Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Ets Major Field Test In Business, Robert Balik, Judy Swisher

Assessment Grants

Presentation on the use of the ETS Major Field Test in Business by faculty from the Finance and Commercial Law department.

The Sales & Business Marketing Program: Should Anyone Buy What We Are Selling?, James Eckert, Steve Newell

Assessment Grants

No abstract provided.

Panels On Assessment, Training, Help And Support: "Implementing Sustainable And Useful Assessment-So What's The Problem? ", Office Of Assessment And Undergraduate Studies

Assessment Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Panel Discussion On Assessment At Western Michigan University, Office Of Assessment And Undergraduate Studies

Assessment Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Gender Differences In The Aviation Flight Science Program: A Study Of Performance, Lisa Whittaker

Assessment Grants

No abstract provided.

University Assessment Grant Fellows 2005-06 - Public Presentation Agenda, Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Assessment Grants

Program of public presentations by the University Assessment Grant Fellows of 2005-06.

Uctc Computer Screener: Assessing Needs Of Diverse Students, Evelyn B. Winfield, Elaine L. Phillips

Assessment Grants

Presentation on a data management system for assessment data for the University Counseling and Testing Center.

Assessing Cultural Competence In Hper: What Do We Say We Do?, Jody Brylinsky

Assessment Grants

Presentation on assessing cultural competence in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation programs.

Panels On Assessment, Training, Help, And Support At Wmu For 2006-07, Office Of Assessment And Undergraduate Studies

Assessment Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of The Michigan Transition Outcomes Project, Jane E. Finn

Dissertations

This study investigated whether the Transition Outcomes Project used in Michigan resulted in improved compliance with the transition components required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA 1997) and interviewed staff who have implemented this model to identify their perceptions ofhow it affected the transition planning process for students with disabilities. The study used qualitative and quantitative measures. The quantitative measures studied the effectiveness of the model, while the qualitative measures investigated the perceptions of the school personnel who implemented the model in their district.

Findings showed that the Michigan Transition Outcomes Project is an effective model …

Meaningful Learning: Reconciling The Tensions Between Constructivist And Environmentally Sustainable Pedagogy, Nancy Van Kannel-Ray

Dissertations

Critics of constructivism argue, in many ways correctly, that this approach to education is culturally and environmentally damaging because constructivism may not develop an understanding of the interdependence between the human community and the world in which people live. Advocates for environmentally sustainable pedagogy argue the importance of understanding patterns of thinking that allow communities to live sustainably. The purpose of this study is to resolve the tensions between the two pedagogical frameworks: constructivism and environmental sustainability.

The tensions are resolved in two ways. First, there are forms of constructivism that align in viable ways with the criteria critics argue …

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.

Mis Startup For The Sociology Departmental Assessment Plan, Susan L. Caulfield

Assessment Grants

No abstract provided.

Assessment System Development, Patrick Benton

Assessment Grants

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Library Instruction On Undergraduate Learning Outcomes, Maira Bundza, Barbara J. Cockrell

Assessment Grants

No abstract provided.

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.

Using Portfolios As Evidence Of Candidate Growth & Program Impact, Cynthia Carver, Paul Vellom, Katharine Cummings

Assessment Grants

Presentation on the use of portfolios for assessment in the Department of Teaching, Learning & Leadership.

A Superintendent's Guide To A Successful Bond Proposal, Scott D. Mollenberndt

Masters Theses

For most school districts it has become increasingly difficult to gain voter support for bond referendums. In addition, there is little information available for the superintendent and board of education to reference when considering a bond campaign in their community.

In response to these concerns, "A Superintendent's Guide to a Successful Bond Proposal" was developed to provide campaign strategies, timelines and a sequential list of events for the superintendent to consider. Examples of campaign strategies employed by the Edwardsburg Public Schools, Edwardsburg, Michigan during their successful bond referendum are included as appendices throughout the guidebook.

Through this research, seven essential …

Teachers’ Career Decisions In A Cognitive Framework: Logistical Regression Analysis Of A National Data Set, Tamara H. Rosier

Dissertations

Research was conducted in order to determine if extrinsic, cognitive or situative sets of variables could predict teachers' career decisions using the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). Questions from the survey were divided into three cognitive perspectives: extrinsic, cognitive, and situative. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to predict group membership among those who chose to stay in their current position and those who left the profession.

Results for the extrinsic set of variables indicated that while the model was a good fit, the ability of the model to predict was low. Teachers agreeing that student behavior interferes with ability …

A Comparative Study Of Interrater Reliability Coefficients Obtained From Different Statistical Procedures Using Monte Carlo Simulation Techniques, Ebrima Nying

Dissertations

Reliability estimation is a key research component within the global area of educational assessment. The literature reports numerous studies using different statistical techniques for estimating reliability of educational measures. However, few have focused on the estimation of interrater reliability of performance assessment (Abedi, Baker, & Herl, 1995). Specifically, this study compared three different methods for estimating interrater reliability to determine if there are differences among these estimates as a function of: sample size, measurement scale, number of raters and the theoretical population reliability (rho). The three methods of estimation were the Intraclass Correlation (ICC(2, k )) (Shrout & Fleiss, 1979), …

Structural Equation Modeling As A Tool For Multisite Evaluation, Carl Edward Hanssen

Dissertations

Two fundamental purposes exist for program evaluation: to document program results and to improve programs. These purposes are commonly called summative and formative evaluation. The fundamental questions related to these purposes are (1) what occurred in the program? and (2) how can the program be improved? The answer to the second question implies the need to explain why program results occurred.

