Education Commons^™

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 …

The Effect Of Teacher Retention On Student Achievement In Third Grade Reading/Language Arts, Kathy Bang Sellers

Dissertations

The United States government has placed emphasis on the placement of highly qualified teachers within each classroom through the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This becomes more difficult when teachers become frustrated for various reasons and leave the profession of teaching before gaining the necessary experience to positively impact student achievement.

The purpose of the study was to examine the possible relationship between teacher retention, teachers staying within the teaching profession, and the effect it has on student achievement. The study is based on individual teachers' class summary reports from the 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 …

Leadership Practices That Promote Increased Student Achievement In Secondary Schools, Billy Ray Jones

Dissertations

The purpose of the following study was to determine the degree to which the perceptions of teachers and school level administrators may differ, and the effects of these perceptions on student achievement as measured at the school level by the school’s accountability score reported in the form of the Quality Distribution Index (QDI). This index ranges from 0 to 300 and is used in the state of Mississippi to assign schools to one of seven accountability labels. Schools may be classified as one of the following depending on their QDI score: star, high performing, successful, academic watch, at risk of …

The Relationship Between Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Principal Leadership Behaviors And The Achievement Of Students With Disabilities, Margaret Elizabeth Constantino

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine special education teacher perceptions of principals’ instructional leadership behaviors and students’ academic achievement on the Georgia Comprehensive Criterion-Referenced Tests. The researcher sought to determine if a relationship between specific instructional leadership practices in the areas of setting direction, influencing others, and redesigning the organization as performed by the principal and as perceived by their teachers is related to the achievement of special education subgroups in English/Language Arts and Mathematics. Special educators from elementary schools, identified by the principals, were surveyed to measure the extent to which they perceived their principal exhibited specific …

School Counselor Assignment In Secondary Schools: Replication And Extension, Jennifer L. Williamson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Before school counselors can carry out the duties and responsibilities outlined as part of a comprehensive school counseling program, they must know which students they are responsible for helping. The topic of assigning students to school counselors has only recently been seen in the educational research arena in a study by Akos, Schuldt, and Walendin (2009). The current study attempts to replicate and extend the findings of Akos, Schuldt, and Walendin by addressing the questions of how secondary school counselors are assigned and what are their perceptions of their assignment. In addition, the study attempts to determine whether a particular …

Students' Learning Style Preferences And Teachers' Instructional Strategies: Correlations Between Matched Styles And Academic Achievement, Mary L. Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the current study was to identify the extent to which learning styles influence the educational process as well as the outcome of students, particularly elementary-age students, in terms of academic achievement. This study examined the potential relationship between the degree of match (as determined by comparing learning style preferences of students with instructional strategies of teachers) and the academic achievement of fourth grade students as shown by Palmetto Assessment of State Standards scores in four academic content areas, namely English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The researcher collected data from a sample of approximately 200 …

Principals’ Sense Of Efficacy And Cultural Factors In Rural West Virginia Schools, Louis Watts, Cynthia Kolsun, Vicky Cline, Leatha Williams

Leadership Studies Faculty Research

Some studies of rural education in the United States suggest there are unique features of rural communities that affect schooling and student outcomes. Appalachia has been a special interest of many studies. Chenoweth and Galliher (2004) measured the influence of three cultural factors associated with Appalachia on the college aspirations of rural West Virginia high school students: (1) localism, a sense of connection to the land, (2) historicism, the sense of understanding one’s place in the family and region where born, and (3) familism, the tendency to maintain close family ties geographically and interpersonally. A key influence in creating effective …

A Practical Method Of Policy Analysis By Simulating Policy Options, James L. Phelps

Educational Considerations

This article focuses on a method of policy analysis that has evolved from the previous articles in this issue. The first section, “Toward a Theory of Educational Production,” identifies concepts from science and achievement production to be incorporated into this policy analysis method.

