Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

An Exploratory Study Into The Nature Of The Relationship Between Pre-Service Teacher Fixed Factor Characteristics And Edtpa Performance Ratings, Timothy David Gouraige

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study used a quantitative, analytical, non-experimental, explanatory research design. The study used simultaneous multiple regression analysis and analysis of covariance to investigate the factors that may influence the outcome of pre-service teachers’ performance on the edTPA, and to contribute to the overall knowledge of edTPA as a pre-service teacher performance assessment. The study explored the relationship between pre-service teacher demographic and academic performance characteristics and his or her edTPA summative performance ratings in an effort to determine if a relationship exists between these fixed factors and student performance on edTPA. Additionally, this study used comparative statistics, specifically ANCOVA, to …

Shared Focus/Collective Responsibility: The Lived Experience Of Educators As Members Of A Data Team In A Connecticut Public High School, Abbie-Jean M. Lareau

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT SHARED FOCUS/COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF EDUCATORS AS MEMBERS OF A DATA TEAM IN A CONNECTICUT PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL This study explores the experiences of five high school English Teachers in a Connecticut public school acting as an Instructional Data Team as prescribed by the Connecticut Accountability for Learning (CALI) model. Data Teams are teams of educators that participate in collaborative, structured, scheduled meetings, which focus on the effectiveness of teaching as determined by student achievement. Data Teams adhere to continuous improvement cycles, analyze trends, and determine strategies to facilitate analysis that results in action. Data Teams can …

Alternative Assessment And Accountability: A Case Study Of Policy Reform And Teacher Practice At The District Level, Amy Lynn Abbott

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Deliberations on the topic of alternatives to standardized assessments spurred the 2014 Virginia General Assembly legislation (House Bill 930/Senate Bill 306) that removed five, end-of-year Virginia Standards of Learning tests from select elementary and middle school subjects and supplant them with alternative measures (Virginia Department of Education, 2014). In light of the reform, the purpose of this study was to develop a descriptive account of one large Virginia school district’s implementation of alternative, locally developed assessments designed as an intervention to enhance teaching and learning. Emphasis was on the impact of policy change in social studies practice to capture teachers’ …

Utilizing Assessment Resources To Support Classroom Instruction In Mathematics, Jennifer A. Judkins

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

Mathematics teachers in the state of Washington have the responsibility of helping students develop the knowledge and skills included in the Mathematics K-12 Learning Standards (also known as the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics) and measured by the Smarter Balanced summative assessments in mathematics. A great need existed for teachers to have additional support to help students learn the standards and be prepared to demonstrate their knowledge on the Smarter Balanced assessments as well as more working knowledge of how to utilize the supports provided within the system of Smarter Balanced. Mathematics educators in the state of Washington were …

Quantifying The Qualitative: Increasing The Reliability Of Subjective Language Assessments, Jeremy W. Armes

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project explores how to increase the reliability of subjective language assessments. What are the major factors that affect reliability, and what can educators do to maximize it? Research in the field suggests four key factors that have the greatest effect on reliability. The first factor is the procedures used to administer and score the assessment. The more standardized the process is, the higher the reliability will be. The second factor is rater experience, both in the profession and with the assessment in question. Experience is positively correlated with reliability. Novice teachers who get training and feedback in a scoring …

Inconsistent Conceptions Of Acceleration Contributing To Formative Assessment Limitations, Gregory D. Kranich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become a national priority in light of measures indicating marginal student interest and success in the United States. Just as evidence is integral to policy decisions, so too do teachers depend on evidence to inform instructional choices. Classroom assessment remains a touchstone means of gathering such evidence as indicators of students’ progress, and increasingly, teachers are designing, implementing, and interpreting assessments in collaboration with one another.

In rural Maine, the work of the Maine Physical Sciences Partnership (MainePSP) has enabled science educators to come together as a supportive professional community. We focused …

The Assessment Of Scientific Reasoning Skills Of High School Science Students: A Standardized Assessment Instrument, Shane Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of science education has been achieving scientific literacy. However, this has been no easy task considering that scientific literacy has many definitions that involve a plethora of activities. This means that assessing the topic becomes quite challenging, especially if this is done with some sort of overarching instrument. Fortunately, Shamos (1995) has characterized the many dimensions of scientific literacy into three levels. These dimensions can then be assessed individually, making the task of assessment less overwhelming. The highest level, true scientific literacy contains dimensions that are discussed in this study, which already have individual assessments. Wenning's Nature …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Strategies For Choosing And Evaluating Alternative Assessments In Online Higher Education, Robert James Streff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have shown that not all students are assessed effectively using standard testing formats. However, it is unclear what alternative methodology would be useful to determine whether students have acquired the skills necessary for today's global market. This research study's purpose was to understand the processes instructors use when choosing and designing alternative assessments in higher education online courses to measure student performance. Using Gagné's conditions of learning and Bloom's Taxonomy as a framework to understand these processes, this qualitative case study examined 8 participants teaching online at Midwestern public universities. Interview data and course artifacts, including syllabi, rubrics, assessments, …

Faculty Perceptions On The Student Learning Accountability Movement, Tara Rose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Literature examining the impact of the student learning accountability movement on faculty perspectives is insufficient, as little is known about how faculty perceive the requirements related to federal, state, and institutional accountability initiatives. This case study investigated the threat posed by the accountability movement on the stability of faculty engagement, while exploring how faculty perceptions of the movement will impact institutional and state policy. Using Levin's system of accountability as the framework for this study, the central research question explored how understanding faculty perspectives on the student learning accountability movement could promote policy within an institution. Data were gathered via …