Education Commons^™

Accounting For Oral Language Skills In Children With Dyslexia: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Natalie Kay Olsen Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: In the present study, we conducted a systematic review to determine whether studies involving children with dyslexia include the assessment of oral language skills in their assessment batteries across various professional disciplines. Overlooking assessment of oral language in children with dyslexia may result in the misinterpretation of research findings and applications to children who present with both dyslexia and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) or experience secondary oral language deficits. Method: According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched the Elsevier Scopus database and obtained and analyzed 764 articles, up to 40 articles …

Exploring The Role Of Institutional Culture In Student Affairs Assessment Practitioners’ Experiences Implementing Equity-Centered Assessment, Jaime L. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Student affairs assessment is a field in higher education that emphasizes the measurement of effectiveness and student learning in student serving programs that take place outside of the classroom. Outcomes-based assessment is the basis of most assessment practices in student affairs, and focuses on the continuous improvement of out-of-classroom programs, services, and student learning. Many assessment practices stem from traditional research methods, which have been developed by people who hold mostly majority identities. These methods were not created with the rapidly changing demographics of today’s college-going students in mind. To help address the increasing diversity of college students and the …

The Use Of Single-Subject Research Design For Assessment, Evaluation, And Research In Higher Education, Jordan C. Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

While enrolling in a college for a degree is still considered to be more of the expectation than the rule in households across the United States it is facing public criticism regarding its overall cost versus long-term benefits. This has prompted researchers to reevaluate practices in higher education to determine ways in which post-secondary institutions can improve their overall outcomes. In part, research indicates that this should include revisions to assessment, evaluation, and research (AER) practices. Currently, higher education faces many challenges associated with rigorous AER practices, which include an institutional focus on accountability measures, organizational challenges, and difficulties in …

Improving Student Success In A Large-Enrollment Introductory Accounting Course, Melissa P. Larson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation follows a three-article format presentation. The topic addresses improving student success in a large enrollment introductory accounting course. The first article is a literature review of pre-class activities within a flipped classroom setting in higher education. The review of 34 articles identified as relevant to the literature review explored what the literature tells us about pre-class learning activities and synthesized what instructors can do to design pre-class activities that encourage students' preparation for class. The review showed the importance of pre-class learning in a flipped classroom and that more research is needed to better understand students' behaviors and …

Assessment Literacy: Using Computer Adaptive Test Data, Ogechi Iwuoha Njoku

Theses and Dissertations

This study employed a quantitative research design to examine teacher assessment literacy and its relationship to external and internal factors. The researcher sought to describe the level of assessment literacy that teachers demonstrate when using score report data from computer-adaptive interim assessment and to analyze whether teachers’ assessment literacy seems to be affected by: a) the quality of professional development training received; b) teachers’ level of self-efficacy; c) teachers’ attribution to student effort, that is their perception of the importance of student effort; and d) teachers’ attribution to context, specifically their perception of the importance of tests. For this study, …

Thriving In College: The Contribution Of Career Services To Student Success, Jodi M. Chowen

Theses and Dissertations

Career services in higher education has a long history of supporting student development and post-graduation success (American Council on Education, 1937; Rayman, 1999; Dey & Cruzvergara, 2014). However, there is a dearth of research identifying specific connections between engagement with career services and student success. College student thriving has been established in previous studies as positively contributing to traditional measures of college student success, including intention to persist, grade point average, institutional fit and satisfaction, and self-reported learning gains (Schreiner, 2013). Examining the relationship of student experience with career services and thriving provides a new way to evaluate the contribution …

Evaluation Of The Throw-Catch Assessment, Bryan Terlizzi

Theses and Dissertations

Motor competence assessment has been characterized by the evaluation of motor skill performance in closed performance contexts that lack task and environmental constraints reflective of real-world contexts. In contrast, the throw-catch (TC) assessment employs a dynamic task environment that allows performers to adapt over multiple trials to evaluate the degree of skilled performance via demonstration of a flexible and adaptable repertoire of both throwing and catching actions. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the developmental validity of the TC, as well as the content validity of the TC in terms of assessing throwing skillfulness.

