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While much of the literature regarding college readiness focuses on student-specific factors, such as the individual's academic achievement; scores on college readiness assessments; and high school GPA, more research is needed to understand which school-level factors have the most influence on the percentage of college-ready graduates. The purpose of this research study was to explore the impact of various school-level factors (i.e., student demographics, college entrance exam facts, course offerings, and school characteristics) on the percentage of college ready graduates from Texas public high schools serving Grades 9-12 over a 3-year period. A multiple regression analysis conducted for each year's data resulted in three regression models, which identified various predictors (e.g. per-pupil instructional expenditures, teacher years of experience, taking advanced and/or dual credit coursework) of the percentage of college-ready graduates for schools accounting for 91.7%, 79.5%, and 65.6% of the explained variance in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. Findings from this study provide educational leaders with data that could help them to make better-informed decisions regarding potential college readiness initiatives that, ultimately, could improve student performance.

This final column of the series is focused on how school and district teams can continue the forward motion toward positive student outcomes using data via continuous improvement cycles. We draw on the work of technical assistance providers and researchers from the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN; https://nirn.fpg.unc.edu) and the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS; https://www.pbis.org/). The key takeaway of this series is to describe how implementation of EBPs in schools can be enhanced when implementation teams “invest in the systems to support their implementation” (Kittelman et al., 2020, p. 96).

The purpose of this study was to test a causal analytic model for predictors of course outcomes and a second causal model for predictors of continued participation in post-secondary education. The demographic characteristics were compared for students who continued to participate in post-secondary education and those who did not continue to participate in post-secondary education after completing ALNU 1100 Basics of Patient Care at East Tennessee State University. The two models selected for testing were Henry and Basile’s (1994) “Decision Framework” for students’ decisions to continue participation, and Donaldson and Graham’s (1999) “Model of College Outcomes for Adults”, which focused on student outcomes. A review of recent literature was also conducted to ascertain and further identify additional factors. A descriptive correlational research design was used without any sampling (total population of interest was studied). The student population for this study consisted of all students who had enrolled and completed ALNU 1100 Basics of Patient Care course at East Tennessee State University. Causal models were developed using path analysis based on hierarchical multivariate linear and logistic regression. The factors that influenced student outcomes and continued participation in higher education were examined from the students’ perspectives, and causal models were constructed and presented in diagrammatic, tabular, and narrative form. The main findings were that the causal models in the present study were not the same as either the Donaldson and Graham model or the Henry and Basile model. There were as many similarities as differences, however the similarities were striking in both cases. Results from this study revealed that students, who continued in education, were males with a higher education level than average. There was also a tendency for those with a few children and high household incomes to be associated with continued participation. The most important categorical predictor of continued participation in higher education was the students’ perceptions of deterrents, course attributes, and institutional reputation. The most important categorical predictor of student outcomes was psychological values of the student.

The flipped classroom method is a popular way to use technology to assist with the delivery of educational experiences. Yet there is insufficient information regarding student opinions or outcomes about the flipped classroom method within physical therapy. The purpose of this case report was to describe student opinions and outcomes of the flipped classroom teaching and traditional lecture/lab methods of teaching within musculoskeletal physical therapy. Thirty-six (36) first-year physical therapy students enrolled at a regional physical therapy program completed an anonymous internet-based survey regarding their impressions of traditional and flipped classroom teaching methods. Flipped classroom and traditional teaching methods were both used within the same musculoskeletal course. The survey was created to aid in planning subsequent courses and asked questions about student's preferred teaching method (flipped, traditional, or both equal) across a variety of categories. Student exams scores, using the same question bank, were compared to the year prior as a quantitative outcome measure. Twenty-nine (29) students (81%) completed the survey. Generally, students preferred the flipped classroom. Compared to the previous year, test scores for all content areas were similar (± 4%) except cervical spine which was improved (>10%). When asked outright, 28/29 students preferred the flipped teaching method. Student opinions indicate the flipped classroom is preferable to traditional methods yet objective outcomes appear similar. Physical therapy educators seeking ways to improve the student experience using technology in the classroom may consider utilizing the flipped classroom method.

