<p> The current study seeks to validate a second-order, multifaceted model of engagement that contains a behavioral, an emotional, and a cognitive subtype as proposed by Fredericks, Blumenfeld, and Paris&rsquo; (2004), while also incorporating literature on student interactions. The second-order, 12-factor model proposed and tested for its validity partitioned engagement into the second-order constructs of academic and social engagement and examined each of the three engagement subtypes in relation to the interactions that students experience with their course material, with their classmates, and with their instructors/teaching assistants. Since the proposed model did not meet accepted standards of fit, the dataset was randomly split into two approximately equal halves and a follow-up exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the first half of the dataset, which yielded a second-order, five-factor solution. The second-order academic engagement constructs that emerged from the EFA consisted of students&rsquo; behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement with their course material. In addition, two first-order factors emerged from the EFA, consisting of students&rsquo; emotional and cognitive engagement with their fellow students or classmates. </p><p> These constructs and relationships were consistent with the theory that drove the original proposed model, but differed slightly in their composition and relationship with one another. After establishing this empirical model through EFA procedures, the model was cross-validated on the second-half of the randomly split dataset and examined for invariance across students enrolled in online courses and students enrolled in traditional, in-person college courses, as well students from ethnically and economically diverse backgrounds. Latent mean comparisons revealed differences in levels of academic and social engagement between these three groups of students, suggesting that students enrolled in online courses and students from African-American and Latino/a ethnicities were slightly more academically engaged than their counterparts. However, students enrolled in online courses scored much lower than students enrolled in face-to-face courses on the social engagement measures, while students from African-American and Latino/a ethnic groups scored higher on the social engagement measures than did students from Asian and Caucasian ethnicities. Interestingly, no differences emerged between groups of students from lower and higher economic backgrounds.</p>

<p> Educational leaders are tasked with finding the best practices for motivating students and accurately reporting progress (Popham, 2011). Additionally, the alignment of curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy can facilitate changes in education (Klenowski &amp; Wyatt-Smith, 2014). Therefore, as districts align curriculum to assessment standards, students&rsquo; scores on assessments should increase (Squires, 2012). The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation exists between Missouri English II end-of-course (EOC) exam scores and student grade-point averages (GPAs) earned in English II. Moreover, data were examined to determine if a correlation exists among student gender, Missouri English II EOC scores, and student GPAs earned in the course. Additionally, perceptions from high school principals concerning grades, standardized assessments, and gender bias were analyzed. Seven southwest Missouri schools from the same conference were chosen to participate. Schools submitted secondary data including gender, Missouri English II end-of-course exam scores, and GPAs earned in the English II course. Additionally, secondary principals from participating districts were asked to complete a survey. The study revealed a positive correlation between Missouri English II EOC exam scores and GPAs. Furthermore, the study showed a higher percentage of females than males earning a 3.0 or higher average GPA in English II. However, despite the correlation of EOC scores and GPAs, the majority of principals surveyed disagreed standardized tests are an accurate representation of students&rsquo; subject knowledge. Likewise, a majority of principals surveyed expressed course grades are free of gender bias and the best practice for accurately reporting student progress.</p><p>

<p> Special education students with many different disabilities are taught in today&rsquo;s classrooms, and since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, they are required to take the same standardized assessments as their regular education peers (Resmovits, 2013). Within this study, data were analyzed to determine the perceptions of two groups, which included third-grade regular education teachers and special education teachers of special education students who took the same standardized assessments as their regular education peers. In addition, data were also examined to determine if there was a relationship between how teachers from the two groups responded to survey statements and how students actually scored on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) for the years 2012-2014. Finally, data were analyzed to determine the perceptions of the two groups on the use of special education students&rsquo; assessment results for teacher evaluations. Sixty-three (<i>N</i> = 63) teachers, 30 regular and 33 special education teachers, from the Southwest Missouri region participated in completing a survey. Results indicated teachers in both groups negatively viewed the idea of special education students taking the same standardized assessments, with or without accommodations, as their non-disabled peers. In addition, a statistical relationship was found between the regular education teachers&rsquo; perceptions and special education students&rsquo; MAP scores in the area of communication arts (2013, 2014), and a statistical relationship was found between special education teachers&rsquo; perceptions and special education students&rsquo; MAP scores in the area of communication arts (2012) and math (2013). Finally, the data showed teachers in both groups negatively viewed the idea that special education students&rsquo; MAP scores should be used in teacher evaluations.</p>

