Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of West Florida, 2006. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 135 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

nÃo hà / O presente trabalho à um esforÃo de avaliar qualitativamente o processo de efetivaÃÃo do ensino mÃdio integrado à educaÃÃo profissional na escola Marvin situada no bairro Pirambà em Fortaleza, CearÃ. Procura-se relacionar a trajetÃria do programa com o contexto das polÃticas educacionais a nÃvel local, nacional e mundial, numa tentativa de compreender que tipo de repercussÃes a atual crise do capital insere na reconfiguraÃÃo do trabalho e como estas mudanÃas se articulam com a sustentaÃÃo de ânovosâ paradigmas educacionais. Baseia-se numa proposta de avaliaÃÃo compreensiva e processual, onde procura-se compreender o fluxo da polÃtica nas diferentes arenas de formulaÃÃo, implementaÃÃo e repercussÃo na populaÃÃo atendida. O significado do programa à exposto e transmutado na medida em que se investigam os diferentes atores envolvidos. As categorias estudadas foram Ensino MÃdio, FormaÃÃo Profissional, Teoria do Capital Humano e AvaliaÃÃo de programas. Como marco teÃrico destacou-se o conceito de AvaliaÃÃo baseada no modelo experiencial. Neste sentido a contribuiÃÃo da presente pesquisa à justamente numa perspectiva de avaliaÃÃo compreensiva entender como as prÃticas desenvolvidas dentro da escola profissional Marvin pelos seus atores (alunos, professores e gestores) passam a ressignificar sua cultura de aÃÃo, moldando, reproduzindo e introjetando discursos, fabricando crenÃas e modos operacionais de conduta e expectativas que se adequem Ãs contradiÃÃes do mundo do trabalho. Os resultados demonstraram que a incorporaÃÃo dos pressupostos da Tecnologia empresarial socioeducacional (TESE) se fazem como prÃ-requisitos para adesÃo dos sujeitos ao programa. Quanto à ideia de corresponsabilidade ela està intrinsecamente articulada aos fundamentos da teoria do capital humano. Quando os atores da escola sÃo convidados a assumir as responsabilidades pelo sucesso escolar (metas e formaÃÃo pessoal) assim como pelos inÃmeros problemas estruturais do ensino mÃdio pÃblico estes estÃo ao mesmo tempo compactuando com o ideal de desenvolvimento econÃmico pautado no investimento individual em educaÃÃo e reproduzindo a ideia de que sà por meio do sistema educacional a classe que vive do trabalho possa realizar a mobilidade social. / O presente trabalho à um esforÃo de avaliar qualitativamente o processo de efetivaÃÃo do ensino mÃdio integrado à educaÃÃo profissional na escola Marvin situada no bairro Pirambà em Fortaleza, CearÃ. Procura-se relacionar a trajetÃria do programa com o contexto das polÃticas educacionais a nÃvel local, nacional e mundial, numa tentativa de compreender que tipo de repercussÃes a atual crise do capital insere na reconfiguraÃÃo do trabalho e como estas mudanÃas se articulam com a sustentaÃÃo de ânovosâ paradigmas educacionais. Baseia-se numa proposta de avaliaÃÃo compreensiva e processual, onde procura-se compreender o fluxo da polÃtica nas diferentes arenas de formulaÃÃo, implementaÃÃo e repercussÃo na populaÃÃo atendida. O significado do programa à exposto e transmutado na medida em que se investigam os diferentes atores envolvidos. As categorias estudadas foram Ensino MÃdio, FormaÃÃo Profissional, Teoria do Capital Humano e AvaliaÃÃo de programas. Como marco teÃrico destacou-se o conceito de AvaliaÃÃo baseada no modelo experiencial. Neste sentido a contribuiÃÃo da presente pesquisa à justamente numa perspectiva de avaliaÃÃo compreensiva entender como as prÃticas desenvolvidas dentro da escola profissional Marvin pelos seus atores (alunos, professores e gestores) passam a ressignificar sua cultura de aÃÃo, moldando, reproduzindo e introjetando discursos, fabricando crenÃas e modos operacionais de conduta e expectativas que se adequem Ãs contradiÃÃes do mundo do trabalho. Os resultados demonstraram que a incorporaÃÃo dos pressupostos da Tecnologia empresarial socioeducacional (TESE) se fazem como prÃ-requisitos para adesÃo dos sujeitos ao programa. Quanto à ideia de corresponsabilidade ela està intrinsecamente articulada aos fundamentos da teoria do capital humano. Quando os atores da escola sÃo convidados a assumir as responsabilidades pelo sucesso escolar (metas e formaÃÃo pessoal) assim como pelos inÃmeros problemas estruturais do ensino mÃdio pÃblico estes estÃo ao mesmo tempo compactuando com o ideal de desenvolvimento econÃmico pautado no investimento individual em educaÃÃo e reproduzindo a ideia de que sà por meio do sistema educacional a classe que vive do trabalho possa realizar a mobilidade social.