Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Increasing The Accessibility Of Science For All Students, Samantha Langley - Turnbaugh, Glenn Wilson, Lynn Lovewell

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This paper evaluates the accessibility of selected field and laboratory high school science activities, and provides suggestions for increasing accessibility for students with disabilities. We focused on GLOBE (Global Learning Observations to Benefit the Environment) protocols, specifically the new Seasons and Biomes investigation currently being developed as part of the GLOBE program. Five university students with disabilities majoring in science or technology were recruited to test the GLOBE protocols, and 10 protocols were evaluated for accessibility. Based on our results, we make several suggestions with regards to instructions, equipment, safety, outcomes and activity significance that will increase the accessibility of …

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Gallatin County School District Readiness Assessment For Systemic Change, Peggy Angela White

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Peggy Angela White on April 14, 2014.

Is There An Association Between Data-Informed District-Level Improvement Efforts And Data-Informed Instruction At The Classroom Level? An Empirical Examination Using National Schools And Staffing Survey (Sass) 2003-2004 Data, Xingyuan Gao, Jiangang Xia, Jianping Shen

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Introduction

What influences teacher’s instructional decision in the classroom? Our study uses nationally representative data to test whether there is an association between data-informed district/school-level improvement efforts and data-informed instruction at the classroom level.

A Monte Carlo Study Of The Optimal Rank Order Relationships With Criterion Scores (Ororcs), Hongyan Cui, Brooks Applegate, Warren Lacefield, David Hartmann

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

This dissertation study contributes to the field of measurement. It introduces a method to determine keys for a kind of test items that

1. Depict a specific situational context and provide a set of multidimensional alternative reactions to that situation for the subjects to rank according to their best judgment (SRT).
2. An examinee’s response to an item is a multidimensional ranking of the alternative options.
3. One administration of the SRT yields measures of multiple traits, so that there is no need to administer multiple criterion instruments.

An Investigation Of The Implementation Of Support Services In A Graduate Advising Center, Susan W. Maxey

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Susan W. Maxey on April 10, 2014.

Martin County School District Turn-Around Initiative, Mark Andrew Blackburn

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Mark Andrew Blackburn on April 10, 2014.

Meet The Candidates: 2014 Arkansas Gubernatorial Race, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

Earlier this spring, we at the OEP were fortunate to sit down with three of the candidates vying to become the next Governor of Arkansas. The candidates were generous enough to give us their time and allow us to post the full interviews on YouTube. If you prefer an abridged version, this policy brief summarizes the candidates’ views on a range of important education policy issues. We hope that these interviews will be informative for your vote on May 20th in the party primaries.

Faculty Perceptions Of Learning Spaces, Paul B. Czarapata, Doyle Friskney

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Paul B. Czarapata and Doyle Friskney on April 9, 2014.

Value Added Methods: Moving From Univariate To Multivariate Criteria, David Newman, Isadore Newman, Carolyn Ridenour, Jennifer Morales

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The authors describe five value-added methods (VAM) used in school assessment as the backdrop to their main thesis. Then they review the assumptions underlying measurement and evaluation, the foundation of all assessment systems, including value-added. They discuss the traditional criterion variable used in VAM: a standardized test score. Next, they challenge the univariate assumptions of VAMs, and argue that a multivariate paradigm of VAM is more advantageous for educators and stakeholders. Finally they describe a potential scenario whereby a multivariate VAM might be implemented.

Assessing Student Learning [Presentation With Audio], Brimah Vonjo

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

No abstract provided.

Assessment Practices Past And Future: Alternative Approaches And Teacher Perceptions, Mariah Garcia

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

Current educational policy utilizes standardized assessments to measure students’ academic abilities and to determine whether schools are successful in their education of students. The purpose of this project is to expose holes in using only standardized assessments and the implications this practice has for students, teachers and administrators. Proposed alternatives to standardized assessments that could effectively measure students’ academic ability include performance assessment, exhibitions, portfolio assessment and computer adaptive testing (CAT). Schools across the country are taking part in initiatives driven by the effectiveness of alternative assessment in action. In order to determine whether the literature on the implications of …

Cost-Savings Achieved In Two Semesters Through The Adoption Of Open Educational Resources, John Levi Hilton Iii, T. Jared Robinson, David Wiley, J. Dale Ackerman

Entrepreneurship Faculty Research

Textbooks represent a significant portion of the overall cost of higher education in the United States. The burden of these costs is typically shouldered by students, those who support them, and the taxpayers who fund the grants and student loans which pay for textbooks. Open educational resources (OER) provide students a way to receive high quality learning materials at little or no cost to students. We report on the cost savings achieved by students at eight colleges when these colleges began utilizing OER in place of traditional commercial textbooks.