A Journey, Not A Destination, James L. Phelps

Educational Considerations

Closing Essay: Much of the motivation and ideas for the articles in this special issue originated with my dear friend, Maris Abolins, Professor Emeritus of Physics at Michigan State University. We started as neighbors and, as our kids grew up together, we socialized frequently. He is responsible for my interest in physics. I would read a physics book, which would become the subject of our next dinner conversation (while our wives talked about other, more social topics). Instead of a compilation of facts, physics became a way of thinking about problem solving. The “unified field” theory was the start of …

Factor Analysis Of Explanatory Variables In An Achievement Production Function, James L. Phelps

Educational Considerations

Addendum: Combining explanatory variables into factors instead of using individual variables in an achievement production function is advocated in several of the articles in this special issue. The following is a brief overview of factor analysis explaining and illustrating the reasoning for this technique.

Another Look At The Glass And Smith Study On Class Size, James L. Phelps

Educational Considerations

One of the most influential studies affecting educational policy is Glass and Smith’s 1978 study, Meta-Analysis of Research on the Relationship of Class Size and Achievement. Since its publication, educational policymakers have referenced it frequently as the justification for reducing class size.

Elementary Students’ Perceptions Of Teachers: Factors That Influence Achievement, Susan Hladky

Dissertations

This quantitative study a) examined third grade students’ perceptions of teachers in relation to care, respect, help, and motivation to succeed; b) examined relationships among achievement, gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity and students’ perceptions of their teachers, and c) identified the relationship of students’ perceptions as they relate to higher levels of achievement. The research question that formed the basis of this study was: What is the relationship among student achievement, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and third grade students’ perceptions of their teachers? A correlational research design was used to identify relationships among students’ perceptions of teachers, gender, socioeconomic status, …

The Impact Of A School-Wide High School Advanced Placement Program And Culture On Participating Students' High School Achievement And Engagement Outcomes And First Year University Academic Success, Gregory E. Tiemann

Student Work

Along with a high grade point average and high standardized test scores, access and success in higher education is impacted by the courses on a student's transcript. Advanced Placement (AP) courses have set up a cooperative endeavor between secondary schools and colleges, increasing the likelihood of higher levels of educational attainment and early college success. An AP culture which challenges high school students in taking more advanced placement courses can serve as the greatest impact for them as they are bound for college and academic success. This study examined the relationship of AP courses and student achievement as measured by …

Is There A Relationship Between Positive Behavior Supports And Student Achievement?, Todd Edward Boucher

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between a school’s behavior program and student achievement. This study explored the many facets of school behavior plans from across the state of Mississippi and compared the responses of high school principals to the schools’ U.S. history standardized test scores.

School discipline has become an issue that schools find themselves dealing with on a daily basis. While school discipline issues are not new to the educational arena, the way in which some schools are handling them is changing. Some of the changes are as a result of changes …

The Relationship Between Inquiry-Based Science Instruction And Student Achievement, Michael Louis Suarez

Dissertations

Teaching science through inquiry has become a focus of recent educational reform in Mississippi and other states. Based on the Constructivist learning theory, inquiry instruction can take many forms, but generally follows the scientific method by requiring students to learn concepts through experimentation and real-world, hands-on experiences.

This dissertation examines the relationship between the amounts of time spent using inquiry-based science instruction and student achievement as measured by the Mississippi State Science Assessment. The study also identifies teacher perceptions of inquiry and the amount of professional development received by participants on using inquiry-based instructional techniques. Finally, this study identifies factors …

The Effects Of A Remedial Math Intervention On Standardized Test Scores In Georgia Middle Schools, Chastity London Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Schools are looking for interventions to improve academic achievement and increase test scores due to the requirements of No Child Left Behind. One such intervention in middle schools is remedial math. This causal comparative study examined the differences in the standardized test scores for at-risk students who receive remedial math instruction and at-risk students who do not receive this intervention. In addition, this study examined gender differences for the remedial math students. The Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test of 293 at-risk seventh-grade students was used in this study. Using the previous year's standardized math test scores as a control variable, there …