Demonstrating a direct link between teacher education programs and student growth is, to say the least, complex. Yet, using value-added systems as a means of holding teacher preparation programs accountable for the effectiveness of their graduates is a growing trend. However, few quantitative studies linking TPPs with the effectiveness of their graduates exist. The availability of student test scores linked to specific teachers in administrative databases makes it possible to use value-added modeling to obtain estimates of teacher effects. Only recently have researchers tapped into this expanding volume of data in an attempt to examine Teacher Preparation Programs as variables of student achievement. This study uses methodologies developed in the early stages of the Value-Added Teacher Preparation Program Assessment Model developed in Louisiana in 2006 as a guide. Using the HLM 7.0 software package, a statistical model was developed to determine if it were feasible to conduct an analysis using data from a single small school district and whether the results of such an analysis showed an impact of student characteristics and teacher experience and preparation program on student outcomes in mathematics.

The purpose of this study was to examine if differences exist in student learning outcomes between students who are instructed in a co-taught or non co-taught environment in secondary social studies classrooms implementing Content Enhancement Routines (CER). This study examined student and teacher data from seventeen matched pairs of co-taught and non co-taught middle and high school general education social studies teachers who participated in professional development in CER and professional development in co-teaching if applicable. Of the 34 participating teachers, 23 were visited by school district personnel to verify implementation of CER. Five co-teaching teams, each consisting of a general and special educator, completed a Coteaching Rating Scale (CtRS) (n=10) to analyze the level of co-teaching occurring in the classroom (beginning, compromising or collaborating stage). A systematic sample of students (n = 907) completed a CER Student Perception Survey to examine perceived differences of the use of CER in co-taught and non co-taught social studies classrooms. Student state assessment scores (n = 318) in co-taught and non co-taught classrooms were analyzed to distinguish differences in student learning gains. Specifically this study investigated if differences in student performance occur when a special educator is present in the classroom. Results indicate that although there was no statistically significant difference in student learning outcomes between the two settings, the impact of teacher preparation, professional development and the implementation of CER in the secondary social studies classroom may be determining factors in student success.

This thesis studies the impacts of school entry policy and information revelation on student outcomes using a sample of students from the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. The questions examined by the first two essays arise from a policy used by many industrialized countries, whereby students born within a 1-year time span all begin school at the same time. This policy creates large differences in age among students in the same class, which are thought to affect their academic performance along a number of dimensions. In the first essay, I contribute to the literature by establishing the persistence in test score differentials among students in the same class who differ in age. I show that in grade 4 older students outperform younger students by a large margin in numeracy, reading and writing, an effect that persists to a lesser magnitude until grade 10. The persistence is strongest for the writing skill, and it is also much stronger for girls than for boys. The strength of the test score differential in grade 10 suggests that the effects of age could have more lasting effects on cognitive and labour market outcomes. In the second essay, I take a closer look at how age affects outcomes, by disentangling the entry age effect from the test age effect. Nearly all studies in this literature interpret age-related differences in student outcomes as the result of entry age, but because students who enter later are also older at every stage in compulsory schooling, the entry age effect has not been separated from the test age effect. Using a set of students entering school at the time of BC's dual entry experiment, I show that test age is largely responsible for age-related differences in the probability of repeating grade 3, and entry age is largely responsible for age-related differences in grade 10 numeracy and reading scores. I show further that having an extra year of schooling reduces the likelihood that a student repeats grade 3, but has a negligible impact on grade 10 test scores. Both the entry age and test age effects are stronger for boys than they are for girls. The final essay examines whether school choices change when parents are exposed to a new source of information on school quality. I model the effect of new information on choices using a simple expected utility framework and show that parents will use the new information to make different choices if they do not perceive it to be too noisy and if they have poor prior information on school quality. Furthermore, they make increasing use of the new information as more observations become available, since it becomes a more accurate predictor of true quality. Using the sudden release of BC's new standardized testing regime, I then study whether there is empirical support for the model. I show that the likelihood of switching out of a school increases when a school performs worse on the test, and that enrollment into kindergarten responds positively to increases in test scores. The response becomes stronger when more test score observations are available. Finally, I show variance in the response among parents living in less-educated neighbourhoods and among those who do not speak English at home, suggesting that prior information does play a role in the information use. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Environmental education (EE) programs strive to develop an environmentally literate citizenry capable of addressing the world's environmental problems. However, environmental concerns have become increasingly politically polarizing. As middle school-age youth are developing their own identities, they are likely becoming aware of the dominant political attitudes and environmental messages within their own communities. This thesis investigates the influence of sociopolitical context on student learning outcomes following participation in EE field trips and whether particular approaches produce more positive learning outcomes for students from different contexts. We used a quantitative approach employing pre-existing databases and geographic information systems to create measures of sociopolitical context for each school in our sample based on political partisanship and socioeconomic status. I have organized my research in three chapters: Chapter 1 presents a more comprehensive introduction to the field of EE and extended literature review regarding the question this research intends to address. Chapter 2 presents a quantitative study exploring the influence of sociopolitical context on student outcomes following participation in an EE field trip. Chapter 3 presents a reflection of my graduate learning experience and what I hope to achieve in the future. Results suggest that EE field experiences lead to less positive outcomes for students from wealthier Democratic contexts. While we also found some differences in program characteristics associated with outcomes for each sociopolitical subgroup, effect sizes were small and thus warrant further investigation. We discuss potential explanations for these trends and call for further research on the influence of sociopolitical context and socioeconomic status with relation to EE. / Master of Science / Environmental education (EE) programs strive to develop an environmentally literate future citizenry capable of addressing the world's most pressing environmental problems. However, these environmental concerns have becoming increasingly political polarized in recent decades. As adolescence is a critical period for identity development, middle school-age youth are likely aware of the political attitudes and environmental messages that dominate within their own communities. This thesis investigates the influence of sociopolitical context on student learning outcomes following participation in EE field trips and whether particular approaches to EE produce more positive learning outcomes for students from these different contexts. We used a quantitative approach employing pre-existing databases and geographic information systems to create measures of sociopolitical context for each school in our sample based on the political partisanship of a particular geographic area, as well as its interaction with socioeconomic status. Results suggest that EE field experiences lead to less positive outcomes for students from wealthier Democratic contexts; however, the authors call for further research on which approaches lead to better outcomes for students from different contexts.