The Case Of Vpl And Industry Focused Programmes In Cork Institute Of Technology, Deirdre Goggin, Irene Sheridan, Daithí Fallon, Tim Horgan

Conference Papers

As organisations focus on economic indicators and return on investment their approaches to learning and development opportunities are transformed. In a challenging, competitive climate there is a need to ensure that the long and short term benefits are maximised. This masterclass describes the experience and issues raised for Cork Institute of Technology, a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Ireland in implementing programmes developed in partnership with industry which are mutually beneficial and maintain academic standards. It also addresses the enablers, challenges and barriers in customised course development.

Perceptions Of General Education Deans And Department Chairs Of Their Colleges As Learning Organizations, May Charmayne Mulligan

Dissertations

Higher education institutions are being pushed towards increased assessment practices because of rising costs, mass access, new delivery methods, and rising competition on the national and global scale. Academic deans and department heads are at the center of these assessment efforts, and assessment should guide changes within the organization for improvement. Learning organization theory provides a framework for creating an environment favorable to assessment and improvement. Six learning organization principles – learning, communication, measurement, problem-solving, structure, and vision – were used for this study.

An online questionnaire was used to capture the perceptions of deans and department heads as to …

Investigation Of The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act Of 2009: The Role Of Stimulus Funding On Development Of A Three-Tiered Intervention, Laura Grayson

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate how school districts, in the state of Missouri, dispersed funds from the American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to help drive educational reform, with respect to reading achievement and Response to Intervention strategies. The difference between the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other pieces of legislation aimed at educational accountability was that states were only given two years to spend the monies associated with this legislation. This quantitative research study examined 60 school districts in the state of Missouri to determine if there was a relationship between the stimulus …

Two Case Studies Of The University Strategic Planning Process, Robert Lawrence Salter

Dissertations

This is a study of how the quality of a university strategic plan can be assessed on the basis of content validated rubrics. It further explores of the dynamics of how the choice of a planning process, i.e. inclusive or non-inclusive, can be affected by strategic intent, change capacity and leadership style of the organization’s President. As the definition of a quality strategic plan document is established by the study, the next problem the study addresses is the gap in higher education literature about the import of clear strategic intent, i.e. the focus on what the organization is trying to …

Investigation Of The Influence Of The Socratic Method On Leadership Skills Among Jrotc Cadet Leaders At A Military Boarding School, Francesco G. Giuseffi

Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was twofold: 1) to investigate the role the Socratic Method of teaching had (if any) on the leadership skills of Junior Reserve Officer Training Cadet (JROTC) leaders at a military boarding school in the Midwest, United States, and 2) to determine if there was any change in the researcher’s teaching while implementing the Socratic Method to his JROTC Cadet leaders in his Western Intellectual History class. The researcher defined leadership based on the Five Leadership Practices derived from the Student Leadership Practices Inventory. These practices consisted of Model the Way, Inspire a Shared …

Public School Social Promotion Policies: Exploring Socially Promoted Students' Experiences, Tammy Knight

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of public school, general education students, who have not been diagnosed with a learning disability, and who have been socially promoted, meaning that the students academically failed one or more core subjects but were allowed to advance to the next grade level. This study was a transcendental phenomenological qualitative study of students who were socially promoted at least once during their public school career. Questionnaires and individual interviews were used to gain knowledge from the participants regarding the meaning of being a socially promoted student; self-efficacy and motivation, as it …

Investigating Practices Of Research-Proven Multidimensional Teacher Evaluation Systems In Michigan Schools, George A. Aramath

Dissertations

Traditional teacher evaluation systems have little to no impact on changing teacher behavior or improving student achievement. Subsequently, studies and reports show the lack of and need for multidimensional teacher evaluation system. This deficiency and need is especially evident in Michigan due to the state's recent legislative mandate that their evaluation system must include multiple data as measures of educator effectiveness.

The purpose of this study is to investigate and describe how two Michigan public schools are attempting to build a multidimensional teacher evaluation system that includes the new Michigan mandate to incorporate evidence of student learning as a significant …

Future-Focused Leadership: Three Mega-Trends Influencing Distance Learning, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

While many continue to question the skyrocketing costs and value of a college education, future-focused leaders are recreating learning experiences by blending technology with the human experience. What does the future of distance learning look like, taste like and feel like? It can be difficult to predict the future of education as the world continues to evolve at an increasingly rapid pace; however, distance learning administrators can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to plan for the future. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. The purpose of this paper is to …

The Effect Of Delayed Enrollment, Regional Wealth, And First-Generation Status On Community College Student Success, Sunita Etwaroo Hines

