Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

The Implications Of Accountability Models Weighing The Same Student Data Differently, Neely Traylor

Online Theses and Dissertations

There is little debate about whether or not the U.S. education system is in need of reform. Some people believe that public education reform will come about with high-stakes accountability and policies like No Child Left Behind (2001). States around the nation are facing similar questions. For example, how do we best determine college and career readiness and assess the quality of the education provided by our schools? The most common indicator of quality in public schools has been achievement test scores. This study examined three elementary and two high school drafts of the Kentucky educational accountability system known as …

The Effects Of An Education Recovery Team On Teacher Professional Practices, Collective Teacher Efficacy And Student Achievement In Persistently Low Achieving Schools, Stella Ann Burns

Online Theses and Dissertations

This paper is an exploration of the daily work of education recovery teams in turnaround schools in eastern Kentucky. Data used for this analysis were collected from the Kentucky Department of Education. Data from the identified persistently low achieving schools was compared to pre and post-test over one school year to determine the effectiveness of the turnaround practices on the low achieving schools. Forty-one schools have been identified in the state as low performing; sixteen in the eastern service region. Findings from this study lend insights into the work of education turnaround and best practices of education recovery teams. The …

The Impact Of Orientation Programming On Student Success Outcomes At A Rural Community College, James M. Davis

Online Theses and Dissertations

Economic and fiscal challenges, increased public scrutiny, and calls for accountability from stakeholders necessitate that community colleges work diligently to improve student success outcomes. Programs, services, and initiatives need to be developed and implemented that will increase student retention. Orientation is an important intervention service that can help new students to acclimate and make a more successful transition to college. There is a need to study programs that increase student success, and new student orientation programs have demonstrated their promise in reducing student attrition. This quantitative study examined a first year new student orientation program at a rural community college …

Differences In Training Programs And Time Trial Performances Of Teenage Sprint Freestyle Swimmers, John Andrew Stratman

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of three different training programs on timed swims made by competitive teenage sprint freestyle swimmers of both genders during a typical five-month high school season. Coaches from five teams assigned 49 female and 38 male swimmers from age 13 through age 17 (M = 14.97 years) into one of three training programs. The programs were P1 (swim only, n = 20), P2 (swim plus plyometrics, n = 59), and P3 (swim plus plyometrics and weights, n = 8). Competitive swim experience ranged from novice to seven years or more (M …

Factors Influencing College Attendance Of Appalachian Kentucky Students Participating In A Federal Educational Talent Search Program, William Bowling

Online Theses and Dissertations

Post-secondary education is quickly becoming a requirement for many growing careers. Because of this, an increased focused on post-secondary enrollment and attainment has been seen in the education community, particularly in the K-12 systems. To that end a large number of programs and organizations have begun to provide assistance to these students in the form of academic advising, college coaching, and personal enrichment. Since the enactment of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, there has been a burgeoning population of such programs like the TRIO family.

The purpose of this study was three-fold. The first objective was to determine the …

The Effect Of A Student Support Services Program On Academic Success At An Appalachian Comprehensive University, Ryan Martin Wilson

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of the NOVA program, a Students Support Services program at Eastern Kentucky University, on academic success for first-generation and low-income college students. An archival database was used to identify differences in the level of academic success among first-year students in the NOVA program from fall-to-fall of their freshmen year compared to non-NOVA students of comparable backgrounds. Additionally, a survey was administered to identify which services provided by NOVA as rated by participating students predict academic success. Results showed that NOVA students have higher cumulative GPAs, retention rates, and percentage of credits earned. Analyses of the …

Choice Of College Major: An Exploration Of Appalachian Female Choice Of An Early Childhood Education Major, Lisa Newton Gannoe

Online Theses and Dissertations

First generation Appalachian female students are exposed to gender differences in roles and career choices that are modeled in the family. A case study approach was used to obtain qualitative data from five students at Eastern Kentucky University and their mothers regarding why these students chose to major in child development and early childhood education. Bandura's Social Cognitive Learning Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory were used as frameworks for the study. The findings of the study are valuable in advising college students' on selection of a college major and recruitment of dedicated child development and early childhood education professionals …

