Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

The Effects Of Repeated Readings On Third Grade Students' Reading Achievement And Attitudes, Tennille Kasper-Scheriff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the effects of a reading strategy, repeated readings, on third grade students' reading achievement and attitudes. One hundred sixteen third grade students as members of six classrooms in one elementary school participated in this 10 week study. Using a quasi-experimental pretest posttest design, students' mean reading scores and mean reading attitude scores were evaluated. The Measures of Academic Progress test was used to collect data on students' reading achievement (Northwest Evaluation Association, 2009), and student attitudes toward reading were measured by the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) (McKenna & Kear, 1990). Data was analyzed using analysis of …

The Impact Of Georgia's Esol Endorsement On Teachers' Attitudes And Secondary English Language Learners (Ells)' Achievement, Traci Mcbride

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As school districts are facing increasing pressure to meet annual yearly progress goals based upon the No Child Left Behind legislation (2001), teacher preparation and effectiveness, especially in teaching specific subgroups, is an issue that resonates with many educators today. This quantitative, causal-comparative study examined the impact teachers who have obtained an ESOL endorsement have on standardized test scores in six high schools within one district in northeast Georgia. Additionally, the researcher compared teachers' attitudes and perceptions of six themes towards ELL inclusion in their mainstream classrooms in these same schools with findings from the original survey designed by Reeves …

Examining Factors That Predict School Psychologists' Perceptions Of The Response To Intervention Process, Terry Bullock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With increasing emphasis on accountability measures and widespread focus on implementation of Response to Intervention (RtI) procedures in schools, it is critical to examine the impact these changes have on the role of practitioners involved in the process. This correlational study examined the factors of school psychologists' involvement in RtI, degree level, and years of experience to determine which of these best predict school psychologists' perceptions of the RtI process. Using information from the literature regarding RtI, the researcher's experience working as a school psychologist and with RtI, and review of a previous survey that examined RtI, an instrument was …

The Development And Benefits Of A Work Placement Module In Built Environment Related Degree Programs, Fiacra P. Mcdonnell, Ruairi Hayden

Conference papers

Work Placement learning has become a regular feature on many of the construction related courses being delivered in third level institutions both here in Ireland and throughout the world. This paper examines how a work placement module is delivered to a group of construction students on a construction management undergraduate degree course, and details changes that could be implemented to allow a greater learning experience for the students. On the surface it has been relatively successful but its true pedagogy value has not yet been assessed. This paper will assess the true value of the placement and recommend any changes …

Building A Culture Of Inquiry: Avoiding Plagiarism Through Teaching Synthesis, Anne R. Diekama, Sheri Haderlie

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Propensity Score Methods As Alternatives To Value-Added Modeling For The Estimation Of Teacher Contributions To Student Achievement, Kimberlee Kaye Davison

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential for using propensity score-based matching methods to estimate teacher contributions to student learning. Value-added models are increasingly used in teacher accountability systems in the United States in spite of ongoing qualms about the validity of teacher quality estimates resulting from those models. Using a large national dataset, teacher effects were estimated for 435 teachers using both value-added and propensity score-based approaches. The two approaches resulted in teacher effect estimates that were moderately correlated, with propensity score-based estimates more highly correlating with the value-added estimates as the matching ratio was increased. …

Student Success And Time Management In College Algebra, Steven Wallace, Mary Wolfe, June Jones, Gaston Brouwer

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

The panel will illustrate how the students’ completion of the instructional system ALEKS objectives correlates with student success and retention rates. The panel will also discuss the influence of factors such as time management on success and the promotion of good study practices for students using computer-based learning systems.

Implementing A Blended Model Of Mathematics Instruction – Issues And Outcomes, Natasha Brewley, Alvina Atkinson, Barry Biddlecomb

SoTL Commons Conference

The session will present issues and results from the implementation of a blended instruction model at the authors' institution. The blended instruction model involves coming together as a class less often and encourages student learning by making them more responsible for their learning outside of the classroom. In addition to describing the authors' home institution, this presentation will have three objectives: (1) Describe the blended instructional model (What is Blended learning and what does it look like?), (2) Present student evaluations. (What have students said about taking a course like this?), and (3) Present quantitative comparisons between blended and traditional …

The Accuracy Of Metacomprehension Judgments: The Biasing Effect Of Text Order, Tracy Linderholm, Xuesong Wang, David J. Therriault, Qin Zhao, Laura Jakiel

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Two experiments tested the hypothesis that relative metacomprehension accuracy is vulnerable when readers' cognitive efforts are biased by text order. It is proposed that the difficulty level of initial text information biases readers' estimates of text comprehension but is correctable when more cognitive effort is applied.

Method: In both experiments, participants were randomly assigned to read a series of expository texts in one of two text order conditions: easy-to-hard and hard-to-easy. Readers made estimates of their comprehension and took comprehension tests over their understanding of the texts in the series in order to determine relative metacomprehension accuracy.