Performance of the TC …

Trust In Schools, Student Race, And Third Grade Reading In New York City Public Schools, Alexa Sorden

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examines the relationship between teachers' and parents' trust in the school principal in association with third-grade students reading proficiency as determined by the New York State Testing Program. In addition, this study examines the association between combined trust scores and their influence on Black and Latino students’ reading proficiency. This study merged preexisting New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) Learning Environment Survey data and the New York State Testing Program examination data. Six hundred eleven schools comprised the final sample from the 708 public elementary schools that currently make up the NYCDOE traditional public school system …

Personnel Administrators’ Use Of The Interview Process As A Predictor Of Quality Principal Candidates: A Quantitative Survey Approach, Cynthia M. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

The hiring of qualified staff that believe in the vision and mission of the school in which they have applied can be seen as the most important and significant decision a school district can make. Poor hiring decisions can affect a school’s culture and climate for many years, as well as significantly impact the academic prowess of its students. Inadequate interview practices poorly vet job candidates resulting in a lack of performance in newly hired administrators, leaving schools vulnerable to mediocre teaching and low student achievement. The research looked to recognize the changing role of the school principal and to …

Improving Outcomes Assessment Through Silo Integration, Jeffrey Scott Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to leverage the experiences and perceptions of academic administrators at Mountain State University to disrupt the negative aspects of silo-based decision-making within closing the loop assessment practices. Siloed operations naturally begin to operate in contradiction to one another and often to the detriment of the organization. Focusing specifically on siloed operations across academic schools at Mountain State University, this study reveals issues of inefficiency and redundancy, and develops intervention strategies in an effort to improve closing the loop assessment efforts. These strategies include structural changes leading to a more integrated assessment model …

Applying The Comprehensive Evaluation Of Return-On-Talent-Investment Model (Certi) In Higher Education, Mazen Aziz

Theses and Dissertations

Economic turmoil has forced higher education institutions (HEI) to reduce expenditures in many areas, including human resource operations such as talent development. Before considering these cuts, HEI should conduct robust assessments of their efficacy, including whether they generate more revenue than they cost to administer. These assessments were critical contextually as state divestment in higher education and mounting public pressure against tuition hikes forced HEI to heavily rely on external funding sources, which became essential in these economically uncertain times. This three-article dissertation critically examined existing evaluation methodologies of a type of talent development initiative, faculty research development (FRD) programs, …

Exploring Neurocognitive Processes That Underlie Reading Performance In Children: A Foundational Study, Ayan Mitra

Theses and Dissertations

With advancement in brain research, neuroscience researchers have collectively informed our understanding of reading-related processes. Despite an extensive body of literature, many educators are not aware of specific neuroimaging findings related to phonological processing and word reading. Therefore, the study builds on this body of research by exploring the connection between the brain and reading scores. Quantitative EEG and standardized academic achievement analyses were performed on 60 school-aged children. Intrahemispheric coherence analysis at rest were conducted across the sample of participants and several coherence networks were extracted and compared to standardized reading achievement scores. Specifically, networks that included Brodmann area …

The Influence Of College-Readiness Testing On High School Students’ And Educators’ Attitudes On Education, Bradley Krauz

Theses and Dissertations

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College-readiness testing has increased drastically over the last thirty years, with increases in the number of Scholastic Achievement Tests and American College Tests taken by students. The number of Advanced Placement tests has also reached an all-time high. With states using these college-readiness assessments as high-stakes exit tests and the socioeconomic benefits connected to college attendance and graduation, the focus on college-readiness assessment has impacted the classroom environment. With more time spent preparing for college-readiness assessments, the environment in which students interact and grow has evolved. This qualitative case study, informed by Freire’s (2000) “banking concept” of education and …

Utilizing A Learner Centered Design Model To Support A Change In Grading And Assessment Practices, Carmen Margot Bergmann

Theses and Dissertations

Practices in grading and assessment have been studied extensively. Guskey and Brookhart (2019) found many studies dating back to the early 1900s, and one as early as 1888, that looked at the reliability and consistency of grades. Despite more than 100 years of research on grading and assessment practices and many efforts to change these practices, most practices today are remarkably similar to those utilized in the early 1900s. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the effects of using a Learner Centered Design Model to support a school staff in altering their beliefs and practices regarding grading …

The Magic Of Teaching And Assessing Writ [ Rid ] Ing, Kristina Koehler

Theses and Dissertations

Theories of hermeneutics (Moss) and complementarity (Broad and Boyd) claim that human understandings deepen when inquiries are informed by multiple perspectives. This thesis renders two distinct but related pedagogical enterprises—the teaching of writing and the teaching of horseback riding—reciprocally illuminating and complicating. As a result, the Elbovian “magic” of teaching, assessing, writing, and riding has come to light: the delicate humanity and intimacy of our work in both “communities of practice” (Star). My argument calls teachers to embrace this “magic” in our classrooms by addressing and normalizing fears that both we and our students experience. Doing so is essential to …

