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University Assessment Grant Fellows 2004-05 - Public Presentation Agenda, Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Assessment Grants

This is the program of public presentations by the University Assessment Grant Fellows of 2004-05.

Assessing Student Learning In The Cecp Training Programs, Kelly Mcdonnell

Assessment Grants

Presentation on assessing student learning in the Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology training programs.

A Multiple Measures Model For Documenting Teacher And Program Effectiveness, Jonelle Pool, Divonna M. Stebick, Judith Brough

Education Faculty Publications

One of the most difficult challenges facing teacher educators is evaluating the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary for professional growth and responsibility for teaching. Currently two viewpoints for preparing highly qualified teachers seem to be influencing policy. One view represented by Darling-Hammond’s research (1999), suggests that regulation of teacher education, state licensing, professional accountability, and compensation are important factors for strengthening teacher quality. A second view, offered by Chester Finn from research completed by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation (cited in Berry, Hoke, and Hirsch, 2004), emphasizes less prescriptive paths such as alternative certification practices and aptitude testing to attract …

A Review Of The Empirical Evidence Identifying Effective Interventions And Teaching Practices For Students With Learning Difficulties In Year 4, 5 And 6, Nola Purdie, Louise Ellis

School and system improvement

The present literature review arises in the context of the Australian Government's policy initiative of working with the States and Territories to ensure that all Australian children achieve acceptable standards of literacy and numeracy. A key Government priority has been to focus on achieving real, sustained improvements in the literacy and numeracy skills of Australian children to better prepare them for their futures. Ensuring all students gain at least a minimum acceptable standard in literacy and numeracy is critical in overcoming educational disadvantage.

Bridgewater State College Factbook, Academic Year 2004-2005, Office Of Institutional Research And Assessment, Bridgewater State College

Factbook

No abstract provided.

Getting Involved: A Typology Of Student Cocurricular Participation At A Christian University, John L. Hoffman

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of The Wj-Iii Test Of Cognitive Abilities And The Wais-Iii, Brittany Leigh Metz

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Since the birth of the intelligence test in the early 20th century, these instruments have gone through tremendous alterations. The revision of such instruments creates an obligation of those who utilize these tests to provide empirical evidence that supports concurrent validity with additional cognitive measures. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test, Third Edition. Both instruments were administered to 30 college students attending a Midwest university. The previously collected data was analyzed using a Pearson Product Moment Correlation as well as a …

The Correlation Between Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Iii And Woodcock-Johnson Iii Cognitive Abilities And Wj Iii Achievement For College Students: Which Is A Better Predictor Of Reading Achievement?, Carrie M. Adkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The present study is intended to examine whether the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III or Woodcock-Johnson III Cognitive Abilities would better predict reading achievement on the WJ III Achievement in the college student population. Participants included 29 college students attending a university in the Midwest, being evaluated for a learning disability or academic accommodations. Data were analyzed using Pearson r correlation, Fisher z, and t-test for each intelligence test in comparison to achievement subtests. Results from this study indicated that both IQ scores obtained from the WAISIII and the WJ-III COG correlated with reading significantly, but not highly enough to …

Perspectives On School Leadership : Taking Another Look, Thomas J. Sergiovani

APC Monographs

The author argues that in many respects leadership has failed us. Not that we should be overwhelmed by this. We just need to know, so we can work on it. There are, I believe, three reasons for the failure of leadership. First, we’ve come to view leadership as behaviour, rather than action; as something psychological rather than spiritual; as having to do with persons rather than ideas. Second, in trying to understand what drives leadership, we’ve overemphasised bureaucratic and personal authority, neglecting professional and moral authority. In the first reason we separated the hand of leadership from the head and …

From Accounting To Accountability: Harnessing Data For School Improvement, Lorna Earl

2005 - Using data to support learning

There was a time in education when decisions were based on the best judgements of the people in authority. It was assumed that school leaders, as professionals in the field, had both the responsibility and the right to make decisions about students, schools and even about education more broadly. They did so using a combination of intimate and privileged knowledge of the context, political savvy, professional training and logical analysis. Data played almost no part in decisions. In fact, there was not much data available about schools. Instead, leaders relied on their tacit knowledge to formulate and execute plans. In …

Benchmarks And Growth And Success... Oh, My!, G Gage Kingsbury

2005 - Using data to support learning

This paper will discuss some recent research concerning US attempts to use student proficiency standards to identify schools that are struggling. It will also discuss a model that combines growth and standards to improve our ability to identify successful schools. Finally, it will discuss the use of an assessment system that fosters improvement in education.