Effective Methods Of Formative Assessment, Chelse Rae Bugg

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to explore the implementation of formative assessment in the mathematics classroom. Formative assessment is considered to be any data-driven activity that an educator uses to help guide and improve instruction. While there is an abundance of research that concludes that formative assessment does indeed improve student achievement, practical methods of implementation are not thoroughly discussed. To partially determine which methods of formative assessment most positively impact student achievement, a study was conducted at Lafayette High School. The researcher compared two popular methods of formative assessment: daily exit slips and unit probing (pre-, middle-, and …

Backboards And Browsers: A Qualitative Examination Of The Experiences Of Division I Student-Athletes In Online Courses, Jonathan Patrick Healy

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research explored the experiences of student-athletes in online education. Interviews were conducted with scholarship student-athletes enrolled at a Bowl Championship Series level, Division I institution. Participants had completed at least one online course while actively participating in their sport. A conceptual framework was developed to describe the experiences of student-athletes in online education from course selection through completion, describing the nature of course work, perceived challenges and advantages, and the influence of athletics. The resulting themes included: flexibility, the student-athlete affect, use of technology, time management, and lack of interaction.

A Case Study Of Two Rural Elementary Schools: What Are The Identified Characteristics That Make School A Outperform School B In Reading?, Emily Taylor Finley Levey

Online Theses and Dissertations

The research objective was to gain a greater understanding of schools in rural Kentucky communities. Through interviews and surveys the investigator studied two schools with a similar populations facing many of the same obstacles, such as, a low socioeconomic status. The 2007-2008 Kentucky Performance Report stated that School A had an Academic Index of 105.7 in the area of reading and that School B had an Academic Index of 82.4.

Through the research, the investigator expected to better identify the gaps between lower performing and higher performing elementary schools in the region. My research question was, A Case study of …

The Relationship Between Teacher Efficacy And Use Of Data To Inform Instruction In Two Turnaround Middle Schools, Peggy Conrad Petrilli

Online Theses and Dissertations

Schools across our county must ensure that an increasing percentage of students meet state-specified proficiency standards for the schools to be rated as making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The longer a school fails to make AYP, the more severe are the corrective actions that must be undertaken.

This study looks at two turnaround middle schools in the western United States, which were determined to be among the lowest-performing five percent in their state. The turnaround model adopted by this school district is the transformational model of school turnaround. This model requires replacing at least 50% of the staff and principal, …

A Content Analysis To Investigate The Evidence Of 21st Century Knowledge And Skills Within Elementary Teacher Education Programs In The United States, Mary Margaret Ruettgers

Dissertations

Are graduates of teacher preparation programs adequately prepared with the skills and knowledge to teach in the 21st century classroom? This study consisted of a quantitative content analysis to investigate the presence of 21st century knowledge and skills within a stratified random sample of teacher preparation programs in the United States as measured by the 21st Century Learning Framework. Based on the current literature, the researcher identified 21st century competencies: global awareness; digital competencies; critical thinking; collaboration; cross-cultural; communication; and problem solving. For null hypothesis numbers two through eight, the researcher determined how closely the institution’s mission statements, course descriptions, …

Casa De La Solidaridad: A Pedagogy Of Solidarity, Kevin Yonkers-Talz

Doctoral Dissertations

Casa de la Solidaridad has been recognized as an innovative and effective educational model within Jesuit higher education yet, until now, there have only been verbal presentations of the unique attributes of the Casa de la Solidaridad model. In addition, there has been a lack of information regarding the influence of the Casa experience on the lives of alumni. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to thoroughly describe and document the unique attributes of the Casa de la Solidaridad model, and 2) to provide some insight into how the Casa program has influenced the lives of Casa alumni. …

The Relationship Between The National Survey Of Student Engagement Scores And Persistence Data From The Freshman Year To The Sophomore Year Among Georgia Southern University Students, Steve G. Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is an assessment tool administered to university undergraduate students and used to determine the degree to which they are engaged with their academic environment. The NSSE asks students to assess themselves in five categories: level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences and supportive campus environment. This correlational study, also consisting of Chi-squared tests and t tests, examined the relationship between data from the NSSE by Georgia Southern University (GSU) students (independent variables) and whether first year undergraduate students persisted (re-enrolled) to their second year (dependent variable). Specifically, …

International Advertising Education In A Digital World: Achieving Global Competency, Frauke Hachtmann, Nancy Mitchell, Bruce Mitchell, Sheila Sasser

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How Common Is Common?, Elizabeth Burns, Sue Kimmel, Kasey L. Garrison