Orientation And Mobility Service Decisions: What Is Guiding Them If It Is Not Assessment?, Lauralyn Kay Randles

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: In this study, I sought to determine what tools are used during assessment and service delivery decisions. Also, the study worked to explore O&M specialist’s perceptions of factors impacting assessment results and service delivery decisions. Methods: A survey was employed to gather this information from O&M specialists spread throughout Midwest region of the United States. Seventy six O&M specialists completed the survey sharing about their experiences with O&M assessments and service delivery decisions. Analysis was completed using Microsoft Excel and a researcher establish codebook. Results: The participant’s caseloads and employment details varied greatly from one to another. The results …

Two Studies Conceptualizing Physical Literacy For Assessment Of High School Students In The United States, Chelsee Shortt

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Toward the advancement of physical literacy (PL) in the United States, the purpose of this dissertation was to operationalize the construct and work toward a foundational framework to which PL can be assessed. The purpose of Study 1 was to develop an operational conceptualization of PL via a modified Delphi approach. The purpose of Study 2 was to expand upon the findings from Study 1 by exploring adolescents' perceptions of PL using repertory grid analysis (RGA).

Methods: Study 1 used a sequential, mixed methods design. Participants (N=22) were national and international PL academics with peer-reviewed publications on PL or …

Let’S Be Perfectly Clear About Ambiguity: Exploring Instructor Use Of Strategic Ambiguity To Enhance Student Work And Learning Outcomes, Anna M. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Instructors often desire to be clear in their teaching. However, a new area of research raises the possibility that instructors can use ambiguity strategically in courses and assignments to foster improved learning outcomes in students. This study uses quantitative research methods to explore how student characteristics affect learning outcomes when presented with varying levels of instructor messaging regarding clear and ambiguous assignments. Specifically, the measured student’s tolerance for ambiguity, mindset, as well as learning orientation and grade orientation as well as the impact instructor messaging regarding assignments has on student’s learner empowerment and affective learning. Findings suggest that instructor messaging …

The Impact Of Project-Based Learning Assignments On The Writing, Communication And Interpersonal Skills Of Students In A College Skills Course, Aungeto Ditze Lockhart Sigman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the impact of project- based learning on the writing, communication and interpersonal skills of students in a college skills course. This course was required for students who were enrolled in at least one or more developmental courses. The purpose of this course was to equip the students with skills necessary for success during college and beyond. However, the syllabus for the course did not include any activities or assignments to improve the students’ writing, communication or interpersonal skills. As a result, the students were not successful in completing the final …

Undergraduate Students' Attitudes About The Collection, Use, And Privacy Of Search Data In Academic Libraries, Laura W. Gariepy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand undergraduate students’ attitudes about search data privacy in academic libraries and their preferences for how librarians should handle information about what students search for, borrow, and download. This is an important area of study due to the increasingly data-driven nature of evaluation, accountability, and improvement in higher education, along with libraries’ professional commitment to privacy, which has historically limited the amount of data collected about student use. Using a qualitative approach through the lens of interpretive description, I used the constant comparative method of data collection and analysis to conduct semi-structured interviews …

Impact Of Explicit Instruction Using Culturally Relevant Texts In Reading On Student Confidence, Wendy Harriford Platt

Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes an action research question focused on how explicit instruction in reading, coupled with culturally responsive teaching, can affect the confidence levels of African-American male ninth graders regarding their reading comprehension abilities. The research question seeks to illustrate the benefits of using explicit instruction in the context of materials seen as relevant by the student to unpack each step of the reading comprehension process thereby engaging students who otherwise view reading as a streamlined, passive process; it also uses teacher modeling to show how to increase reading comprehension, Also, classroom instruction on the secondary level makes use of …

Teaching To Assess: An Evaluation Of Assessment Education For Secondary Teacher Candidates, Daniel M. Frederking

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the assessment instruction of a four-year undergraduate secondary education program and its alignment to the teaching standards and the summative teacher licensure assessment. Document analyses were conducted on the program’s syllabi as well as the assessment portions of the InTASC standards and the handbook of the edTPA. Results highlighted several areas of misalignment in the areas of categorical concurrence, depth of knowledge, and range of knowledge. Also of note, preservice teachers in different secondary subject areas are receiving different amounts of assessment instruction. Additionally, local edTPA data was examined to highlight areas of strength and weakness. Students …

Changes In Teacher Thinking And Action In Response To The Next Generation Science Standards, Angela R. Bowden