What Is The Nature Of Evidence That Makes A Difference To Learning?, John Hattie

2005 - Using data to support learning

The major argument of this presentation is to move the discussion away from data towards interpretations, from student outcomes to teaching successes and improvements, and from accountability models located about schools to located first in the classroom to support such evidence-based teaching and learning.The asTTle model, which has been developed in New Zealand, will be used in the Keynote presentation to demonstrate such a model. By locating evidence in the classroom we can improve the quality of information and interpretations sent to students, parents, Ministries, Ministers, and thence the community.We can influence the major agent that influences student and learning …

Using Data To Support Learning (Conference Proceedings), Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

2005 - Using data to support learning

Research Conference 2005 is the tenth national Research Conference.Through our research conferences,ACER provides significant opportunities at the national level for reviewing current research-based knowledge in key areas of educational policy and practice.A primary goal of these conferences is to inform educational policy and practice.

Turning Data Into Information That Improves Teaching And Learning: The Wa Experience, David Axworthy

2005 - Using data to support learning

This paper looks at some examples of the way in which the Western Australian Department of Education and Training is presenting student performance data and transforming it into information to assist teachers to modify their teaching practices and improve the learning of their students.

Using Hsc Data To Give Principals Leverage, John Decourcy

2005 - Using data to support learning

What makes the difference in student achievement? What elements among ‘what makes the difference’ can a school principal influence? How does the principal influence these for the better? How do teachers best take account of the pedagogical information available in data? How can we use the data available to address these questions?

Evolution Of The School District Superintendent Position, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Clearly, no issue is currently more crucial to the future of the position of school district superintendent than the battle being fought over professional preparation and state licensing. The intent of licensing professionals is to protect society and not the licensee. Consequently, a decision to deregulate a profession should not be made solely in political arenas in which self- and group interests are more likely to outweigh societal interests. This chapter is grounded in the belief that persons within a profession, regardless of their personal views, have a responsibility to ensure that policy debates of this magnitude will be objective …

A Framework For Teaching A Foreign Language Class Based On The Principles Of Chaos/Complexity Theory, Michael Kozden

MA TESOL Collection

Chaos/complexity theory first emerged in the study of the natural sciences over thirty years ago. Through the years, experts from a variety of fields have held this theory up as a new way in which to view the world around us, including its applications to the study of second language acquisition. The language classroom, like the natural world, can also be observed from this perspective because it exhibits many features of chaotic/complex systems. Language instruction in a classroom setting not only produces strange attractors and fractals, but is dynamic, complex, nonlinear, chaotic, self-organizing, unpredictable, sensitive to initial conditions, open, feedback …

Why Knowing About Disciplinary Differences Can Mean More Effective Teaching, Michele Marinkovich, Jack Prostko

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

This essay explores some of the latest research on how disciplinary differences affect faculty’s teaching in subtle and often unconscious ways.

An Evidence-Based Approach To School Improvement: A Case Study Of The Victorian Catholic Education Office, Melbourne, Teresa Angelico

2005 - Using data to support learning

The evidence based approach is integral to efforts by the Victorian Catholic sector to continually improve its effectiveness.There has been a concerted effort in the Victorian Catholic sector to broaden the professional experience and judgement of system personnel, school leaders and teachers by locating it within the available evidence and generating research studies to continually explore and test it. Evidence generation and transfer have been instrumental in shaping the design of literacy and numeracy programs.There is an increasing emphasis on using evidence as a tool for professional learning and to inform decision making related to improving the overall performance of …

Common Data Set, 2005-2006, Office Of Institutional Research And Assessment, Bridgewater State College

Common Data Sets

No abstract provided.

The Testing Effect: Using Retrieval Practice In The Classroom, Karen S. Clifton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Repeated testing was applied in a college classroom setting to determine whether a single intervening test, which allowed for retrieval practice, would improve performance on a final test compared to a single structured rehearsal of the material. Performance was measured using multiple-choice exams and relatedness rating tests. The findings suggest that a test condition which requires retrieval, when compared to a read-only condition, improves performance on a final test of item-specific knowledge but not on a test of relational knowledge of the same material. The difficulty of retrieval was manipulated using hard and easy questions on the intervening test and …

Ua56/1 Fact Book, Wku Institutional Research

WKU Administration Documents

Statistical and demographic profile of WKU.