This dissertation developed an approach to support formative evaluation and answering the question of why program results occur. This approach integratedmultisite evaluation, theory-based evaluation and structural equation modeling. The context for this dissertation was the National Science Foundation's Advanced …

Use Of Evaluation Findings In Michigan’S 21St Century Community Learning Center Programs, Wendy L. Tackett

Dissertations

There is a lack of empirical evidence demonstrating the use of evaluation findings within grant programs such as the 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs (CCLCs). This study was designed using Michigan's federally-funded CCLCs to meet the following purposes: to explore the use of evaluation findings; to determine the relationship of the use of evaluation findings by local school administrators to the employment of an internal or external evaluator; to identify evaluator qualifications connected to evaluation use; and to determine whether there are relationships between the Program Evaluation Standards (Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, 1994) utility domains and …

Measuring Spelling Growth Over Time In Elementary Writing Samples, Pamela M. Ansell

Masters Theses

Developmental spelling stage theories have been proposed and disputed for 30 years. The current study used Gentry's (1982) model to assign category ratings to narrative writing samples produced by 32 students over two years to observe developmental growth over time. In addition, quantitative measures were obtained from the samples, including an index of control (Laminack & Wood, 1996) and a percentage correct. Analyses were also used to test the effectiveness of using a writing lab approach (Nelson, Bahr & Van Meter, 2004) on spelling development. During the last half of second grade, all 32 students received intervention guided by the …

2003 University Assessment Fellows Public Seminar, Office Of The Provost

Assessment Grants

This is the program to the public presentations of the first Assessment Fellows of 2003-04:

• “Assessing the Quality of Library Services” Galen Rike, University Libraries •
• “Assessing Student Understanding of Mathematical Proofs” Tabitha Mingus, Mathematics
• “Assessing Student Preparedness for Field Experiences” Bryce Dickey, Family and Consumer Sciences
• “Assessing Life Long Learning Skills of Engineering Students” Betsy Aller, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering & Barbara Cockrell, University Libraries
• “Occupational Therapy Program Evaluation Database” Jaclyn West-Frasier, Occupational Therapy & Kieran Fogarty, MD, Occupational Therapy
• “Determination of a Rating Scale for the Visual Arts” Joyce Kubiski, School of Art

An Investigation On The Impact Of The Structure Of Summative Student Evaluation On Self-Regulated Learning, John Charles Ritzler

Dissertations

Many hypotheses have been offered regarding the impact on learning caused by the most traditional practice of summative student evaluation, namely that of assigning marks to students. Sufficient evidence exists to suggest this practice often has detrimental effects. This study was designed to investigate the following three questions: (1) How does the method of summative student evaluation impact self-regulated learning in low-achieving high school mathematics students? (2) How does the cognitive level of the task mediate the relationship between method of summative student evaluation and self-regulated learning? (3) How does the length of time students are exposed to a method …

After Turning Points: Evidence Of The Adoption Of Middle School Reforms In The United States 1987-2000., Nancy Barnes Mansberger

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the adoption by U.S. middle schools of key practices recommended by the 1989 Turning Points report. Three questions were examined: (1) To what extent have the organizational practices identified by research to impact the development of "small learning communities" been adopted by U.S. middle schools? (2) To what extent do the instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers reflect developmentally responsive or traditional/bureaucratic methods?, and (3) Do the instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers differ between those who teach in schools with developmentally responsive organizational practices and those who teach in …

A Test Of Factor Analysis As A Validation Procedure For Physician Certification Examinations, Jeffrey D. Greene

Dissertations

Two physician certification examinations from different medical specialties were investigated. The purpose of the study was twofold: 1) to determine the similarities between the factor structure of the examinations and their respective tables of specifications; and 2) to demonstrate the relative efficacy of factor analysis in differentiating the structure between two related but dissimilar domains of information. Specialty A is a homogeneous discipline focused on a relatively narrow concentration of organs, body systems and anatomy. This examination contained 309 items. There were 845 cases available for analysis. Specialty B is a heterogeneous area of specialty concerned with numerous areas of …

Have Charter Schools Materialized Their Promise A Contrast Between Rhetoric And Reality, Mary Kay Kempker-Vandriel

Dissertations

Charter schools are a growing force in American education. Parents are demanding a choice in their child's public education. Are charter schools better than traditional public schools? Have charter schools kept their promise?

In the study regular public schools and charter schools were compared along five dimensions: (a) opportunity for learning and access to quality education, (b) innovative teaching methods and participative management, (c) teacher job satisfaction, (d) parent involvement, and (e) school accountability. Existing data from the 1999/2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) were analyzed with primarily chi-square tests and one t-test. These analyses provided results in relation to …

How Does It Mean? Literary Theory As Metacognitive Reading Strategy In The High School English Classroom, Lisa J. Schade

Dissertations

In the last two decades, serious scholarly attention has been paid both to theories of teaching reading and to theories of literary interpretation. These potentially related fields have been treated as separate, focused either on teaching reading in the elementary grades or on teaching interpretation to advanced college literature students. Until very recently the relevance of either reading theory or literary theory to middle school or high school pedagogy has remained unexamined. My research, as a reflective practitioner, addresses this important gap. I focus on the teaching of literary theory in the high school English classroom as a strategy to …

The Relationship Between Financial Aid And Freshman Persistance At A Midwestern Liberal Arts College, Jack Phillip Powell

Dissertations

College student persistence has been one o f the most important topics discussed in higher education over the last 25 years. The consequences of student attrition from our colleges and universities are immense for the individual student and institutions alike. One of the purposes of student financial aid is to promote student persistence. The need for empirical research to assess whether financial aid is accomplishing this vital purpose is critical Research is particularly important given the significant shifts in policy brought on by the 1992 Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. This study addressed two research questions. The first deals …