Comparative Achievement Of Students In A Freshman Academy With Those Not In A Freshman Academy By Race And Gender In One East Tennessee High School., April Campbell Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement of students who participated in a freshman academy program to the achievement of those who participated in the traditional high school curriculum. The researcher used grade point average and composite ACT score as determinants of achievement. The population consisted of the graduating classes of 2009 and 2010 at one East Tennessee high school. Independent sample t tests evaluated the relationship between achievement and type of freshman experience. The independent variables were participation in the freshman academy, being male, being female, and race. The dependent variables were grade point average and …

Comparative Study Of Reading First Schools Reading Achievement To Non-Reading First Schools., Wandaleen Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was any significant increase in the reading achievement of Reading First third grade students compared to the reading achievement of the third grade reading students in Non-Reading First schools located in southwest Virginia for 2004-2009. The Standards of Learning (SOLs) reading test scores were compiled from the Virginia Standards of Learning test scores that are available to the public from the Virginia Department of Education website. The elementary schools chosen for this study have a similar number of disadvantaged students and similar demographics. The reading achievement was being examined after …

Examining Student Achievement And Motivation Using Internet-Based Inquiry In The Classroom, Julie M. Lokie

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the pilot study was to compare middle school Family and Consumer Science student achievement and motivation in a classroom using Internet based inquiry to the achievement and motivation of students without the use of Internet based inquiry. The control group had 37 students and the experimental group had 21 students participate in the study. Each group was taught a two-week lesson on child growth and development. The control group was taught with a conventional, teacher-directed, method using textbooks and worksheets. The experimental group was taught with computers and an Internet based inquiry method. Students in each group …

Expanding A Validated Model: Effects And Antecedents Of Student Engagement, Barbara Nesbitt

All Dissertations

This study attempted to identify aspects of student engagement and capital inputs that impacted student achievement. The primary research question in the study asked: Does student engagement mediate the effects of capital inputs at the student, school, and class level to improve student achievement? The study also sought to understand how student engagement, capital inputs, and student achievement differed between White and African American students. This study used the 1990 and 1992 follow-up waves of the NELS:88 dataset. Two standardized scores defined student achievement: 12th grade reading and mathematics. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural …

How Do Teacher Qualifications Impact Student Achievement In Relation To The Achievement Model Established By The Mississippi Department Of Education?, Timothy Darren Holland

Dissertations

The following study was conducted in a six-county geographical region and involved teachers from various high schools that taught classes which were involved in the subject area testing program. Each participant taught one of the four state-mandated subject area classes that are tested to determine achievement levels and accreditation ratings for each high school.

The focus of the study was to collect information from each teacher regarding the qualifications they held during the 2009-2010 school year and to compare those qualifications with the mean scale score for each teacher’s subject area classes. The researcher focused on five separate teacher qualifications …

Middle School Students' Perceptions Of The Gender And Ethnic Gap In Achievement, Marian Elizabeth Hendrickson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study used a mix-method approach to determine achievement gap in gender and ethnicity. Quantitative data was collected from the 2008-2009 Arkansas state Benchmark exam to investigate the extent of the gap in the school. Qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with 13 students. The students were asked to explain their perceptions of the gender and ethnicity gap in the school. The use of two methods for this study enabled the researcher to better understand the actual achievement gap that appeared at the school and compare this information to the information provided by the participants. The Quantitative data gathered …

The Relationship Between Situational Leadership And Student Achievement, Hope Owens Beaver

Dissertations

The study of leadership has been one of great interest for many years and many leadership theories have since surfaced. Bolman and Deal’s (1991) situational leadership theory places leadership styles into four unique frames and suggests that the most effective leaders are able to utilize the most appropriate leadership frame that a situation might require. This study investigates these situational leadership frames which are structural, political, human resource, and symbolic and the relationship they may have with student achievement based on school performance labels given by the Mississippi State Department of Education.