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

For many students, the path to earning a postsecondary educational degree is often met with personal and social obstacles, but first-generation students are less likely to even enroll in postsecondary education and they have a higher probability for attrition when compared to their counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between delayed enrollment, regional wealth, and first-generation status on community college student success. This study analyzed differences in student success for students who enrolled at the community college immediately after high school graduation, for those who delayed enrollment up to two years, or delayed enrollment more …

An Overview Of Undergraduate Research In The Cuny Community College System, Avrom J. Caplan, Effie S. Maclachlan Phd

Publications and Research

CUNY community colleges occupy a unique niche because they are part of a larger geographically focused university system in which all faculty members are governed by a single set of standards for professional development. Research is clearly a part of the wider institutional culture, and dedicated faculty members who obtained support from state and federal funding agencies have conducted successful student-research programs. Close partnerships between community colleges and their four-year counterparts can contribute to positive student outcomes and to the subsequent transfer of students. The main roadblock to broadening participation is the small number of students who can be supported …

Can't Get No (Dis)Satisfaction: The Statecraft Simulation's Effect On Student Decision Making, Chad Raymond

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

Simulations are often employed as content-teaching tools in political science, but their effect on students reasoning skills is rarely assessed. This paper explores what effect the Statecraft simulation might have on undergraduate students perceptions of their decision making. As noted by the psychologist Daniel Kahneman (2012: 203), decisions are often evaluated on the basis of whether their outcomes are good or bad, not whether a sound reasoning process was used to reach them. A survey was administered at multiple points in an international relations course to gauge students satisfaction with the decision-making processes and outcomes in their respective teams during …

Comprehension And Motivation Levels In Conjunction With The Use Of Ebooks With Audio: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of Post-Secondary Remedial Reading Students, Kimberly Wheeler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quasi-experimental pretest, posttest nonequivalent control group study investigated the comprehension scores and motivation levels of post-secondary remedial reading students in a two-year technical college in Northwest Georgia using an eBook, an eBook with audio, and a print book. After reading a module on Purpose and Tone in the three book formats, data was collected from a convenience sample of 67 participants. Data consisted of reading comprehension scores taken from a pretest and posttest and reading motivation scores taken from a pre-survey and post-survey. The pretest and pre-survey were not used as covariates in the final analyses as they were …

End Of Course Grades And End Of Course Tests In The Virtual Environment: A Study Of Correlation, Jamie Philipp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study is to understand the relationship between end-of-course grades as assigned by teachers and standardized end-of-course scores earned by students in Algebra, Geometry, Biology, Physical Science, and U.S. History courses at one virtual charter school in the State of Georgia. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation analyses were performed to determine if there is a statistically significant relationship between the numerical score earned in a course and the score earned on the required End of Course Test (EOCT) for subject of study. Separate Pearson Product-Moment Correlation analyses were run for students in disability subgroups. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation …

Interim Assessment Data: A Case Study On Modifying Instruction Based On Benchmark Feedback, Tracey Lange

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The role of data analysis in the jobs of instructional leaders has become as commonplace as teachers creating lesson plans and taking roll in the classroom. Teachers and building leaders routinely use interim assessment data to develop thoughtful and robust instructional plans that address identified areas of student need. The link between the interim assessment data collection and student learning includes the pedagogical changes that teachers implement based on the data from these interim assessments. However, teachers do not always know how to use the data for this purpose or do not always make necessary changes in their instruction. As …

A Study Comparing Fifth Grade Student Achievement In Mathematics In Departmentalized And Non-Departmentalized Settings, Karen Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine the application of the teaching and learning theory of social constructivism in order to determine if mathematics instruction provided in a departmentalized classroom setting at the fifth grade level resulted in a statistically significant difference in student achievement on the Virginia 2011 Grade 5 Mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) Test when compared to the achievement of students in a non-departmentalized setting. Regular fifth grade education students, who attended non-Title 1, Pre-K through Grade 5 elementary schools in an urban eastern Virginia school district, participated in this study. A three-way between-groups …

Return On Investment: A Multisite Case Study Of Cost-Effective, High Achieving South Carolina School Districts, Timothy Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multisite case study was to understand and explain how a school district can be cost-efficient and sustain high student academic achievement. Based on a 2011 study, three school districts were selected because they had high ratios of student academic achievement to per pupil expenditures. The school districts differed in size, geographic location, student body demographics, and district organizational structure. Using a postpositivist perspective and a transformational leadership theoretical framework, 15 in-depth interviews with district leaders and school principals were conducted along with evaluation of district archives and South Carolina school report card data. A flexible, qualitative …