Results: Experiment …

Teacher Effectiveness And Value-Added Modeling: Building A Pathway To Educational Malpractice?, Todd A. Demitchell, Terri A. Demitchell, Douglas Gagnon

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Arkansas’ Plan For Accountability And Achievement: Analyzing The Esea Waiver Request, Misty Newcomb, Greg Michel

Policy Briefs

In October 2011, President Obama developed rules for states to individually develop requests for waivers to the accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind. This week, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) submitted the plan for the state of Arkansas’ request for waivers.

The Legal And Policy Implication Of Value-Added Teacher Assessment Policies, Preston C. Green, Bruce D. Baker, Joseph Oluwole

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Faculty Achievements, March 2012 Report, Otterbein University

Faculty Achievement Reports

No abstract provided.

Needs Assessment Of Students And Student Groups [Presentation With Audio], John Sanders

Assessment & Accountability in Student Affairs & Higher Education (CNS 610)

No abstract provided.

Disciplinary Identity Of Nanoscience And Nanotechnology Research- A Study Of Postgraduate Researchers’ Experiences, Deepa Nathamuni Chari, Robert Howard, Brian Bowe

Articles

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology research although growing at very fast rate, its disciplinary identity remains ‘ill-defined’. It is often viewed as multidisciplinary; and/or interdisciplinary science or even as a unique discipline on its own way. As a consequence, whether this growing research area requires researchers that have studied specialised undergraduate or postgraduate nanoscience and nanotechnology programmes; or traditional science and engineering disciplines is still less understood. The examination of postgraduate researchers’ experiences of nanoscience and nanotechnology research can provide a way of understanding nanoscience and nanotechnology research and the associated forms of disciplinarity, which in turn can address what the type …

Development Of A Measure Assessing Knowledge And Use Of Internal Punctuation To Signal Syntactic Relationships, Pamela S. Van Horn Howard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A literary debate has been ongoing from the early 1900s regarding not only the place of grammar instruction in the classroom but even of the veracity of a grammatical standard, such as Standard American English, by which grammar skills may be measured. Very little empirical research has been attempted to compare the effectiveness of teaching methods because grammar assessment has been given even less attention. Therefore, to address this gap in the literature and to explore whether objective testing is suitable for assessing grammar skills, a 51-item measure was constructed to test the use of internal punctuation (commas, semicolons, and …

The On Track Survey 2011 Longitudinal Report : The 2007 Cohort 4 Years On, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood

Vocational, adult and professional education research

This report examines the pathways of young people who left a Victorian government school in 2007. The participants in this On Track longitudinal survey comprised 2346 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 1130 early school leavers. These young people were first contacted in 2008 as part of the annual On Track survey and were interviewed in each subsequent year until 2011. In the first year after leaving school, 70% of Year 12 or equivalent completers were participating in education and training, comprising 39% at university, 20% studying for a certificate and 11% in an apprenticeship or traineeship. By the fourth …

Correlation Of Conditional Admittance And Student Achievement In An Undergraduate Higher Education Setting, Joe Parisi

Dissertations

This paper explores several research questions that identify differences between conditionally admitted students and regularly admitted students in terms of achievement results at one institution. The research provides specific variables as well as relationships including historical and comparative aggregate data from 2009 and 2010 that indicate evidence related to student achievement. This paper examined several research questions related to any possible differences between conditional admission and student achievement. This was a quantitative study that provided results indicating that the conditional admit population ended with a first-year overall institutional Grade Point Average in the 70th percentile and the regularly admitted population …

Analizando La Literatura En Español Para Niños, Tana M. Oviedo

World Languages and Cultures

For my senior project, I have partnered with another MLL major, Rebecka Runyon, to read and analyze children’s books in Spanish at Pacheco Elementary School. Marlie Schmidt, a reading specialist at Pacheco, explained to us that Pacheco has a new manner of teaching how to read. This method has been broken into six different strategies: Making Connections, Asking Questions, Mental Images, Inferring, Evaluating, and Synthesizing. Each of these strategies is a tool that helps readers comprehend what they are reading. As there are many Spanish books in their school library, but very little help provided to analyze them, our job …

Professional Learning Community Impacts On Student Achievement In Middle School Mathematics, Jessica Stuewe

Mathematics Graduate Theses

The development of professional learning communities in middle level education is a relatively new and trendy concept sweeping the nation. School professional development committees are training large numbers of teachers through conferences, book studies and online webinars on how to collaborate to improve student learning. This research will explore the impact of the first year of implementation of a departmental professional learning community (PLC) on student achievement at the middle school level in the content area of mathematics. Student standardized test scores from 2010 and 2011 will be compared as a measure of success of the PLC. Teacher surveys are …

The On Track Survey 2011: The Destinations Of School Leavers In Victoria. Statewide Report, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood

Vocational, adult and professional education research

The On Track project was initiated in 2003. Since the first large-scale survey in that year, around 350,000 school leavers have participated in the On Track surveys, providing valuable insights into their post-school destinations and pathways. This 2011 report is based on data from telephone surveys of 35,002 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 3768 early leavers from the 2010 school year. The information was collected in April and May 2011. The report focuses on analyses at the state and regional levels.

