Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 256-265). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Susan Carol Losh, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 16, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

The nature of the decision-making processes and the resulting changes made in school programs and curricula in Indiana elementary schools was the focus of this research. The changes were required of these schools by the State of Indiana through the Performance-Based Accreditation division of the Indiana Department of Education. These schools were expected to make changes because they had performed below standard on the math portion of ISTEP+, the State standardized assessment test, during the 1997-98 school year. The objective of the study was to examine the perceptions of the participants as to the influence that mediating factors had on their schools' decision-making processes.The survey population consisted of principals and teachers from 18 Indiana elementary schools from accreditation group IV. In the 18 schools surveyed, 14 principals (78%) and 182 teachers (50%) responded. The participants were grouped as principals and teachers, and were organized for data analysis by location of their respective schools. Two of the schools were urban, seven suburban and nine were rural. The purpose of the study was to explore the decision-making processes used at these elementary schools. Little is known about these decision-making processes in schools that are faced with the requirement to make changes as the result of low test scores. Data gathered in the study included the types of changes and the factors influencing the change-related decisions. Through analysis of the data, the researcher attempted to gain insights that could be used to assist educators in future efforts relating to change and decision-making.Findings of the study indicated that schools primarily used new textbooks to address new approaches to the math curriculum and remediation programs or test skills programs to focus more specifically on improving test scores. The principals and teachers generally felt the decision-making processes in their schools were very collaborative; however, while teachers perceived those processes to be collaborative, their perception reflected a lesser degree of collaboration than the principals. Concern on the part of the teachers and principals for student learning and the school systems' accountability to the Preformance-Based Accreditation program were perceived as the factors having the greatest influence on the decisions to improve math performance. Clearly, these professionals felt the need to change; however, findings indicated that these changes were motivated in part by professionalism and, in part, by the pressures of accountability to the State.Recommendations for further study were included. / Department of Educational Leadership

The focus of this study was to assess the ability to predict performance on the Indiana Statewide Test for Educational Progress (ISTEP) from oral reading fluency scores on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Oral Reading Fluency Test (ORF). The scores of both assessments from 306 Indiana students from four different elementary schools were examined. Results of these students’ end of year (EOY) ORF scores were compared to their ISTEP scores in third grade in 2008-2009. During that school year ISTEP was administered twice, once in the Fall and once in the Spring. Results from both tests were analyzed using linear, multiple, and logistic regression models. The results showed r values between the ORF scores and the English/Language Arts portion of ISTEP to be .76 (Fall) and .72 (Spring). The correlations between ORF and ISTEP Math were .54 (Fall) and .61 (Spring). Regression coefficients ranged from 1.30 – 1.13 indicating a positive linear relationship between the results of the two assessments. The scores from demographic subgroups were also examined and some differences in the strength of the relationships were found among the groups. The oral reading fluency test was a better predictor for students generally considered at-risk (non-white, disabled, and non-English speaking). Logistic regression results showed a moderate to strong ability to predict whether or not students would pass ISTEP based on DIBELS scores. After using Beta values to calculate probabilities, it was found a DIBELS ORF score of 100 would provide a strong probability a student would pass ISTEP, both in English/Language Arts and Math. The results imply the need to monitor students’ oral reading and provide timely interventions when they struggle, and to focus more on helping children learn to read and less on preparing for ISTEP. / Department of Educational Leadership

Department of Educational Leadership

The problem of this study was to determine the relationship between chronological age and reading achievement and between chronological age and personality development in school children.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress data to identify the relationship between calculator use and student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress Mathematics Assessment. This general purpose includes several sub issues. In addition to being interested in the overall relationship between use and National Assessment of Educational Progress achievement (including the effort to control for spurious factors), this study examined the contextual factors that moderate the impact of calculator use. Similarly, it analyzed the relationship between calculator use and student performance on calculator-allowed and calculator-restricted items, as well as the ability of students to recognize whether the use of a calculator was appropriate when responding to a math problem. Findings indicate that significant differences in achievement exist between students who regularly use calculators and those who do not use calculators. Even when controlling for various contextual factors that moderated this relationship (e.g., gender, socioeconomic status, parents' level of education, students' National Assessment of Educational Progress achievement level), it was found that the more frequently students use a calculator the higher their scores tend to be. The results also show that when not allowed to use calculators, the more frequent calculator users continue to score higher than those who do not use calculators. Finally, using calculators does not automatically equate to calculator dependence, and, in fact, the more often students use a calculator the more adept they are at applying it properly and withholding it when inappropriate. Based on the findings of this study, the use of a calculator in mathematics classes should improve students' ability to learn mathematical concepts and apply calculator technology in an appropriate manner when solving mathematical problems.

