<p> Children from a low socioeconomic status (SES) are exposed to numerous stress factors that are negatively associated with sustained attention and academic performance. This association suggests that the timed component of lengthy assessments may be unfair for students from such backgrounds, as they may have an inability to sustain attention during lengthy tests. Research has also found academic disparities between gender. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the relationship between continuous and divided timed tests in terms of student test scores, with additional assessments incorporating gender. Two charter schools from a suburban Idaho school district were the sources of the convenience sample. Fifth grade students were tested in groups of approximately 30. The research questions for the study concerned the relationship between continuous and divided assessment protocols and Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test scores for low- versus non-low-SES students and among gender. The hypothesis was that there would be a statistically significant difference in TAKS scores between continuous and divided assessments. An ANOVA was used to determine whether a statistical relationship existed between test scores and test protocol by gender. ANOVA results indicated no significant differences in math test scores between test protocols and among gender, suggesting that increased collaborative efforts between families and schools may mitigate factors associated with attentional and academic deficits among students from low-SES environments. The results of this study may be helpful for communities as they develop curricula that may close the academic gap among students of all SES backgrounds.</p>

<p> Alcoholic beverages in the State of Arizona are regulated by the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (ADLLC). Education programs in the alcohol industry must align with the needs of students working in the industry and with the criteria set forth by the ADLLC. Prior research has concentrated on irresponsible alcohol consumption costing millions of dollars of expenditures in police, fire, and hospital services. This study examined the perceptions of alcohol law instructors and adult students related to alcohol law instruction in Arizona and if it effectively meets the program standards set forth by the ADLLC and to what extent standards of best practices and adult learning theory are incorporated into the curriculum for effective student learning outcomes. Results were considered in respect to Bandura's (2003) social learning theory, Szirony and Boden's (2009) <i>WHAT</i> model, and Kolb's experiential learning (1984). Online surveys were used to collect data from the population of two groups; 12 Arizona approved alcohol law instructors and 142 adult students ages 19 years or older, of various genders and ethnicities. Analyses of variance were used to assess the five research questions. Students and instructors generally agreed that lecture, PowerPoint, video, and student/instructor interaction was effective in transferring knowledge to adult students. The findings of this study may result in developing curriculum that assists the workforce in the alcohol industry to be self-directed, comprehend specifically why and what actions to take by instituting a curriculum containing adult learning theory for enhanced transference of knowledge, and retention of information to reduce civil liability and alcohol law violations at liquor licensed establishments. </p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> Alcohol law training, adult learning theory, competencies</p>

<p> This study used existing third-grade ISTEP+ data from a cohort of Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation students to evaluate various non-experimental methods for estimating teacher effects on student test scores. The study considered the impact that first-, second-, and third-grade teachers had on student performance as measured by the Indiana standardized test in third grade by looking for recognizable patterns of success based on teacher assignment in a cohort of 350 students. By making the assumption of randomness in assigning students to teachers and controlling for student transience, demographics, and teacher movement, the variances of mean ISTEP+ scores were examined to determine and quantify differences based on teacher links. Descriptive statistics summarized possible patterns of success based on teacher links for the cohort as a whole and each school individually by grade level. Differences among teachers by grade level were examined by using an ANOVA model. Regression analysis was used to probe patterns of achievement based on teacher combinations as well as the predictability of ISTEP+ scores based on first-, second-, or third-grade teachers.</p>

<p> In this study, I examined the relation between various construct relevant and irrelevant variables and a math problem solving assessment. I used independent performance measures representing the variables of mathematics content knowledge, general ability, and reading fluency. Non-performance variables included gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency and special education qualification. Using a sequential regression and commonality analysis, I determined the amount of variance explained by each performance measure on the Oregon state math assessment in third grade. All variables were independently predictive of math problem solving scores, and used together, they explained 58% score variance. The math content knowledge measure explained the most variance uniquely (12%), and the measures of math content and general ability explained the most variance commonly (16%). In the second analysis, I investigated whether additional variance was explained once student demographic characteristics were controlled and how this affected the unique variance explained by each independent performance measure. By controlling for demographics, the model explained slightly more than 1% additional variance in math scores. The unique variance explained by each independent measure decreased slightly.</p><p> This study highlighted the influence of various construct relevant and irrelevant variables on math problem solving scores, including the extent to which a language-free measure of general ability might help to inform likely outcomes. The use of variance partitioning expanded understanding of the unique and common underlying constructs that affect math problem solving assessment. Finally, this study provided more information regarding the influence demographic information has on outcomes related to state math assessments.</p>