The Role Of Faculty Members' Cross-Cultural Competencies In Their Perceived Teaching Quality: Evidence From Culturally-Diverse Classes In Four European Countries, Alain De Beuckelaer, Filip Lievens, Joost Bucker

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In the field of higher education, it has often been claimed that in culturally-diverse classes high levels of cross-cultural competence will result in better teaching performance among faculty. Unfortunately, to date this relationship has not been tested empirically. In this study, we examine the nature of this relationship using course-related survey data from faculty members (N = 46) teaching management-related courses to master's students (N = 1,219) in four EU countries (Belgium, France, Germany, and The Netherlands). Results demonstrate that cross-cultural competence (in particular showing a high degree of cultural empathy and being open-minded) is an important asset for faculty …

Preparing 21st Century Learners: The Case For School-Community Collaborations, Michele Lonsdale, Michelle Anderson

Program monitoring and evaluation

Highly effective schools have high levels of parent and community engagement. ‘Community’ here includes parents, business and philanthropic organisations, and various services and not-for-profit groups. How ‘engagement’ is defined and what it looks like in practice will vary from school to school. But, as the growing body of research makes quite clear, support from those beyond the school gates is an essential part of preparing learners for the twenty-first century. Schools are expected to prepare students for a complex and rapidly changing world. In addition to teaching subject content, schools are expected to develop young people who are information and …

Seeking A Framework To Study And Understand Personal Information Management, Anne R. Diekama

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Neighbourhood Satisfaction Among Residents : A Snap Shot Of 60+ Year Olds, Catherine Underwood

Children’s Independent Mobility and Active Transport

Neighbourhood satisfaction is an important component of life satisfaction and is associated with levels of well-being among older residents. Older resident’s satisfaction plays a significant role in influencing their level of engagement and interaction with neighbours and their feeling of safety within their neighbourhood.

This ‘snap shot’ highlights the extent to which residents aged 60 years and over living in six Victorian municipalities (3 metropolitan and 3 regional) felt satisfied and engaged with their neighbourhood. The sample comprised 816 residents drawn from a total sample of 2,313 residents. The data was collected from a self-completed survey distributed as a letterbox …

Parental Neighbourhood Satisfaction : A Snap Shot Of Parents Of 5 – 12 Year Olds, Catherine Underwood

Children’s Independent Mobility and Active Transport

A child-friendly neighbourhood increases children’s confidence to safely negotiate and explore their neighbourhood while enhancing their physical health and wellbeing.

This ‘snap shot’ highlights the extent to which parents of students aged 5 to 12 years living in six Victorian municipalities (3 metropolitan and 3 regional) are satisfied with their neighbourhood. The sample comprised 504 parents. Parents were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed with a series of statements about their neighbourhood. The data came from a self-completed survey sent home from school with students. Data was collected in 2010 for VicHealth.

With 10 per cent …

Children’S Independent Mobility And Dog Ownership : 8 To 12 Year Olds, Catherine Underwood

Children’s Independent Mobility and Active Transport

Many families are now acquiring pets to encourage children, to spend more time in the ‘real’, rather than the ‘virtual’ world. The rising prevalence in the number of children who are overweight or obese is increasing in importance as a public health issue in Australia (McCallum & Gerner, 2005). Walking and physical activity is strongly linked to improved general health and lower risks of obesity and associated health problems. A growing body of research shows that pet ownership has a number of physical health benefits. Studies now associate pets, and particularly dogs with increased levels of physical activity.

Children’S Independent Mobility : Fact Or Fiction: 8 To 12 Year Olds - Worried About Strangers, Catherine Underwood

Children’s Independent Mobility and Active Transport

The rising prevalence in the number of children who are overweight or obese is increasing in importance as a public health issue in Australia. Parental fear as a barrier to children’s independent mobility and physical activity has contributed to the decline in children’s physical activity. Timperio et al. (2004) and Veitch et al. (2006) have reported parents commonly identify ‘stranger danger’ as a barrier to children’s independent mobility within their community. In a recent VicHealth survey it was reported that 63 per cent of participants agreed parents should not let primary school age children move to and from places without …

Assessment Matters #15, Feb 2012, Assessment In Action Committee

Assessment Matters @ WMU

No abstract provided.

First-Year Superintendents‘ Perceptions Of Preparation And Practice, Brady D. Quirk

Dissertations

Through this qualitative study, the perceptions of first-year superintendents in Missouri were obtained regarding their graduate preparation program and the types of supports they sought in their new position. The superintendency is a complex role, requiring the school district leader to work within the often-conflicting framework of organizational manager versus instructional leader. The superintendents, both male and female from districts of varying sizes, were interviewed within this framework in order to make comparisons with the existing related literature. Certain themes emerged from the data, notably, a relationship between district size and the perception of the primary responsibilities of the superintendent. …