This thesis studies the impacts of school entry policy and information revelation on student outcomes using a sample of students from the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. The questions examined by the first two essays arise from a policy used by many industrialized countries, whereby students born within a 1-year time span all begin school at the same time. This policy creates large differences in age among students in the same class, which are thought to affect their academic performance along a number of dimensions. In the first essay, I contribute to the literature by establishing the persistence in test score differentials among students in the same class who differ in age. I show that in grade 4 older students outperform younger students by a large margin in numeracy, reading and writing, an effect that persists to a lesser magnitude until grade 10. The persistence is strongest for the writing skill, and it is also much stronger for girls than for boys. The strength of the test score differential in grade 10 suggests that the effects of age could have more lasting effects on cognitive and labour market outcomes. In the second essay, I take a closer look at how age affects outcomes, by disentangling the entry age effect from the test age effect. Nearly all studies in this literature interpret age-related differences in student outcomes as the result of entry age, but because students who enter later are also older at every stage in compulsory schooling, the entry age effect has not been separated from the test age effect. Using a set of students entering school at the time of BC's dual entry experiment, I show that test age is largely responsible for age-related differences in the probability of repeating grade 3, and entry age is largely responsible for age-related differences in grade 10 numeracy and reading scores. I show further that having an extra year of schooling reduces the likelihood that a student repeats grade 3, but has a negligible impact on grade 10 test scores. Both the entry age and test age effects are stronger for boys than they are for girls. The final essay examines whether school choices change when parents are exposed to a new source of information on school quality. I model the effect of new information on choices using a simple expected utility framework and show that parents will use the new information to make different choices if they do not perceive it to be too noisy and if they have poor prior information on school quality. Furthermore, they make increasing use of the new information as more observations become available, since it becomes a more accurate predictor of true quality. Using the sudden release of BC's new standardized testing regime, I then study whether there is empirical support for the model. I show that the likelihood of switching out of a school increases when a school performs worse on the test, and that enrollment into kindergarten responds positively to increases in test scores. The response becomes stronger when more test score observations are available. Finally, I show variance in the response among parents living in less-educated neighbourhoods and among those who do not speak English at home, suggesting that prior information does play a role in the information use. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Environmental education (EE) programs strive to develop an environmentally literate citizenry capable of addressing the world's environmental problems. However, environmental concerns have become increasingly politically polarizing. As middle school-age youth are developing their own identities, they are likely becoming aware of the dominant political attitudes and environmental messages within their own communities. This thesis investigates the influence of sociopolitical context on student learning outcomes following participation in EE field trips and whether particular approaches produce more positive learning outcomes for students from different contexts. We used a quantitative approach employing pre-existing databases and geographic information systems to create measures of sociopolitical context for each school in our sample based on political partisanship and socioeconomic status. I have organized my research in three chapters: Chapter 1 presents a more comprehensive introduction to the field of EE and extended literature review regarding the question this research intends to address. Chapter 2 presents a quantitative study exploring the influence of sociopolitical context on student outcomes following participation in an EE field trip. Chapter 3 presents a reflection of my graduate learning experience and what I hope to achieve in the future. Results suggest that EE field experiences lead to less positive outcomes for students from wealthier Democratic contexts. While we also found some differences in program characteristics associated with outcomes for each sociopolitical subgroup, effect sizes were small and thus warrant further investigation. We discuss potential explanations for these trends and call for further research on the influence of sociopolitical context and socioeconomic status with relation to EE. / Master of Science / Environmental education (EE) programs strive to develop an environmentally literate future citizenry capable of addressing the world's most pressing environmental problems. However, these environmental concerns have becoming increasingly political polarized in recent decades. As adolescence is a critical period for identity development, middle school-age youth are likely aware of the political attitudes and environmental messages that dominate within their own communities. This thesis investigates the influence of sociopolitical context on student learning outcomes following participation in EE field trips and whether particular approaches to EE produce more positive learning outcomes for students from these different contexts. We used a quantitative approach employing pre-existing databases and geographic information systems to create measures of sociopolitical context for each school in our sample based on the political partisanship of a particular geographic area, as well as its interaction with socioeconomic status. Results suggest that EE field experiences lead to less positive outcomes for students from wealthier Democratic contexts; however, the authors call for further research on which approaches lead to better outcomes for students from different contexts.