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a difference existed between TCAP scores of students who used the Accelerated Reader (AR) program and students who used Sustained Silent Reading strategy (SSR) as measured by the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). The variables of grade level (6th, 7th, and 8th), gender, and socioeconomic status (free- or reduced- price meals program) were considered. The population consisted of 108 6th graders who attended a Cocke County school or a McMinn County school in Tennessee. Data were obtained from the TCAP for 3 consecutive years beginning in 2004-2005 for students who completed the tests all 3 years. A t test for independent samples and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to determine if there was a difference on associations and interactions between variables. The researcher's investigation of the reading achievement of students who used Accelerated Reader and those who used Sustained Silent Reading should assist educators in planning for supplemental reading instruction. The information gathered from this research might be beneficial to other school systems when determining which method of reading instruction to use to increase students' reading achievement. The findings indicated the students who used the Accelerated Reader program had an increase in reading-language arts scale scores for 3 consecutive years. The findings of this study also revealed that gender had no significance on student achievement for 6th graders. The findings did indicate a significant interaction between gender and type of program used during 7th and 8th grades. Females who used the Accelerated Reader program outscored males who used the program. The findings of this study also determined that socioeconomic status had no association with TCAP scores during the 6th, 7th, or 8th grades.

No description available.

No description available.

The ability to read is highly valued in American society and important for social and economic advancement. One of the best strategies to prevent reading difficulties is to build basic literacy skills, thereby ensuring that all children are readers early in their educational careers. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between third-grade students' oral reading rate and scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. The present study examined the relationship between the independent variables of Curriculum-Based Measurement Reading (R-CBM), ethnicity and socioeconomic status and the dependent variable of performance on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in 215 third-grade students. The data presented in this study were collected by the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) as part of a larger assessment battery across three school districts and nine elementary schools in Florida. Student demographic variables as well as performance on three different types of oral reading probes (generic, content, and FCAT passages) were investigated in relation to each student's performance on the reading portion of the FCAT. Results of the current study were similar to investigations in other states; the correlations among the R-CBM probes and between all R-CBM probes and FCAT scores were high and statistically significant. These results indicate that student performance on any or all R-CBM probe types can be used to predict FCAT score. Ethnicity and SES were not significant predictors of FCAT score above R-CBM score. Implications for educators and specifically school psychologists are discussed including opportunities for school psychologists to train educational personnel in the use of R-CBM. As evidenced by the current study, R-CBM may help identify students who are at-risk for reading failure and FCAT failure so that intensive interventions can be implemented early and student progress frequently monitored.

