The purpose of the study was to examine the differences in academic growth rates as demonstrated on the TAKS test among students based on those who received free lunches, those who received reduced-price lunches, and those not economically disadvantaged. Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for reading and mathematics scale scores were obtained from five Texas public school districts for students who were in 3rd grade in 2003, 4th grade in 2004, 5th grade in 2005, and 6th grade in 2006. The sample included almost 10,000 students. The data were analyzed using SPSS and HLM. SPSS was used to identify descriptive statistics. Due to the nested nature of the data, HLM was used to compare data on three levels- the test level, student level, and district level. Not economically disadvantaged students scored the highest on both TAKS reading and mathematics exams with a mean scale score of 2357 and 2316 respectively in 2003. Compared to the not economically disadvantaged students, students receiving reduce-priced lunches scored approximately 100 points lower, and lowest were the students receiving free lunches, scoring another 50 points below students receiving reduced-price lunches. The results revealed that while gaps in achievement exist between SES levels, little difference exists in the growth rates of the SES subgroups. The results of this study support the need for continued effort to decrease the gap between students who are not economically disadvantaged and those receiving free or reduced-price meals.

No description available.

Huang, Xiaorui. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-103). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

This study examines how post-process theories are being defined, negotiated, and enacted in composition classrooms. While recognizing that most composition instruction remains shaped by modern and process oriented theories, this research asks how post-process considerations might be currently informing teaching practices in some classrooms.

This study examined relationships among epistemic beliefs, achievement goals, self-regulated learning, cognitive strategy use, and academic performance for 131 sixth graders and 100 eighth graders.

The primary aim of this research was to determine whether the home environment of secondary school children has an influence on their academic performance. A literature study was done where the major aspects of the home environment were identified: family lifestyle, parental involvement and attitude, physical living conditions. An analysis of academic performance and the factors affecting it was done. A measuring instrument was developed in order to measure the home environment in terms of being positive or negative. The results of the empirical research indicated that while home environment and age do play a significant role in the academic performance of secondary school children, gender, maternal employment, and whether the child lives permanently with both parents, did not. The educational implications of the findings and the teacher's role are discussed, and guidelines regarding the development of a home environment conducive to better academic performance are given. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The many and varied links between student socioeconomic status and educational outcomes have been well documented in the South African economics of education literature. The strong legacy of apartheid and the consequent correlation between education and wealth have meant that, generally speaking, poorer learners perform worse academically. The links between affluence and educational quality in South Africa can partially explain this outcome since the poor receive a far inferior quality of education when compared to their wealthier counterparts. This disadvantages them in the labourmarket and entrenches their poverty. This thesis uses the recent Southern and Eastern African Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ III) dataset for South Africa to answer three important questions: (1) Is South African primary education efficient? (2) Is South African primary education equitable? and (3) What are the main factors that have a significant effect on student mathematics and reading performance in Grade 6. The thesis shows that a high proportion of the country’s learners are functionally illiterate and functionally innumerate. The research confirms previous findings that socio-economic status, and particularly school socioeconomic status, is important when understanding student success or failure. Other factors which significantly affect student performance are homework frequency, grade repetition, and the availability of reading textbooks. In contrast, teacher-subject knowledge was found to have only a modest impact on Grade 6 performance. Policy interventions associated with the findings are also highlighted. The study concludes that South Africa is still a tale of two school sub-systems: one which is wealthy, functional and able to educate students, while the other is poor, dysfunctional, and unable to equip students with the necessary numeracy and literacy skills they should be acquiring in primary school. Finally, the thesis suggests that there are some options available to policy-makers which are expected to have a positive effect on learner performance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vele en diverse verbande tussen studente se sosio-ekonomiese status en onderwysuitkomste is goed gedokumenteer in die Suid-Afrikaanse literatuur oor die ekonomie van onderwys. Die sterk nalatenskap van apartheid en die gevolglike korrelasie tussen onderwys en rykdom beteken dat armer leerlinge in die algemeen akademies swakker vaar. Die verband tussen welvaart en onderwysgehalte in Suid-Afrika kan hierdie uitkoms gedeeltelik verklaar, omdat arm mense ʼn veel swakker gehalte van onderwys ontvang as rykes. Dit plaas hulle in ʼn swakker posisie in die arbeidsmark en bevestig daarmee hulle armoede. Die tesis gebruik die onlangse SACMEQ III datastel vir Suid-Afrika (SACMEQ is die akroniem vir die Southern and Eastern African Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality) om drie belangrike vrae te beantwoord: (1) Is Suid-Afrikaanse primêre skole doeltreffend? (2) Is Suid-Afrikaanse primêre onderwys regverdig verdeel? (3) Wat is die belangrikste faktore wat studente se wiskunde en leesvermoë in Graad 6 beduidend beïnvloed? Die tesis toon dat ʼn groot proporsie van die land se leerlinge funksioneel ongeletterd en ongesyferd is. Die navorsing bevestig vorige bevindinge dat sosio-ekonomiese status, en veral die sosioekonomiese status van die skoolgemeenskap, ʼn belangrike bepaler van studente se sukses is. Ander faktore wat studente se prestasie beduidend beïnvloed is hoe gereeld hulle huiswerk doen, of hulle die graad herhaal, en die beskikbaarheid van handboeke. In teenstelling daarmee is bevind dat onderwysers se vakkennis net ʼn beskeie impak op Graad 6 prestasie het. Daar is ook klem op beleidsingrypings wat uit die bevindinge spruit. Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat Suid- Afrikaanse onderwys steeds die storie van twee sub-stelsels is: een wat ryk is, goed funksioneer en in staat is om studente ʼn goeie opvoeding te bied, terwyl skole in die ander deel van die stelsel arm is, wanfunksioneel, en die vermoë ontbreek om studente toe te rus met die syfer- en leesvaardighede wat skole hulle behoort te bied. Ten slotte identifiseer die tesis opsies vir beleidmakers wat leerlinge se prestasie sou kon verbeter.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Sociology / Master / Master of Philosophy

This study examined what differences in resiliency traits, if any, exist between successful and non-successful first and continuing-generation college students through the use of a survey. For the purposes of this study, first-generation students were those students whose parents have never attended college and continuing-generation college students were those students whose parents have attended some college. For the purposes of this study, the term successful was defined as those students who after being enrolled during fall 2005 re-enrolled for the spring 2006 semester and the term non-successful is defined as those students who after being enrolled fall 2005 semester failed to re-enrolled for the spring 2006 semester. A sample of 164 students was surveyed by collecting demographic data, resiliency traits, attitudinal characteristics, level of familial support, and reasons for dropping out of college. A sub-sample of 40 students participated in a face-to-face, in-depth interview. This study found that successful first-generation community college students possessed certain common qualities or resilient characteristics that include: 1) social competence, 2) problem-solving skills, 3) critical consciousness, 4) autonomy, and 5) sense of purpose. Through the face-to-face interviews common themes emerged. Many of the students used similar words to describe their feelings and experiences about beginning, continuing and withdrawing from college. Many of the first-generation college students expressed the lack of familial support once they enrolled. Common themes emerged for the continuing-generation college students in that each student was comfortable with the process of selecting a major, selecting courses to enroll in, and the amount of time they expected to devote to studying. The return rate for each of the four groups studied was limited and rigorous follow up efforts failed to increase the return rate. This is a fundamental limitation of the study, and the results can only be generalized to the institution studied. However, the findings in this study are consistent with the literature on retention and dropout rates for these students.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education