There has been limited evaluation to show the perceptions of student participants in school-to-work programs about the impact of school-to-work program participation as being beneficial to their postsecondary educational and career plans, and no research to determine whether perceptions differ significantly across race and gender. In addition, the minimal research conducted to date did not study student participants' perceptions about the impact of the program on their understanding of the relevance of the academics to the worksite and their overall academic success. Nor did the research address the actual change in grades and school attendance of students in school-to-work programs. Students are a major stakeholder group in the school-to-work initiative, and therefore, consulting with them about their perceptions about the impact of school-to-work program participation is an important aspect in school-to-work evaluation. Students have not been consulted in educational program evaluation and have not had a significant voice in the school-to-work arena (Hollenbeck, 1996). It is important to assess the opinions and perceptions of students who are currently participating in school-to-work programs, because they are the major focus of the school-to-work initiative and information that they provide can be used by program administrators and policymakers in making future decisions about school-to-work programs. Such assessment should seek to determine their perceptions about the impact of the program on their overall academic success and future postsecondary education and career choices. It is also important to assess the impact of the program on students' academic success and school attendance. A questionnaire was developed by the researcher and distributed to site coordinators in three school-to-work sites. Site coordinators worked with school staff to administer the questionnaire instrument. One-hundred twenty-four twelfth grade student participants in school-to-work programs, in these three sites, were asked to participate; 62% responded to the survey. Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions were made. • The findings on students' perceptions that school-to-work program participation improved their overall academic performance, increased their acceptance of responsibility, increased their self-confidence and motivation can be an indicator of the success of the school-to-work program. • The positive attitudes of students regarding the school-to-work program as being beneficial to their future education and career plans is important in promoting the concept of "life-long" learning. • The use of measures to determine students' perceptions about understanding the relevance of school-to-work, improvement in academic performance, and overall satisfaction with the school-to-work program can be used as measures to evaluate the success of a school-to-work program. • School-to-work program participation can be instrumental in influencing students to continue their education beyond high school. • School-to-work program participation does not appear to negatively impact any group (gender or race). / Ed. D.

Environmental education (EE) programming has been found to lead to positive behavioral and attitudinal outcomes in student participants. Among a variety of factors, the characteristics of EE program instructors have been found to play a role in driving these outcomes. This thesis investigates the specific motivators of EE instructors and the links between instructor autonomy, prior experience, and program outcomes. I used a multi-methods approach to investigate these themes and have organized the results between two chapters that are manuscripts intended as separate journal publications. Chapter 2 presents a qualitative study that identifies the salient motivators of EE instructors, as well as organizational practices that affect EE instructor feelings of autonomy, competence, relatedness, and the meaningfulness these instructors feel within their jobs. Chapter 3 presents a quantitative study analyzing the impact of autonomy and prior experience on program outcomes by linking instructor and student participant survey responses from a sample of 166 EE programs performed throughout 57 different organizations across the US. Results led to the following recommendations for EE organizations: (1) promote job enrichment elements for their instructional staff, including the implementing of participatory evaluation processes; (2) encourage instructors to take "ownership" of programming, such that they continue to practice and develop competence over time; (3) increase instructor autonomy as they gain further experience. / Master of Science / Environmental education (EE) programming has been found to lead to positive behavioral and attitudinal outcomes in student participants. Among a variety of factors, the characteristics of EE program instructors have been found to play a role in driving these outcomes. This thesis investigates the specific motivators of EE instructors and the links between instructor autonomy, prior experience, and program outcomes. I used a multi-methods approach, employing semi-structured interviews and surveys to investigate these themes, and have organized the results between two chapters that are manuscripts intended as separate journal publications. Chapter 2 presents a qualitative study that identifies the salient motivators of EE instructors, as well as organizational practices that affect EE instructor feelings of autonomy, competence, relatedness, and the meaningfulness these instructors feel within their jobs. Chapter 3 presents a quantitative study analyzing the impact of autonomy and prior experience on program outcomes by linking instructor and student participant survey responses from a sample of 166 EE programs performed throughout 57 different organizations across the US. Results led to the following recommendations for EE organizations: (1) promote job enrichment elements for their instructional staff, including the implementing of participatory evaluation processes; (2) encourage instructors to take “ownership” of programming, such that they continue to practice and develop competence over time; (3) increase instructor autonomy as they gain further experience. This research provides information to better EE organizational management in the aims of promoting motivated employees and ultimately effective program outcomes.