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2010) aims to develop students who are college and career ready in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language. The standards also emphasize students' need "to understand other perspectives and cultures" (p. 7). Appendix B of the document includes lists of exemplar texts (stories, read-aloud stories, poetry, and information texts) to help educators choose texts that meet the recommended qualities of complexity, quality, and range. This study examines the Appendix B stories and read-aloud stories at the K-5 …

Assessing Intern Impact Factors For Program Evaluation And Improvement, John Brady, Randy T. Busse, Jeanne Anne Carriere, Michael Hass, Kelly S. Kennedy

Education Faculty Articles and Research

We present the results of a program evaluation system for examining school psychology interns' impact on the academic and behavioral functioning of children. Outcome data from a variety of single-case problem-solving interventions conducted from 2008-2012 indicated overall moderate, positive effects. Global supervisor ratings indicated strong perceptions of the interns' positive impact on the children they served.

Capillarity: A Theory Of Mlearning And Its Application In Emerging Markets, David Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The theory of capillarity is an organic metaphor invoked to explore the role of network communications as a vehicle for education in a healthy society. Capillarity is offered as a theory in two parts: a mechanism for distribution and a method for engagement. Capillarity seeks to build an architecture that reflects radical humanism's emphasis on access and inclusion as a vehicle for classical humanism's emphasis on the individual expansion of potential and consciousness. The technical instrument whereby this program of humanist education may be deployed is mLearning

Building Self-Directed Teachers: A Case Study Of Teachers' Perspectives Of The Effects Of Cognitive Coaching On Professional Practices, Kevin S. Bjerken

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This case study of a single school district aims to identify teachers' perceptions of how their professional practices have been affected after four years of receiving Cognitive Coaching. Cognitive Coaching was used in participants' professional development as a part of an Alternative Teacher Professional Pay System and included three observational cycles per year for four consecutive years with a certified Cognitive Coach. Through focus group interviews and surveys, Cognitive Coaching was found to have multiple positive effects on professional development, according to the perspectives of the sample group. Themes of an increase in reflective practice, increased awareness level, and greater …

Predictors Of Academic Success Between On-Track And Off-Track Students In A Mexican University, Jesus Francisco Hinojos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to assess how predictors of quality of academic effort relate to academic success and student persistence of on-track and off-track students in a higher education institution in Northern Mexico; to investigate the relationship of pre-entry attributes,

family background and academic success as expressed by GPA among on-track, off-track and dropout students. And to examine the relationship between participants quality of effort invested in their own learning and development in six academic areas and four areas of college students' social activities.

This study utilized the College Student Experience Questionnaire (CSEQ) to determine the quality …

The Construction Of Gender Occupations In Mexico: Government Issued Elementary Textbooks, Anna V. Haro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Historically, gender occupational stereotyping has mainly affected women across numerous social areas. Given that political socialization plays a key role in the classroom, analyzing the gendered language and images in textbooks can help determine social expectations and the efficacy of gendered policies. Previous works suggest that elementary textbooks (through gendered words and images) structure children's perceptions of women's and men's occupations. In addition, much work remains with respect to exploring how such depictions may contribute to the gendered stereotyping that continues to permeate across certain Mexican communities, specifically in the private and public sphere. To fill this gap, I conduct …

Historical Overview Of Equity In Higher Education: A Case Study Of The South Texas Border Initiative, Denise Razo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There is an absence of research involving the successes reaped by the implementation of the South Texas Border Initiative (STBI). Although there is tangible evidence of an increase in the number of master degrees, doctor degrees, and professional degrees in the South Texas Border Region, none indicates that the STBI's efforts have reaped prosperous results that successfully closed the educational gap found among Hispanics and Whites in Texas. In this research, the gathering of historical events served to accomplish a depiction of a vivid and precise picture of the events that led to the STBI. To prevent historical events from …

The Effect Of Work-Related Programs On Dropout Rates: A Meta-Analysis, Jill Young

Master's Theses

One in four students drop out of school, which has long-lasting implications for the individual, employers, and society at large. Work-related programs, such as those that include career exploration or vocational training, are often employed by schools and communities to reduce school dropout rates. This thesis provides an update to a meta-analysis of experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations of dropout prevention programs conducted by Wilson, Tanner-Smith, Lipsey, Morrison, and Steinka-Frey in 2011, focusing on work-related dropout prevention programs. This study determined through meta-analysis of the logged odds-ratios that work-related programs have an odds-ratio of 1.66, indicating that work-related programs significantly reduce …