In order is meet the requiremcnts for technically sound assessment instruments as required by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), this study investigates the construct validity of Indiana's alternate assessment, the Indiana Standards Tool for Alternate Reporting (ISTAR), a teacher rating assessment as compared to Indiana's general educational assessment, the Indiana Statewide Test of Educational Progress - Plus (ISTEP+), a criterion referenced assessment. Study participants consisted of 284 students from grades 3, 6, and 8. Students were from general and special education. All students in the study were considered not to have significant cognitive disabilities that would have exempted them from ISTEP+ participation. Therefore, all students in the study were required to participate in the fall 2003 ISTEP+ testing session. Students with disabilities in the study were identified as having one of four mild disabilities as defined by the Indiana Professional Standards Board (Mild Mental Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, Emotional Disabilities, or Other Health Impairment. Teachers rated students using the ISTAR assessment during a fall testing window from August 1, through October 31, 2003. The Pearson correlation coefficient used to determine the relationship between ISTEP+ scores and ISTAR teacher ratings. Results of the Pearson correlation coefficient indicated a linear relationship between scores on the two assessment instruments for students in grades 3, 6, and 8 with mild disabilities and without disabilities who participated in both assessments (r = .46 to r = .71). An analysis of variance was used to determine if the ISTAR instrument could, when appropriately completed, differentiate between groups of students who would be expected to perform less well or better than other groups of students. Results from the ANOVA, Levene and Welch procedures as well as the Tamhane post hoc statistic indicated that ISTAR is capable of differentiating between different achievement level groups for the constructs of English/language arts and mathematics. While the study results indicate a sufficient positive relationship, it should be considered to be a baseline study. Additional years of data are needed before valid inferences can be made for the ISTAR assessment tool. / Department of Special Education

Relatively recent federal education initiatives, such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB; 2001), have focused on school accountability for student achievement including achievement of traditionally at-risk populations, such as students in special education, students from low-income or high poverty areas, and students who speak English as a new second language. Additionally, these federal initiatives also mandate that all students take the same test measuring grade level standards despite research that has demonstrated that students from at-risk populations are sometimes at a disadvantage on high-stakes tests. Furthermore, initiatives such as NCLB are often at odds with other education initiatives such as IDEA, which states that students in special education should be tested at their respective level. Therefore, the current study proposed to examine the relationship between Cattell-Horn-Carroll cognitive abilities and performance on a state-wide high-stakes achievement test. There currently are no studies examining such a relationship. This study used Multivariate Regression Analysis, in order to investigate the relationship between CHC cognitive and achievement abilities and performance on a state-wide high-stakes achievement test, namely the ISTEP+, with 45 children who had been referred for a psychoeducational evaluation to determine special education eligibility and who had also taken the ISTEP+. No statistically significant result was found between the WJ-III-COG broad CHC abilities and performance on the English/Language Arts and Math performance of the ISTEP+. Furthermore, no statistically significant result was found between the WJ-III-ACH and Math performance on the ISTEP+. However, a statistically significant result was found between the WJ-III-ACH Passage Comprehension subtest and the English/Language Arts portion of the ISTEP+. The results indicated that students who had higher scores on the Passage Comprehension subtest also had higher scores on the English/Language Arts portion of the ISTEP+. The current study took a step forward in the area of the relationship between CHC and academic achievement, particularly state-mandated high-stakes testing given the dearth of research in this area. Given the data from the current study indicating a statistically significant relationship between Passage Comprehension and English/Language Arts from the ISTEP+, the current study has practical implications for school psychologists, especially when school psychologists are being asked to make predictions regarding a student’s academic achievement. Results of the current study might help elucidate reading problems and recommended interventions for those reading problems. / Department of Educational Psychology

Thèse (Ph. D.)--Université Laval, 2004. / Bibliogr.: f. [127-151]. Publié aussi en version électronique.