Experiential learning theory stresses the importance of adequate preparation and reflection surrounding concrete experiences. This study explores the relationship between preparation and follow-up classroom experiences and the outcomes of environmental education (EE) field trips, including environmental literacy, 21st century skills, positive youth development, satisfaction, and self-reported behavior change. Surveys with both students and their school teachers who attended over 300 EE programs reveal that both pre-trip preparation, especially concerning logistics, and post-trip follow up, related to the subject matter of the field trip, were significantly related to more positive student outcomes. The authors recommend both schools and organizations take into consideration how they can work together to create more holistic learning experiences. / Master of Science / Environmental and science education in the form of school field trips have the capability of to enhance student learning, increase motivation to do well in school, and develop skills such as thinking critically and collaborating with peers. Learning theory illuminates the importance of in-school preparation and reflection surrounding field trips. We wanted to discover what happens in the classroom before and after these field trips that contribute to creating truly valuable educational experiences. Student and teacher surveys from over 300 field trip programs highlight the importance of preparing students both logistically and with the educational content, as well as following-up after the field trip by reviewing and utilizing newly gained knowledge and skills. We recommend schools and field trip providers, such as parks, zoos and nature centers, collaborate to create more holistic science learning experiences.

Transfer articulation is an important policy issue in Virginia. With increasing economic strains on federal and state budgets, pressure on key actors in higher education, and critical teacher shortages, an opportunity presented itself to investigate state transfer policy and articulation agreements designed to facilitate student transfer. Articulation agreements are policy instruments designed to facilitate a seamless transfer of both students and credits from the community college system into senior institutions. Over the last decade increased articulation activity has taken place in the Commonwealth of Virginia driven by higher education costs and articulation specific to teacher preparation due to teacher shortages. This study is an effort to add to the literature by linking the presence of one articulation agreement to increased enrollments of Virginia Community College System (VCCS) associate degree holders into a 5-year teacher preparation program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Select academic outcomes of associate degree holders, students who took coursework in the VCCS, and native students were also examined for comparative purposes. The study engaged a quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional research methodology using existing data related to the 5-year teacher preparation program at VCU. The data collected for the study originated from the initial teacher licensure Master of Teaching (M.T.) programs which include early/elementary, and secondary (6-12) programs in English, foreign languages, history/social studies, mathematics, sciences, and special education. A master file containing 2,349 observations was created from which samples were then drawn for hypotheses testing. Ordinary Least Square regression, multiple regression, and binary logistic regression were used and the results indicated the presence of the 2004 VCU/VCCS Teacher Education Provision Admission (TEPA) articulation agreement had no impact on enrollment likelihood. Earning an associate degree was a strong predictor of graduation likelihood in the teacher preparation program and associate degree holders could also expect to earn fewer cumulative hours in the program—a potential savings of time and money. Total community college credits earned was a strong predictor of teacher licensure likelihood. Race had no impact on elapsed time spent in the teacher preparation program. The findings of this study suggest the mere presence of an articulation agreement does not guarantee increased enrollments into an academic program, in this case, a 5-year teacher preparation program. Student outcomes also suggest earning the associate degree had significant effects post transfer, almost doubling graduation likelihood. Licensing likelihood is positively affected by total community college credits earned. Results of the models testing common measures of student academic success—cumulative GPA, Praxis I performance, and GRE performance had no impact on graduation likelihood. Since the extant research is not robust on 5-year teacher preparation programs, further research is recommended specifically on 5-year programs related to the effectiveness of articulation agreements on enrollments—in addition to post transfer student outcomes.

