Este papel, primero pretende presentar un enfoque informativo de como la cultura latina impacta la educación—con el deseo que se termine por reconocer el verdadero valor de la educación. Segundo, espera que se reconozca en la cultura latina que deben adoptar el conocimiento que a fin de avanzarse en los Estados Unidos, hay que empezar la educación desde temprana edad y alcanzar al menos un título de licenciatura. Tanto la educación de infancia temprana como la educación en la primaria, secundaria, preparatoria, y universidad contribuyen para preparar a los estudiantes latinos para enfrentar y triunfar en la sociedad de los Estados Unidos. Por fin, pretende presentar medidas concretas e ideologías que incorporan la cultura Americana para que los padres latinos puedan adoptarlas y darles una vida mejor a sus hijos, que ultimadamente sería una vida mejor para ellos también.

Using a unique data set in which students have been assigned randomly to different classrooms throughout several disadvantaged school districts across the United States, I estimate how a student's peer group can affect their academic achievement. Both my data set and my empirical strategy allow me to overcome many of the well-documented difficulties associated with accurately measuring peer effects, though certain data limitations remain an inevitable part of the study. Under these constraints, I find evidence of small peer group effects within a specific proportion of the student population. Generally, however, my findings suggest that peer effects do not play a significant role in shaping educational outcomes. Personal ability is by far the most contributive factor to students' academic performance while the ability of their average classmate does not appear to matter at all, except in the case of very low ability students, where the effect is both small and negative.

The effectiveness of the GRE was measured through a mixed-methods study. Quantitative data was studied to determine a relationship between GRE scores and the completion of higher education. Students and employers were surveyed to clarify a link between the content the GRE measures and the skills that are needed in graduate school and the workforce. In addition, students were asked if test administration, time-constrained questions, and question bias had any effect of their GRE score. Together, these findings were inconclusive and do not suggest that the GRE is effective or ineffective in its measurement of potential graduate students in relation to test content, test administration, and question bias, time-constrained questions, and the accurate measurement of psychometrics.

This study explored how student intelligence was directly linked to the goals and motivation held by students when engaged in academic settings. Students were administered a questionnaire developed by Dr. Carol Dweck in which they responded to statements in order to determine their individual theory of intelligence. Once this was accomplished, multiple student variables (including but not limited to first semester GPA, second semester GPA, ACT composite score, age, and college coursework) were compared to their view of intelligence to determine if any correlations existed. Results showed that there was no significant difference between students who viewed intelligence as malleable or fixed with regard to first semester GPA scores or the comparison between first and second semester GPA scores. The data from this research study supported other research by finding that approximately 15% of students were identified in the undecided category regarding their view of intelligence. There was no significant difference found between entity theorists and incremental theorists in regards to the theory of intelligence students held determining whether or not their second semester GPA scores would increase or decrease when compared to their first semester GPA scores. In addition, a significant difference was found between student views of intelligence and their ACT composite score. It was also discovered that there was a positive correlation between how students viewed intelligence and how they viewed talent development. Findings from this study suggest that praise can be both motivating as well as detrimental to students, and it is important that the correct type of praise be used when addressing students. It was also discovered that teachers can have a direct role in regard to helping students change their view of intelligence from an entity view, in which they view intelligence as a fixed trait, to an incremental view, in which they view intelligence as a malleable trait and able to change through their own effort and hard work. Future research topics are discussed in an effort to determine what strategies and methods can be utilized to allow as many students as possible to reach their full academic potential.

La tesis se inscribe en un doble ámbito científico formado por la Estadística y la Pedagogía. El objetivo de la tesis es la investigación de modelos estadísticos y estrategias de análisis que puedan ser de utilidad en el seguimiento de sistemas de evaluación complejos. Su motivación se encuentra en la necesidad de analizar las Pruebas de Aptitud para el Acceso a la Universidad (PAAU), que regulan el acceso a la universidad en España, desde la perspectiva de la ciencia estadística. La validez y fiabilidad de los exámenes COU (Curso de Orientación Universitaria) y PAAU han merecido una atención especial a lo largo de la investigación. Asimismo, se analizan con detenimiento las principales fuentes de variación de dichas notas: las diferencias entre centros de secundaria y el proceso de corrección de las pruebas PAAU.En la Introducción, una vez resumidas las características del sistema de evaluación de las pruebas PAAU y discutido el papel de la estadística en el tratamiento de datos en educación, se establecen los objetivos concretos de la tesis, a la luz de las necesidades existentes y de los trabajos de investigación realizados hasta el momento.El Capítulo 1 ilustra las diferencias entre los exámenes COU y las pruebas PAAU. Se aborda el estudio de la asociación entre ambas puntuaciones. La modelización de la variación de la nota PAAU individual por medio de modelos de regresión coeficientes aleatorios permite evidenciar (y medir) las diferencias entre centros de secundaria en cuanto a los estándares utilizados en COU. Este primer capítulo contiene una detallada introducción a los modelos de coeficientes aleatorios, también llamados modelos de nivel múltiple, que posteriormente se aplicaran en los capítulos 2 y 4, en la versión de modelos multivariantes de componentes de la varianza. El segundo capitulo, en un enfoque que complementa el anterior, se centra en el estudio de las medias (de COU y de PAAU) de cada centro, en la estructura de covarianza entre ambas. Como resultado relevante cabe citar la aplicación a la selección de la combinación más eficiente. El Capítulo 3 se ha dedicado enteramente a la calidad del sistema de corrección de los exámenes PAAU. La modelización presentada ha permitido evaluar el impacto de los correctores en términos de la varianza debida a las diferencias en el grado de severidad y a la varianza generada por la inconsistencia. Para la obtención de los datos se ha requerido del diseño de experimentos. Dichos experimentos, que han evidenciado una serie de puntos débiles del sistema, deberían ser realizados de manera sistemática cada año en una estrategia de mejora de la calidad del proceso. El Capítulo 4 estudia la covarianza del conjunto de notas PAAU tanto a nivel estudiante como a nivel centro, ofreciendo nuevos elementos de reflexión para la validez de dichas pruebas. El Capítulo 5 resume la aplicación de varias propuestas de la tesis a la primera convocatoria de las pruebas PAAU-LOGSE. El Capítulo 6 incluye las conclusiones de la tesis así como una serie de propuestas de seguimiento y mejora de la calidad global del sistema.