What Do Freshmen Really Know About Research? Assess Before You Teach, Jean Caspers, Steven Mark Bernhisel

Faculty & Staff Publications

The article describes an effort to assess the information literacy skills of entering first-year college students. An instrument was developed and information was gathered on students' experience and comfort in conducting library research as well as their perceived competence with specific information literacy skills. In addition, students completed a skills test to assess specific knowledge and skills relating to information literacy. Entering first-year students generally self-reported their skills to be less than "excellent." This finding was supported by the results of the skills test. Strengths and weaknesses in information literacy skills are reported, as well as implications for librarians who …

A Technology Integrated Curriculum For An 8th Grade History/Civics Class, Kathy Colleen Chavez

All Graduate Projects

To ensure educational technology is used effectively, educators must put together a curriculum that will encourage students to ask questions and think about what they need to learn (Schrum, 2003). Educators must value the exploration that technology lends itself to and realize it can be a vital teaching tool. They must seek out professional development in the use of appropriate technology and become models of life-long learning for their students. In using technology within the classroom, educators must become comfmiable with and then develop ways technology can enhance what they teach (Schrum, 2003). This project's goal was to develop a …

Gender Differences In Student Learning: A Review Of The Literature From The Neuroscience And Psychology Perspectives, Noreen Ann Clark

All Graduate Projects

Literature from the fields of psychology and neuroscience were examined to establish what scientifically based information was available regarding gender differences. Myths of the past, psychological and neuroscientific perspectives, gender specific differences for students with genetic and metabolic-based exceptionalities, gender specific changes in behavior through maturation, and the educational implications for gender differences were included. The results indicated that children show developmental differences in expression of emotion, metacognition, and cognition, and the developmental differences are influenced by gender. The implications for educational practices are that curriculum, instruction, and assessment can be aligned to meet the unique need of both male …

Behavior Management Manual For Asa Mercer Middle School, John L. Paloy

All Graduate Projects

This project examined the creation and implementation of a behavior management manual for Asa Mercer Middle School, in the Seattle School District. The review of current research indicated that school behavior codes and manuals were more successful when they were open for revision and discussion, concise and relevant, used consistently amongst all staff as an educational tool, and containing systems for students to redeem themselves and be rewarded. Included are a concise behavior management manual for students, along with a staff edition with more annotated descriptions and implementation methods. The overall purpose of the manual was to create an educational …

Educating And Transitioning Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorders: A Working Manual For Teachers, Counselors And Administrators, Alessandra Whitehall

All Graduate Projects

This project examines incarceration rates, education, employment, substance abuse and intervention models for young adults with Emotional Behavioral Disorders (EBD). The results of the data demonstrate the discrepancies between persons with EBD and the general population. A manual is provided as a tool for teachers, counselors and administrators to use at the secondary level to assist them with the diverse educational and transition needs of students with EBD.

Supervisor Perceptions Of The Quality Of Troops To Teachers Program Completers And Program Completer Perceptions Of Their Preparation To Teach: A National Survey, William A. Owings, Leslie S. Kaplan, John Nunnery, Robert Marzano, Steven Myran, David Blackburn

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

[First Paragraph]

During winter/spring, 2005, 2,103 Troops to Teachers (T3) program completers and their school administrators from 49 states and the District of Columbia were surveyed to determine whether T3s were more effective in the classroom than traditionally prepared teachers who had comparable years of teaching experience. Respondents also returned information about their schools’ demographics, views about their teacher certification preparation program, and information about themselves, their teaching behaviors, and future plans. Sixty-one percent of the respondents returned completed surveys.

An Analysis Of Accelerated Christian Education And College Preparedness Based On Act Scores, Lisa J.L. Kelley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current paper discusses Christian education in relation to college preparedness. The author focuses on Christian education and the use of Accelerated Christian Education, a prepackaged curriculum, specifically used in private fundamentalist Christian schools. Relevant research is reviewed regarding college preparedness and Christian education. The researcher obtained the ACT scores received by graduates of an ACE school over the past five years. These scores were analyzed using a t-test of comparative means (p<.05) to determine if there were a significant differences in ACT scores between students at the Accelerated Christian School and the students of a public high school in the same area with a graduate college application rate of 75-83%. Scores were analyzed and a significant difference was found between the public school graduatesí scores and the ACE graduatesí scores in all areas of the ACT (English, Math, Reading, and Composite Score), except the area of Science Reasoning. Overall, the ACT scores of the ACE graduates were consistently lower than those of the public school students.

Assessing “Discover Mojave” Instrument Development And Analysis, Lori Olafson, Gregory Schraw, Jeanne A. Klockow

Reports (DM)

We developed a comprehensive assessment plan and tested the curriculum to determine whether hands-on outdoor recreation events promote knowledge, attitudes, and performance among at-risk urban children. Knowledge, attitude, and performance assessments were developed, refined and conducted through various stages based on cultural and language barriers as well a variety of age groups participating within the events. Findings revealed that knowledge, attitudes, and performance increased substantially as a result of participating in the outdoor recreation events. We conclude that the implementation and assessment of the program is strong. We also make several recommendations for future programs.