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the role of K-12 science teachers’ understandings and perceptions of the Next Generation Science Standards, implementation of the new standards in the classroom, and potential barriers to implementation as reform stakeholders had envisioned. Grounded in the relevant literature and working from the Teacher-Centered System Reform framework, this study employed a quantitative approach to data collection. The TCSR Model framed this study by linking teachers’ demographic and professional profile, teaching experience, professional development, district-level, school-level, and classroom-level contexts and illuminates the dynamic effect the factors have on teachers’ thinking and their practice. The study recognizes teachers’ knowledge and …

The Feasibility Of Assessing Parent And Child Letter Knowledge In At-Rrisk Families Within A Museum Enrichment Setting, Jeny Sara Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE FEASIBILITY OF ASSESSING PARENT AND CHILD LETTER KNOWLEDGE IN AT-RISK FAMILIES WITHIN A MUSEUM ENRICHMENT SETTING

by

Jeny Sara Thomas

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2017

Under the Supervision of Professor John Heilmann

Purpose. This study addressed alphabet knowledge with children/parents who may be at-risk using a museum environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the parent- and child-level assessments developed were appropriate to measure letter knowledge and children’s home literacy environment (HLE) from at-risk families and implement a museum enrichment program for the children/parents within a museum experience.

Methods. Fourteen parent-child dyads from the Family …

Reading Workshop & Formative Assessment: Maximizing Quality Reading Instruction, Katherine Ann Lindner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to closely examine an elementary teacher’s classroom practices in implementing reading workshop, to examine her assessment practices within this model and to see if, when, and how her assessment practices support or enhance constructivist practices within reading workshop. This qualitative case-study, was designed to examine, in depth, the teaching practices of one teacher attempting to implement constructivist teaching and learning practices in literacy instruction (reading in particular) in her classroom. The findings revealed that teachers implementing reading, when coupling that with formative assessment practices, can use those practices to enhance and grow students’ reading …

Teacher Perspectives On The Impact Of High-Stakes Testing On Students With Disabilities : A Grounded Theory Study, Tammy Marie Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 (IDEA), No Child Left Behind Act 2001 (NCLB), and Every Child Succeeds Act 2015 (ESSA) has changed how public schools adapt to standards and accountability systems for all students, including students with mild-to-significant cognitive disabilities. Federal legislation has changed the focus of teaching and learning since the implementation of NCLB. This movement has altered the way students with disabilities are compared to their same-age peers.

High-stakes testing has generated numerous challenges for educators, administrators, parents, and students across the nation. Increased pressure has been placed on schools to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), …

A New Approach: Closing The Writing Gap By Using Reliable Assessment To Guide And Evaluate Cross-Curricular Argumentative Writing, Jody Bauer

Theses and Dissertations

Educational standards emphasize cross-curricular literacy and complex skills at the secondary level. These standards align to the heightened priority of argumentative writing across disciplines. With increasingly complex and shifting writing expectations, assessment practices need to be implemented to mirror these expectations. Two primary components to effective assessment are the ability to inform teaching and improve student learning. This study is designed to test the reliability of a process-oriented rubric as a tool to evaluate argumentative writing in the cross-curricular context, and as a tool to guide classroom practices based on student readiness.

The purpose of this study is to observe …

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 …

Formative Assessment Strategies: Levels Of Use By High School English And Mathematics Teachers, Danielle Love Hauser

Theses and Dissertations

The levels of use of formative assessment strategies and types of feedback by high school English and mathematics teachers were examined. A non-experimental, quantitative survey approach was used to test whether the levels of use of formative assessment strategies vary by content area taught (English vs. mathematics), teacher's perceptions of their knowledge of these practices, and other teacher demographics (e.g., gender, years of experience, degrees/ qualifications). Survey items on formative assessment strategies included specific items from Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Doing It Right Using It Well. Feedback survey questions were based on Nyquists' typology of feedback. One-hundred twenty-five surveys …

Raising The Standard: An Assessment Of Peer Collaboration As An Enhancer Of Speech Evaluation Fidelity, Terrell Kody Frey

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the state of speech evaluation training in the basic communication course at Illinois State University. Specifically, a new type of pedagogy known as the "peer workshop" is integrated into the course as a potential supplement to the speech evaluation training procedures. Quantitative and qualitative methods reveal how the course has become engrained into the academic expectations of the student body and identify written peer feedback as a necessary focus of future training in the classroom. Specific theoretical and pedagogical implications, as well as limitations and future directions, are discussed in detail.