The study was conducted in two months and …

The Effect Of Leadership Orientations On Student Achievement, Rhonda Davis

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between and impact of principals' leadership styles on student achievement as determined by school performance scores (SPS). Bolman and Deal's (1984; 2003) four leadership frames model (structural, human, political, and symbolic) were utilized to identify principals' leadership styles. The sample for this study consisted of 15 principals from low socioeconomic status (SES) schools and 17 principals from high SES schools located in north and middle Louisiana.

Schools were chosen by searching the Louisiana School Directory, which is based on grade configuration, pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. All schools in selected parishes …

Peer Relationships: Links Between Victimization, Participation, Depressive Symptoms And Achievement In The Classroom, Tiffany R. Murray Sydzyik

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examined the relationship between forms of victimization on participation, achievement, and depressive symptoms. Participation was hypothesized to mediate the link between victimization and achievement and internalizing symptoms such as depression. Two forms of victimization (overt and relational) were hypothesized to predict participation. Participation was also hypothesized to predict achievement and depression. Conducting a model estimation using structural equations modeling (SEM) showed that overt victimization had a significant negative relationship with participation, which means that for example, as overt victimization rates were higher, participation tended to be lower. These results also indicated that participation and achievement had a significant …

The Shift In Coaching Dynamics During Long-Term Business Coaching Relationships, Axel Meierhoefer

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The focus of this dissertation was on the changes in long-term external business coaching relationships (defined as more than 4 months). The current study intended to answer two questions: (a) how does the relationship between a coach and a coachee change in long-term coaching engagements? and (b) how do these changes impact the coaching process dynamics and results? The phenomenon that was discovered through this research is called the shift moment. It exemplifies the transition from skill or problem oriented issues, which often represent the original cause of the coaching relationship, to the holistic transformation of the coachee. A qualitative …

A Multiple Regression Analysis Of Factors Concerning Superintendent Longevity And Continuity Relative To Student Achievement, Timothy Plotts

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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What Is The Future Leadership Needed To Guide Organisations To Ongoing Success?, Terry Shevels, Celia Lopezmozo

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Two Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are having a bite of lunch. One of the CEOs complains to the other, “You know, my company is just not making it. We can’t seem to ‘keep up with the Jones.’ Everywhere I look our competitors are making gains on our territories while we lose ground. They’re expanding while we are not. They’re earning an ‘A team’ reputation, while we’re stuck with a ‘C’. I just don’t know how to turn things around.

The Relationship Between The Learning Styles Of Middle School Students And The Teaching And Learning Styles Of Middle School Teachers And The Effects On Student Achievement Of Students' Learning Styles And Teachers' Learning And Teaching Styles, Vanessa Mae Morrow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study of a rural West Tennessee school district examines the relationship of the learning styles of middle school students and the learning and teaching styles of middle school teachers and the effects on student achievement. With the use of the index of learning style survey (ILS), the paragon learning style inventory (PLSI), and the survey of teaching styles questionnaire, 577 students and 30 teachers were surveyed to explore if there is a relationship between the learning and teaching styles of teachers, as well as, determining if students' learning styles impact their achievement. The study finds that there is …

Examining The Attitudes And Outcomes Of Students Enrolled In A Developmental Mathematics Course At A Central Florida Community College, Leila Sisson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Examining students' attitudes toward mathematics has become extremely popular. This study examined the attitudes and outcomes of Beginning Algebra students at a central Florida community college. Quantitative methods were used to examine the students' initial composite attitudes toward mathematics. The initial composite attitude was used to examine the relationship between CPT scores and State Competency Exam scores. Further analysis was conducted to examine completers' and non-completers' initial attitudes. The composite change score was determined and quantitative methods were used to examine interactions between class sections, age, gender, and ethnicity.

The study began with 217 students and ended with 158. The …