<p> The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)'s emphasis of reading, language arts, and mathematics (RLA&amp;M) and its de-emphasis of science has been a source of great concern among educators. Through an objectivist and constructionist framework, this study explored the unforeseen effects of the NCLB on public science education among Title I (TI) and non-Title I (NTI) students. The research questions focused on the effects of NCLB on Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores in the high-stakes subjects of reading, language arts, mathematics and the low stakes subject of science among TI and NTI 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students in a north Georgia County during the 2010/2011 school year. This study also compared instructional time TI and NTI teachers dedicated to science. A causal-comparative quantitative methodology was used to analyze Georgia's public domain CRCT scores. Three independent-samples t tests showed that TI schools exhibited significantly lower Science CRCT scores than did NTI students at all grade levels (p &lt; 0.0001). The data also showed CRCT scores in high-stakes subjects between TI and NTI students converging but science CRCT scores between TI and NTI students diverging. The self-report survey indicated no significant differences between TI and NTI teachers' instructional science time (t (107) = 1.49, p = 0.137). A teacher development project was designed to focus on improving teacher science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge through a formal introduction to the nature of science. With increasing global science competition, science is more relevant than ever, and communities need students with strong science foundations. Further study is recommended to analyze the factors associated with this science gap between TI and NTI students.</p>

<p> The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) define performance targets which will require assessment tasks that can integrate discipline knowledge and cross-cutting ideas with the practices of science. Complex computerized tasks will likely play a large role in assessing these standards, but many questions remain about how best to make use of such tasks within a psychometric framework (National Research Council, 2014). This dissertation explores the use of a more extensive cognitive modeling approach, driven by the extra information contained in action data collected while students interact with complex computerized tasks. Three separate papers are included. In Chapter 2, a mixture IRT model is presented that simultaneously classifies student understanding of a task while measuring student ability within their class. The model is based on differentially scoring the subtask action data from a complex performance. Simulation studies show that both class membership and class-specific ability can be reasonably estimated given sufficient numbers of items and response alternatives. The model is then applied to empirical data from a food-web task, providing some evidence of feasibility and validity. Chapter 3 explores the potential of using a more complex cognitive model for assessment purposes. Borrowing from the cognitive science domain, student decisions within a strategic task are modeled with a Markov decision process. Psychometric properties of the model are explored and simulation studies report on parameter recovery within the context of a simple strategy game. In Chapter 4 the Markov decision process (MDP) measurement model is then applied to an educational game to explore the practical benefits and difficulties of using such a model with real world data. Estimates from the MDP model are found to correlate more strongly with posttest results than a partial-credit IRT model based on outcome data alone.</p>

<p> Self-evaluation accuracy is a necessary component of music learning. Without it, students rely on teacher feedback and do not develop skills necessary to become independent learners. While research has indicated that self-evaluation is unreliable and inaccurate, peer-evaluation has been shown to have the potential to be both reliable and accurate. Using social constructivist theory and transfer theory as conceptual frameworks, this study investigated the effects of peer-evaluation on self-evaluation skills in the music classroom.</p><p> Pretest and posttest self-evaluation scores of 42 ninth grade band students were compared with three teacher mean scores. Results found students made a slight improvement in self-evaluation accuracy after five peer-evaluations given over 10 weeks. Qualitative analysis of student feedback from peer-evaluations found students improved in both precision and use of musical language and vocabulary. To further investigate students' perception of peer-evaluation, two focus group interviews were administered.</p><p> Emerging themes suggested students have a positive impression of peer-evaluation. They found it to be a team building and motivating activity that made them want to be both honest and critical with their peer feedback. Peer-evaluation allowed students to be part of the learning process that helped them build confidence in their evaluation skills. Students found peer-evaluation to be an effective tool for developing critical thinking skills, specifically analytical listening, and were able to cite examples of how skills used and learned during peer-evaluation were transferred to their own self-evaluation skills. </p><p> As there is little research on peer-evaluation and music at the high school level, it is the hope that this research will provide a foundation for future research of peer-evaluation at all grade school levels and in all ensemble genres. In addition, this research will hopefully support the introduction of peer-evaluation as a methodology to be taught to pre-service teachers and to help dismiss previous negative notions about peer-evaluation to in-service music teachers, shedding light on the positive impacts of peer-evaluation and its possible uses with students in the music classroom.</p>