abstract: Community colleges, like all higher education institutions in the United States, have not been immune to the increased national focus on educational accountability and institutional effectiveness over the past three decades. Federal and non-governmental initiatives aimed at tracking and reporting on institutional outcomes have focused on utilitarian academic and economic measures of student success that homogenize the goals, aspirations, and challenges of the individuals who attend these unique open-access institutions. This dissertation, which is comprised of three submission-ready scholarly peer-reviewed articles, examined community college students’ conceptualizations and valuations of “student success.” The research project was designed as a multiple methods single-site case study, and the data sources consisted of a large-scale student e-survey, follow-up semi-structured interviews with a heterogeneous group of students, semi-structured interviews with faculty and administrators, and a review of institutional documents. The interviews also incorporated two experimental visual elicitation techniques and a participatory ranking exercise. Article One introduces and operationalizes the author’s primary conceptual perspective, the capabilities approach, to develop a more comprehensive framework for understanding and evaluating community college student outcomes. This article documents the methodological process used to generate a theoretical and an empirical list of community college capabilities, which serve as the basis of future capabilities-based research on community college student success. Article Two draws on the student interview and student visual elicitation data to explore the capability category of “refuge” – a new, unexpected, and student-valued purpose of the community college as a safe escape from the complexities and demands of personal, home, and work life. In light of recent efforts to promote more structured and prescriptive college experiences to improve graduation rates, Article Three explores students’ perceptions of their pathways through the community college using the participant-generated and researcher-generated visual elicitation data. Findings indicate that students value the structure and the flexibility community colleges offer, as well as their own ability to be agents and architects of their educational experience. Taken together, these articles suggest that student success is less linear and more rhizomatic in structure than it is currently portrayed in the literature. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2015

Purpose: To determine the differences between PT program NPTE 3-year ultimate pass rates (3YUPR) based on program length and faculty scholarship. To explore relationships between 3YUPR and quality faculty behaviors. Subjects: A total of 112 CAPTE accredited PT educational programs in the United States and Puerto Rico during 2013. Method: A quantitative design method was used to retrospectively test differences between program and faculty traits and student NPTE 3YUPR using data from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), PT Annual Accreditation Reports (AAR) and Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) score reports. A self-generated faculty survey was used to prospectively obtain faculty behavior data in programs with high versus low NPTE outcomes. Results: The final survey had an acceptable Cronbach alpha score of 0.701. All survey items yielded a high percentage of correct classification above 75%. Eighteen faculty behaviors were consistent with high rated NPTE PT programs (p-values between >0.001 to 0.034 α level 0.05). Use of Independent t-tests found a significant difference between means of scholarly activity performed by faculty at high (22.54 ± 11.63) and low (14.77 ±8.47) ranked schools, t (70) = 2.99. p = 0.004. No statistically significant difference was found between PT program lengths in higher ranked programs (121.52 ± 12.16) compared to low ranked programs (123.96 ±18.80), t (37) = - 0.595. p = 0.555. Conclusions: This study found the sum of scholarly activity performed by faculty differs between high and low 3YUPR. No differences found in total program lengths when assessing by program 3YUPR. A survey tool was created that tested faculty behaviors consistent with programs that score high on the NPTE. Recommendations: Testing should be performed on a greater number of constructs representing faculty behaviors of quality programs for survey development. Correlations should be performed with faculty data from the same year and NPTE first time pass rates for an assessment of predictive relationships. Also, a repeated longitudinal design study is recommended for PT educational programs with high versus low NPTE scores using the self-generated survey to see how faculty behaviors impact student first time pass rates.

No description available.

No description available.