Across the country, there is growing awareness of the dividends of early reading success and the stark consequences of early reading failure. A number of assessment studies in recent years have shown that the educational achievement of learners in South African schools is unacceptably poor. The 2011 Annual National Assessment results indicate a 35% literacy rate for South African learners in Grade 3 and a 30% literacy rate for learners in the North West Province of South Africa. According to Kanjee (2008), there is a growing trend in South Africa towards the use of assessment to improve learning. The aim of this study is to develop a school-wide progress monitoring assessment system for early literacy skills. In beginning literacy the development of this school-wide progress monitoring assessment system will be based on the premise that useful assessment of learner progress should be formative in its instructional effects and that it needs to focus teacher attention on data representing the results of their efforts. The development of a school-wide progress monitoring assessment system can help identify and strategically intervene before learners become part of the low South African literacy rate statistic. It is generally recognized that reading is developmental and acquired over time. From the convergence of more than 30 years of scientific research, researchers now have a solid scientific understanding of the core foundational skills in beginning reading. Foundational skills are prerequisite and fundamental to later success in a content area or domain. These skills differentiate successful from less successful readers and most important are amenable to change through instruction. One example of a comprehensive assessment system designed to assess these key foundational skills of early literacy for young learners is the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). DIBELS measures, by design, are indicators of each of the Basic Early Literacy Skills. In this study, the aim is to collaborate with subject specialists (district level), school management teams (school level), and teachers (classroom level), in order to obtain an in depth understanding of assessment practices in general, and specifically progress monitoring assessment as well as the assessment support needs of teachers and learners. The collaborative aim is to establish a school-wide progress monitoring assessment system that will not only enhance the assessment practices of teachers, but also the system-wide decisions that need to take place so that effective instructional decisions can be made at all levels, and most importantly at the classroom level. In this study I chose to conduct a 16 month action research project in one primary school (i.e., the Happy Valley School) in one specific district (i.e., the Cloudy District) in the North West Province. From the data it is clear that ANA dominates conversations related to assessment, especially in foundation phase. Both at district and school level there is no clear indication that the information generated from assessments is key evidence to continuous improvement in teaching and learning. The data also indicates that the government documents play a crucial role in guiding the actions of the stakeholders. The data indicates that progress monitoring relates specifically to “showing” or “proving” improved learning in language/literacy as measured by ANA. In addition to ANA, and at classroom level, teachers monitor progress fairly “randomly”; they can decide what to ‘look’ for, usually by using their summative assessment marks, when deciding whether a learner is making progress or not. It is possible, therefore, that no two teachers will look at the same foundational literacy skill when deciding whether the learner is making progress in a particular skill. There is also no guideline for teachers in terms of what to aim for in order to ensure that learners make progress in core foundational literacy skills that evidence-based research has shown to have a major effect on reading achievement. In this study, I used a metaphor to illustrate the core components of a progress monitoring assessment and support rocket system. The aim of the rocket is to ensure that all learners achieve “lift off” and hit the identified targets, at all grade levels, on the way to reading success. In order to ensure that the rocket is launched effectively, all stakeholders have to fulfil essential tasks or roles. The assessment and support rocket system implemented in this study was developed to provide a prevention-oriented, assessment and support decision-making system to pre-empt early reading difficulty and ensure progress step-bystep toward outcomes that result in reading achievement for all children. / PhD (Curriculum Development Innovation and Evaluation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Across the country, there is growing awareness of the dividends of early reading success and the stark consequences of early reading failure. A number of assessment studies in recent years have shown that the educational achievement of learners in South African schools is unacceptably poor. The 2011 Annual National Assessment results indicate a 35% literacy rate for South African learners in Grade 3 and a 30% literacy rate for learners in the North West Province of South Africa. According to Kanjee (2008), there is a growing trend in South Africa towards the use of assessment to improve learning. The aim of this study is to develop a school-wide progress monitoring assessment system for early literacy skills. In beginning literacy the development of this school-wide progress monitoring assessment system will be based on the premise that useful assessment of learner progress should be formative in its instructional effects and that it needs to focus teacher attention on data representing the results of their efforts. The development of a school-wide progress monitoring assessment system can help identify and strategically intervene before learners become part of the low South African literacy rate statistic. It is generally recognized that reading