<p> More families in the United States are beginning to choose private or homeschool education for children instead of a public school education (Hanna, 2011); therefore, college administrators must begin to evaluate each student&rsquo;s educational background in order to help all students achieve academic success at the college level. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in multi-year college academic performance among public, private, and homeschool graduates who attended a private work college in the Midwest. The variables analyzed consisted of students&rsquo; final high school GPAs and ACT test scores, college cumulative GPAs and work point average (WPA) scores, as well as college graduation rates. Each educational background was examined independently, while also analyzing the varied educational backgrounds against one another and as groups. The results of the homeschool and private school students were not significantly different in all variables tested. The homeschool students maintained a slightly higher average overall; however, both homeschool and private school students&rsquo; scores were consistently higher than students who attended public schools using an equality of variance, ANOVA, and post-hoc analyses for high school cumulative GPA, ACT composite score, college cumulative GPA, and WPA variables. Both homeschool and private school students had a comparable college completion rate; however, public school students had a lower graduation rate. A chi square test of independence was used to determine whether a significant relationship existed between the educational background of students and college graduation. The analyses showed the graduation rate was dependent upon the educational background. Not only did public school students average the lowest percentage in all variables, but they were below the overall average of each variable tested.</p>

<p> Research in the area of 21st century learning suggested the American public education system lacked educational preparation for students to compete in a global/connection economy. The United States performed lower than other nations on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 reading performance. However, the United States had a higher number of 21st century skills and knowledge embedded in the curriculum. The 21st century skills, referred to as the 4Cs (collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking) served as the foundation of this research. Moreover, while the United Sates performance on the PISA was no match to other developed nations; the country ranked above competitors in other international indexes such as the Global Competitiveness Index and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. </p><p> The researcher analyzed data using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC), and Chi-Square tests for independence and goodness of fit, to seek a possible relationship between the number of 21st century skills included within the 2012 reading curriculums in the countries of Finland, Singapore, and the United States and compared to reading scores measured by the 2012 PISA. For the null hypotheses numbers one through five the researcher applied a PPMCC to the data by comparing a single 4C to the score of each researched country for reading PISA results. With exception to null hypothesis three, a significant inverse relationship existed between the number of 21st century skills included within the 2012 reading curriculums and the 2012 PISA reading scores of the researched countries. Although null hypothesis three was not significant, an observable inverse relationship did exist. This study revealed when a country scored higher on the PISA 2012, the total number of 21st century skills included in the reading curriculums were lower. Additionally, students within the American educational system may benefit from increased focus on academic performance and instructional design to harness creativity and develop an entrepreneurial spirit.</p>

<p>The researcher designed this study to investigate a possible correlation between the number of years of fine arts coursework and achievement on the American College Test (ACT). The district studied was predominantly African American; therefore, similar schools may use the results to plan strategies to reduce the achievement gap. Results included a mild positive correlation between student ACT achievement and coursework in visual arts, and a moderate correlation between ACT achievement and performing arts. The more fine arts coursework a student received, the higher his or her ACT score. The researcher conducted a z-test for difference in means to compare the ACT scores of students with two or more years of fine arts to the district population?s average ACT score. The researcher found significant statistical difference in ACT scores. Finally, the researcher conducted a z-test for difference in means to see if number of years of fine arts coursework correlated to student achievement on each of the ACT sub tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science. The researcher found students with two or more years of arts coursework scored higher on each sub test than students who only took one required year of fine arts. The researcher noted this study could be important to curricular programming and increased student achievement in the future.

The primary purposes of this study were: (1) to study empirically differences that might occur among item-samples and (2) to compare empirically the effect of test item samples on matrix sampling estimates of the mean and variance of a population of test scores, and (3) to study empirically an analysis of variance design through multiple matrix sampling.

<p> While many factors have been identified as influencing student academic performance, previous studies consistently determined effective teaching as the most significant factor, within the control of educators, leading to improved student achievement. Nonetheless, educational experts, statisticians, and policy-makers alike acknowledged the complexity of isolating the contributions of individual teachers on their students&rsquo; achievement. Converging with these changing beliefs about teaching and learning, the landscape of education faced an additional challenge&mdash;marked by an increased demand for schools and individual teachers to be held accountable for the academic growth of his/her students. Local districts have been empowered to create and implement teacher evaluation systems, with the caveat they maintain student achievement data as one measure of teacher effectiveness. </p><p> While there has been research conducted investigating a relationship between performance-based teacher evaluation systems and student achievement, studies have been limited to the most common large-scale models. This study was unique because the research focused on a specific teacher evaluation system, created by and for, a rural Missouri school district during its first two years of implementation. The purpose of this mixed-methods research study was two-fold: (1) to investigate the relationship between teachers&rsquo; annual evaluation ratings (as measured by the researched district&rsquo;s teacher evaluation tool) and their students&rsquo; academic performance (as measured by the MAP and i-Ready assessments), and (2) to analyze teacher and administrator perceptions of the impact of the new teacher evaluation system on improving student achievement and the teachers&rsquo; instructional performance. </p><p> This study&rsquo;s analysis took both math and reading achievement scores into account, considering two different standardized assessments, the state-mandated Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and a locally-administered i-Ready Benchmark Assessment. The student achievement data yielded an increase in student achievement over the two years of the study. However, the results of the study did not establish a correlation between the two variables: teacher quality and student achievement. More sensitive evaluation methods are needed to isolate the variable of teacher evaluation ratings on student achievement.</p>

