations of student participation and a parent survey. Results showed that formative scores were the same during the first unit and one percent higher for the traditional classroom during the second unit. Scores for the third and fourth units showed opposite results. Summative assessment scores during the first two units were three …

Formative Assessment: Benefit For All, William Wallace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how formative assessment implemented in a fifth grade mathematics classroom with a student response system and a student self-evaluative tool affected student self-assessment. Data were collected through individual student and focus group interviews, self-assessment sheets, and teacher reflections. Formative assessment is a low stakes classroom assessment that is an assessment for learning. This study used a student response system to convey feedback from the formative assessment to both students and teacher during instruction. The student self-assessment sheet was implemented to provide a more dynamic level of feedback for students than what could be provided through the student …

Formative Assessment In The Christian Classroom, Kevin Schenk

Master of Education Program Theses

When student learning is defined solely by the results of a summative test, the nature of the student is devalued and the process of learning is minimized. Currently, the educational quality of schools is often judged by performance on standardized tests. This has put strain on teachers to measure up to government-set standards and has left students struggling to perform on high-pressure tests. An alternative to such testing exists in formative assessment. When one looks closely at formative assessment and its use within a Christian classroom, one begins to see the value this method of assessment has: individualized attention is …

Probing Space: Formative Assessment In A Middle School Inquiry-Based Science Classroom, Clinton W. Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This action research thesis was performed to explore the research questions: How did the use of formative assessment affect student performance data in understanding the concepts of the Sun-Earth-Moon system?, How did the use of learning scales as formative techniques impact student self-assessment of their knowledge of the Sun-Earth-Moon system?, How did the implementation of formative assessment techniques affect student discourse on the topic of the Sun-Earth-Moon system? Formative assessment techniques including "talk-friendly" probes, sticky bars, and agree-disagree statements were used in the classroom to expose gaps in knowledge, to facilitate discourse, and promote self-assessment. A triangulation of data included …

A Historical Perspective Of Testing And Assessment Including The Impact Of Summative And Formative Assessment On Student Achievement, Carole Sanger Brink

Dissertations

In 2007, Georgia developed a comprehensive framework to define what students need to know. One component of this framework emphasizes the use of both formative and summative assessments as part of an integral and specific component of the teachers' performance evaluation. Georgia administers the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) to every elementary student in Grades 1 though 8. Before 2008, the state tested eighth-grade students on a quality core curriculum. In 2008, the state began testing students on a Georgia Performance Standard curriculum. A direct comparison of the curriculum change should have contained items to test both curriculums. However, this was …

Technology-Assisted Formative Assessment And Its Impact On Instructional Decision Making: A Mixed Methods Collective Case Study Of Study Island In The Middle Grades, Kelly Cameron Taylor

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed methods collective case study was to determine the use of formative assessment data generated by the web-based program Study Island in the planning and implementation of instruction. The study utilized quantitative data collected through teacher surveys then triangulated qualitative teacher focus group and individual teacher interview data in order to establish statistical themes for narrative analysis. The research focused on data generated by the Study Island program at three rural middle schools, Grades 6 through 8, located in the western region of North Carolina.

The need for data to help teachers determine the next steps …

An Analysis Of Individual Teachers' Development Of Instruction Based On Classscape Program Data, Jason L. Parker

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine and assess the effectiveness of the ClassScape formative assessment tool on the planning, implementation, and evaluation of instruction at a rural middle school in western North Carolina. The teachers had the ClassScape program for 3 years, but were not using the program to plan future instruction. The tools used for data collection revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of the program. It is essential that schools have ongoing formative assessment practices in order for students to be successful in the 21st Century.

This case study utilized the mixed methods approach in order …

Elementary Teachers' Assessment Beliefs And Practices, Sarah Calveric

Theses and Dissertations

Increased state and federal accountability measures have made the assessment of student performance one of the most critical responsibilities of classroom teachers; yet, inadequate opportunities for preservice and inservice training leave many teachers feeling ill-prepared for this task. Adding to the complexity of building teachers’ assessment literacy is the relationship between assessment beliefs and classroom assessment practices. This quantitative study utilizes a validated, online survey to examine how elementary teachers’ (n = 79) define their assessment beliefs (conceptions) and how these beliefs influence which assessment practices are valued within the classroom. Findings suggest that despite teachers’ limited exposure to assessment …

Professional Development: A Case Study Of Mrs. G, Sharilyn Kay Owens

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study of one teacher who participated in a project that investigated the effects of the Texas Instruments NavigatorTM, a wireless communication system on student algebra achievement and related pedagogy. The larger study, Classroom Connectivity in Promoting Mathematics and Science Achievement (CCMS) based at The Ohio State University (OSU), funded by the U. S. Department of Education, involved approximately 120 self-selected participants across the United States. A partial requirement for participation was agreement to attend professional development provided by the CCMS project. The professional development included a week-long summer institute at OSU prior to implementation of …

The Relationship Of 10th-Grade District Progress Monitoring Assessment Scores To Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test Scores In Reading And Mathematics For 2008-2009, Marilyn Underwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to investigate the use of a district created formative benchmark assessment in reading to predict student achievement for 10th-grade students on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in one county in north central Florida. The purpose of the study was to provide information to high school principals and teachers to better understand how students were performing and learning and to maximize use of the formative district benchmark assessment in order to modify instruction and positively impact student achievement. This study expanded a prior limited study which correlated district benchmark assessment scores to FCAT scores …

Predicting Performance On Criterion-Referenced Reading Tests With Benchmark Assessments, Kaitlyn Nicole Dyson

Theses and Dissertations

The current research study investigates the predictive value of two frequently-used benchmark reading assessments: Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) and the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). With an increasing emphasis on high-stakes testing to measure reading proficiency, benchmark assessments may assist in predicting end-of-year performance on high-stakes testing. Utah's high-stakes measurement of end-of-year reading achievement is the English Language Arts Criterion-Referenced Test (ELA-CRT). A Utah urban school district provided data for students who completed the DRA, DIBELS, and ELA-CRT in the 2005-2006 school year. The primary purpose of the study was to determine the accuracy to which the …

Teachers' Education And Training Factors And Their Influence On Formative Assessment Processes, William Clark Reed

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study sought to identify factors in teachers' education and training that may be associated with their capacity to use formative testing to inform instruction and, ultimately, improve their students' achievement. This research involved the identification of teachers' educational and training variables that might influence their abilities to analyze formative testing results, interpret the analyses, and modify instruction so as to improve students' achievement in third grade mathematics. The goal was to identify those factors in (1) teachers' educational histories and (2) teachers' professional development and training histories that contribute to their capacity to use formative testing results to inform …