It is essential for school psychologists assessing children to use instruments that are reliable and valid. The focus of the current study is to determine whether or not the parent preschool versions of two popular behavior rating instruments, the Behavior Assessment System for Children – Second Edition (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000), are consistent measures of similarly-named behavioral constructs in preschool-aged children. Parents of 95 preschoolers referred to a nonprofit child evaluation clinic because of behavioral or developmental concerns completed both the BASC-2 and CBCL during an initial evaluation session. The findings revealed that while significantly high correlations occurred, the mean standard scores were significantly different for nine of the 15 construct comparisons. For six of the 15 comparisons, the mean difference was greater than one standard deviation. Additionally, the CBCL usually resulted in higher ratings than the BASC-2. Such findings imply that the two instruments are not equivalent, and results from these two behavior rating scales need to be interpreted with caution. The determination of whether or not a construct is considered clinically significant may depend solely on the instrument completed by the parent.

Behavior rating scales are commonly used as part of the evaluation process throughout the field of psychology. Behavior rating scales help assess social, emotional, and/or behavioral problems in children, adolescents, and teens. Behavior rating scales indicate the severity of problem behaviors compared to a normative sample. Four scenarios were developed that varied scores on a behavior rating scale and the amount of other information that supported a specific diagnosis. A rating of the likelihood of a diagnosis was requested to see how much influence behavior rating scale scores have on diagnostic decision-making. Each of the four scenarios was sent to 200 school psychologists across the country for a total of 800 potential participants. An overall response rate of 37.5% was achieved. The findings revealed that behavior rating scales do have some influence on school psychologists’ diagnostic decision-making. However, school psychologists put more weight on other supporting information, such as classroom observations and teacher and parent reports, than on behavior rating scale scores when making a diagnostic decision.

The intent of this study was to identify the features of local dual credit programs that promote high achievement and sustained enrollment. Ancillary outcomes of the study were to identify strengths and weaknesses of the programs as well as develop recommendations for the development and implementation of future dual credit programs in the area. The dual credit programs studied were offered by two secondary schools in conjunction with the local community and technical college. Information regarding the programs was collected via interviews from individuals at the secondary and postsecondary level who had substantial knowledge of the programs. Overriding themes that emerged as a result of this study were the need to designate a single dual credit coordinator at both the college and the high schools to improve communication, the desire to increase participation in the existing programs while expanding the program to area schools that do not already participate in dual credit, and the need to maintain the quality and academic rigor of the courses.

A two-month longitudinal program evaluation was conducted of a four-hour mandated parent education program for divorcing parents of minor children. To expand on Brandon’s (2006) program evaluation of the same program, the present study sought to examine knowledge gain and behavior change in participants. Using a retrospective post-then-pre design, 139 participants reported their knowledge gain in two areas: (a) the impacts of divorce and of putting children in the middle of conflict, and (b) strategies to reduce conflict with one’s former spouse. Two-month follow-up interviews were used to assess behavior change in two areas: (a) using techniques to manage post-divorce conflict with one’s former spouse, and (b) implementing strategies to keep children out of the middle of conflict. The participants reported knowledge gain and behavior change in each of the four respective areas. It was found that knowledge gain in both areas and behavior change in using techniques to manage post-divorce conflict did not vary as a function of parent gender, race, or parenting stage. However, results indicated behavior change in implementing strategies to keep children out of the middle of conflict varied only as a function of parenting stage (F(1) = 8.45, p < .01). It was also found that knowledge gain in regards to the impact of divorce and putting children in the middle of conflict predicted behavior change in regards to implementing strategies to keep children out of the middle of conflict (p < .05). The results of this study are intended to suggest improvements for the program as well as to provide insights for other parenting education programs for divorcing parents.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of two models, namely an adaptable wellness programming model and an action research model, when creating and administering a stress management initiative for campus recreation settings that will have a positive effect on freshmen participants at the University of Tennessee. Eight freshmen from the University of Tennessee (6 females, 2 males) volunteered to complete a five week stress management initiative entitled the FROSH! (FResh Out of Stress, & Healthy!) Program which was based upon action research methodology. Program participants completed an exit interview and exit interview questionnaire after the program to determine if their levels of perceived stress had changed and to measure the effect that the program had on each individual. The Perceived Stress Scale was also administered before and after the program to detect any changes in perceived stress levels that participants experienced, but the sample size was too small to detect any significant changes in perceived stress levels. E. T. Stringer’s Categorizing and Coding procedure was used to decode responses from all meetings as well as from the exit interviews. Results indicate that the FROSH! Program was rewarding in various ways for participants, and 86% of participants said that their stress levels had lowered by the conclusion of the program. All participants thought that setting weekly goals was helpful in lowering their stress levels. Furthermore, the revised adaptable program model was perceived to be successful in creating the stress management initiative. It is recommended to increase the number of participants for future programs, and also to test the success of such action research-based wellness programs in campus recreation centers.