There has been limited evaluation to show the perceptions of student participants in school-to-work programs about the impact of school-to-work program participation as being beneficial to their postsecondary educational and career plans, and no research to determine whether perceptions differ significantly across race and gender. In addition, the minimal research conducted to date did not study student participants' perceptions about the impact of the program on their understanding of the relevance of the academics to the worksite and their overall academic success. Nor did the research address the actual change in grades and school attendance of students in school-to-work programs. Students are a major stakeholder group in the school-to-work initiative, and therefore, consulting with them about their perceptions about the impact of school-to-work program participation is an important aspect in school-to-work evaluation. Students have not been consulted in educational program evaluation and have not had a significant voice in the school-to-work arena (Hollenbeck, 1996). It is important to assess the opinions and perceptions of students who are currently participating in school-to-work programs, because they are the major focus of the school-to-work initiative and information that they provide can be used by program administrators and policymakers in making future decisions about school-to-work programs. Such assessment should seek to determine their perceptions about the impact of the program on their overall academic success and future postsecondary education and career choices. It is also important to assess the impact of the program on students' academic success and school attendance. A questionnaire was developed by the researcher and distributed to site coordinators in three school-to-work sites. Site coordinators worked with school staff to administer the questionnaire instrument. One-hundred twenty-four twelfth grade student participants in school-to-work programs, in these three sites, were asked to participate; 62% responded to the survey. Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions were made. • The findings on students' perceptions that school-to-work program participation improved their overall academic performance, increased their acceptance of responsibility, increased their self-confidence and motivation can be an indicator of the success of the school-to-work program. • The positive attitudes of students regarding the school-to-work program as being beneficial to their future education and career plans is important in promoting the concept of "life-long" learning. • The use of measures to determine students' perceptions about understanding the relevance of school-to-work, improvement in academic performance, and overall satisfaction with the school-to-work program can be used as measures to evaluate the success of a school-to-work program. • School-to-work program participation can be instrumental in influencing students to continue their education beyond high school. • School-to-work program participation does not appear to negatively impact any group (gender or race). / Ed. D.