is developmental and acquired over time. From the convergence of more than 30 years of scientific research, researchers now have a solid scientific understanding of the core foundational skills in beginning reading. Foundational skills are prerequisite and fundamental to later success in a content area or domain. These skills differentiate successful from less successful readers and most important are amenable to change through instruction. One example of a comprehensive assessment system designed to assess these key foundational skills of early literacy for young learners is the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). DIBELS measures, by design, are indicators of each of the Basic Early Literacy Skills. In this study, the aim is to collaborate with subject specialists (district level), school management teams (school level), and teachers (classroom level), in order to obtain an in depth understanding of assessment practices in general, and specifically progress monitoring assessment as well as the assessment support needs of teachers and learners. The collaborative aim is to establish a school-wide progress monitoring assessment system that will not only enhance the assessment practices of teachers, but also the system-wide decisions that need to take place so that effective instructional decisions can be made at all levels, and most importantly at the classroom level. In this study I chose to conduct a 16 month action research project in one primary school (i.e., the Happy Valley School) in one specific district (i.e., the Cloudy District) in the North West Province. From the data it is clear that ANA dominates conversations related to assessment, especially in foundation phase. Both at district and school level there is no clear indication that the information generated from assessments is key evidence to continuous improvement in teaching and learning. The data also indicates that the government documents play a crucial role in guiding the actions of the stakeholders. The data indicates that progress monitoring relates specifically to “showing” or “proving” improved learning in language/literacy as measured by ANA. In addition to ANA, and at classroom level, teachers monitor progress fairly “randomly”; they can decide what to ‘look’ for, usually by using their summative assessment marks, when deciding whether a learner is making progress or not. It is possible, therefore, that no two teachers will look at the same foundational literacy skill when deciding whether the learner is making progress in a particular skill. There is also no guideline for teachers in terms of what to aim for in order to ensure that learners make progress in core foundational literacy skills that evidence-based research has shown to have a major effect on reading achievement. In this study, I used a metaphor to illustrate the core components of a progress monitoring assessment and support rocket system. The aim of the rocket is to ensure that all learners achieve “lift off” and hit the identified targets, at all grade levels, on the way to reading success. In order to ensure that the rocket is launched effectively, all stakeholders have to fulfil essential tasks or roles. The assessment and support rocket system implemented in this study was developed to provide a prevention-oriented, assessment and support decision-making system to pre-empt early reading difficulty and ensure progress step-bystep toward outcomes that result in reading achievement for all children. / PhD (Curriculum Development Innovation and Evaluation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Sept. 29, 2009). Thesis advisor: Richard L. Allington. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The purpose of this study was to determine the relative contribution to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) English Language Arts (ELA) of five variables: Type of Community (Urban or Suburban), Gender, Race, Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) Verbal, and PSAT Writing. MCAS is a criterion-referenced examination administered to students at various grade levels to determine their knowledge of approved curriculum. As of 2003, students must pass the mathematics and English language arts sections in order to receive a diploma. Data for the study was gathered from three urban and four suburban school districts in Massachusetts. Data about 914 students was collected from Summer 2001 - Winter 2002. Multiple regression statistical analysis was used to examine the collective and separate contributions of five independent variables; gender, race, type of community (urban or suburban), score on the verbal subtest of the PSAT, and score on the writing subtest to the findings on the dependent variab le - tenth grade language arts achievement on the MCAS. Results of the statistical analyses showed a strong relationship between MCASELA and the five independent variables, with most of the relationship attributable to the PSAT Verbal test results. Three other variables combined - PSAT Writing, Type of Community, and Gender - accounted for just 4% of the additional variance. Step-wise multiple regression analysis indicated that exclusion of Race did not diminish predictiveness, and Gender added very little to predictiveness. PSAT Verbal, PSAT Writing, and Type of Community were the principal contributions to variation in MCAS-ELA in the study. The four null hypotheses and results follow: There is no significant relationship between the dependent variable - MCAS-ELA -- and the independent variables -- Type of Community, Gender, Race, PSA T Verbal, and PSAT Writing - rejected. There is no significant relationship between each independent variable and each of the other independent variables - rejected. There is no significant relationship between the dependent variable and the other variables taken together - rejected. There is no significant additional vanance m MCAS - ELA accou nted for by an independent variable after other variable (s) - responsible for greater contributions to variance - (have) accounted for as much of the variance as possible - accepted. / 2031-01-01