<p>This dissertation presents the results of an experiment that measured the learning outcomes associated with three different pedagogical approaches to introductory physics labs. These three pedagogical approaches presented students with the same apparatus and covered the same physics content, but used different lab manuals to guide students through distinct cognitive processes in conducting their laboratory investigations. We administered post-tests containing multiple-choice conceptual questions and free-response quantitative problems one week after students completed these laboratory investigations. In addition, we collected data from the laboratory practical exam taken by students at the end of the semester. Using these data sets, we compared the learning outcomes for the three curricula in three dimensions of ability: conceptual understanding, quantitative problem-solving skill, and laboratory skills. </p><p> Our three pedagogical approaches are as follows. Guided labs lead students through their investigations via a combination of Socratic-style questioning and direct instruction, while students record their data and answers to written questions in the manual during the experiment. Traditional labs provide detailed written instructions, which students follow to complete the lab objectives. Open labs provide students with a set of apparatus and a question to be answered, and leave students to devise and execute an experiment to answer the question. In general, we find that students performing Guided labs perform better on some conceptual assessment items, and that students performing Open labs perform significantly better on experimental tasks. Combining a classical test theory analysis of post-test results with in-lab classroom observations allows us to identify individual components of the laboratory manuals and investigations that are likely to have influenced the observed differences in learning outcomes associated with the different pedagogical approaches. Due to the novel nature of this research and the large number of item-level results we produced, we recommend additional research to determine the reproducibility of our results. </p><p> Analyzing the data with item response theory yields additional information about the performance of our students on both conceptual questions and quantitative problems. We find that performing lab activities on a topic does lead to better-than-expected performance on some conceptual questions regardless of pedagogical approach, but that this acquired conceptual understanding is strongly context-dependent. The results also suggest that a single &ldquo;Newtonian reasoning ability&rdquo; is inadequate to explain student response patterns to items from the Force Concept Inventory. We develop a framework for applying polytomous item response theory to the analysis of quantitative free-response problems and for analyzing how features of student solutions are influenced by problem-solving ability. Patterns in how students at different abilities approach our post-test problems are revealed, and we find hints as to how features of a free-response problem influence its item parameters. The item-response theory framework we develop provides a foundation for future development of quantitative free-response research instruments. </p><p> Chapter 1 of the dissertation presents a brief history of physics education research and motivates the present study. Chapter 2 describes our experimental methodology and discusses the treatments applied to students and the instruments used to measure their learning. Chapter 3 provides an introduction to the statistical and analytical methods used in our data analysis. Chapter 4 presents the full data set, analyzed using both classical test theory and item response theory. Chapter 5 contains a discussion of the implications of our results and a data-driven analysis of our experimental methods. Chapter 6 describes the importance of this work to the field and discusses the relevance of our research to curriculum development and to future work in physics education research. </p>

<p> With increased dependence on computer-based standardized tests to assess academic achievement, technological literacy has become an essential skill. Yet, because students have unequal access to technology, they may not have equal opportunities to perform well on these computer-based tests. </p><p> The researcher had observed students taking the STAR Reading test (Renaissance Learning, 2009) and noticed a variance in scores in relation to classroom performance. The researcher intended, therefore, to explore variables that may affect the performance of students on a computer-based reading assessment. The researcher tested two different technology-related variables as students took a summative exam, the STAR Reading test. The purpose of this study was to explore how changes in visual stimuli affected the process of reading and student reading behavior. This quantitative study sought to ascertain whether changing the computer read-out to a black screen with white lettering made a difference in student engagement and comprehension among students in grades two through six during a computer-based adaptive test. </p><p> The research site was one K-6 elementary school in a large suburban school district. The participants of the study were 316 children in grades two through six. One hundred and sixteen students were randomly sampled for student engagement data analysis. The researcher conducted a stratified random process to further select data for analysis. Students were exposed to both color display background variables throughout the study process. Teacher observers collected tallies on student engagement behaviors during the test-taking process. </p><p> The researcher calculated the mean level of student engagement on each of five observed behaviors. The researcher also collected reading comprehension data for five subsequent benchmark sessions throughout the year. The engagement results of this study failed to support the hypothesis, which stated that elementary student behaviors during testing would verify a measureable difference in engagement when either a black or white display screen was presented. The results of the reading comprehension test also failed to support the hypothesis, which stated that there would be a measureable difference in elementary students' scores while taking computer-based tests when the computer screen was set to either black or white background.</p>

<p> The focus of this study was to determine whether a relationship existed between the creativity potential exhibited through creativity index scores of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking and the enrollment of secondary students in the specific coursework of fine arts classes and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The framework of the hierarchy for the study of creativity designed by Runco (2007) was used as the underpinning for the literature review and subsequent data collection and analysis. Furthermore, the creativity index scores and the ACT and GPA of subjects were analyzed to determine if a relationship existed. The study was governed by two research questions: (1) Is there a statistically significant difference between the creativity index scores from the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking for students enrolled in fine arts courses and students who are not enrolled in fine arts courses? and (2) What is the relationship between achievement data (ACT and GPA) and the creativity index scores from the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking? Little positive or negative relationship between the variables existed, and often, the results were not statistically significant. In general, a relationship between the coursework and creativity index scores or ACT and GPA and creativity index scores was not evident as a result of the analysis of data. A need for teachers, administrators, and students to receive continued education about the value of creativity was present in the review of literature and was addressed as a topic for further study.</p>