Unpacking The Study Of Instructional Improvement: Issues, Outcomes, And Implications Of Three Comprehensive School Reform Efforts, Gabriella Silva Gorsky

Master's Theses

There is a long history of educational reform efforts in the United States. Current literature on school reform suggests that a comprehensive approach that involves implementing instructional change across many instructional domains is more effective at producing the types of far-reaching improvement desired compared with mono-focal approaches focusing on a single new strategy. This study explored the impacts and outcomes of the Accelerated Schools Project (ASP), America’s Choice (AC), and Success for All (SFA) within the Study of Instructional Improvement (Ball, Cohen, & Rowan, 2010) schools to answer three primary questions: Are student outcomes on TerraNova mirrored by outcomes on …

Students' Perceptions Of Student Evaluation Of Teaching (Set) Process, Ale J. Hejase, Rana S. Al Kaakour, Leila A. Halawi, Hussin J. Hejase

Publications

Researchers have mixed views about Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) as means to evaluate teaching where some agreed and others viewed SET as being biased. This study aims to measure students’ perceptions of the effectiveness and appropriateness of the evaluation process in Lebanon. A survey questionnaire was administered to students from five Lebanese universities. Findings revealed that students were positive and perceived the evaluation process as effective and appropriate to evaluate teaching. Students identified students’ perceptions, instructors’ behavior, and course characteristics as variables that may impact the process. Results and implications were discussed for future research.

Teaching Excellence : An Illusive Goal In Higher Education Teaching And Learning, Heather Sparrow

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the last decades of the 20th Century, and through the first decade of the 21st Century, both the natural world and human society have experienced dramatic change. Contemporary society world-wide has high expectations of the contribution that universities can make in helping people learn to live with change, to lead change, to manage change, and to support improvement in all spheres of life. The global community seeks ‘excellence’ across all higher education roles: community engagement and leadership, research and innovation, and teaching and learning. However, universities are not always regarded as effective in fulfilling the needs of students, business …

Computer-Based Exams In Schools: Freedom From The Limitations Of Paper?, Christopher Paul Newhouse

Research outputs 2013

There is little doubt that the curriculum content and pedagogy in schools is driven by the structure and forms of assessment employed, particularly for summative purposes. When most such assessment was limited to what a student could do with a pen and paper in short ‘exams’ this pushed the content of the curriculum towards small descriptive chunks, and the pedagogy towards memorisation and replication techniques. Over the past two decades alternative forms of assessment supported by the power of computer systems have been conceived and tried. This paper discusses progress towards various forms of computer-based exams and how these may …

E-Invigilator: A Biometric-Based Supervision System For E-Assessments, Nathan L. Clarke, P Dowland, Steven M. Furnell

Research outputs 2013

The creation of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) have revolutionized the online delivery of learning materials, from traditional lectures slides through to podcasts, blogs and wikis. However, such advances in how we assess such learning have not evolved - with physical attendance at proctored exams still a necessity for formal assessments. This paper presents a novel model to enable remote and electronic invigilation of students during formal assessment. The approach utilizes transparent authentication to provide for a non-intrusive and continuous verification of the candidates identity throughout the examination timeframe. A prototype is developed and a technology evaluation of the platform demonstrates …

Digital Representation Of Visual Artworks For High-Stakes Assessment, Christopher P. Newhouse

Research outputs 2013

The collection and marking of student artwork across a large jurisdiction such as Western Australia is challenging where the work is submitted to a central location to be marked by experts and returned to students. An alternative approach would be to submit digital representations of the artworks online for marking. However, to give a valid and reliable measure the representations would need to be of adequate quality. Further, judgements of artworks are necessarily subjective giving concern about the reliability of marking for high-stakes assessment. The comparative pairs method of marking lends itself to addressing this problem and is feasible where …

Engaging Students In Peer Review: Feedback As Learning, Catherine Moore, Susan Teather

Research outputs 2013

There is a growing interest in tertiary education in Australia about developing the capacity of learners to evaluate and improve both their own work and that of others (Boud & Falchikov, 2006; Oliver, 2011). In order to successfully direct their own learning beyond university (and engage in lifelong learning), students need to be able to evaluate their performance in relation to a standard, identify gaps, and determine how to bridge them in order to achieve the desired standard if required. One strategy that can be employed to help students achieve this is engaging them actively in a feedback process, so …