<p> Purpose. The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore early childhood classroom teachers&rsquo; experiences with administrative support in the implementation of the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) as an authentic assessment tool. </p><p> Methodology. The participants included 10 Head Start and 10 State Preschool teachers implementing the DRDP. The researcher conducted and transcribed one-on-one participant interviews. The questions were pilot tested, and a member check was conducted. An inductive analysis approach, which included both the researcher and a second rater independently examining the data, was employed to identify common themes. </p><p> Findings. Results reflected the participants&rsquo; experiences regarding administrative support provided in DRDP implementation. The findings revealed 6 themes relevant to the research questions: (a) reflecting on DRDP results is challenging due to time constraints, (b) time off the floor with children aids in reflecting on DRDP results, (c) the Center for Child and Family Studies at WestEd (WestEd) DRDP training is encouraged, (d) the WestEd website is helpful in implementing the DRDP, (e) program-specific DRDP resources are provided, and (f) time is a valuable resource to aid in DRDP implementation. </p><p> Conclusions. The study&rsquo;s results indicated that administrative support is important in DRDP implementation. A major finding of this study exposed the need for time off the floor with children for both reflection on DRDP results and the completion of the required paperwork. The data from the study will aid early childhood administrators in future planning. </p><p> Recommendations. The researcher recommends additional early childhood program types be studied. Additional recommendations for further research include a quantitative study on the same topic. The researcher further recommends that support regarding authentic assessment tools other than the DRDP be explored. </p>

The study explored the development of a valid assessment tool for job negotiation competencies using the Evidence Centered Design framework. It involved the creation of a competency model, evidence models, and task models that guided the development of a branching simulation tool to quickly diagnose college students' knowledge and skills in job negotiation. The online tool utilized three scenarios where students play the role of job seekers negotiating with their potential future employers. This study focused on two key behaviors in negotiation – making counteroffers and making reasonable concessions. A preliminary competency model was first developed based on a literature review of negotiation research. This model was then validated by a panel of experts. The experts also validated the evidence model (how to score performance on the simulation) and the task model (what tasks should be performed to elicit evidence of performance). These activities and the experts' feedback for improving the prototype simulation provided content validity for the tool. A total of 86 undergraduate and 51 graduate students participated in the study. The students completed an online tutorial, the scenarios in the simulation, a demographics survey, and two other survey instruments that provided alternative measures of negotiation abilities. Their performance on the assessment simulation was determined by their overall competency score and value of the negotiated outcome. Students were classified as experts or novices based on their negotiation experience and knowledge of negotiation strategies. Results from the study indicated that experts performed better than novices in terms of overall competency and negotiated outcome. The study also compared the outcomes of the assessment tool with outcomes from the alternative measures of negotiation ability (a survey on preference for competing, collaborating, compromising, and accommodating negotiation strategies and a survey to determine self-confidence in using distributive and integrative negotiation tactics). I hypothesized that students with a high preference for competing and collaborating strategies would also have higher scores from the assessment tool. On the other hand, students who indicated a high preference for accommodating and compromising strategies would have lower scores. The results from the Preferred Negotiation Strategies survey supported my hypothesis that students who highly prefer accommodating and compromising strategies would have lower scores on overall competency and negotiated outcome. But the mixed findings for competing and collaborating preferences only partially supported my hypotheses. I also hypothesized that students who were highly confident in the use of distributive and integrative negotiation tactics would have higher scores on the assessment compared to those who have low self-confidence. The results did not support my hypotheses because there were no significant relationships between confidence and the assessment outcomes. Finally, the study also found that gender, expertise, and negotiation training have an effect on overall competency score and the negotiated outcome. This dissertation provided a case study on how to develop an assessment tool that diagnoses negotiation competencies using the ECD framework. It also provided evidence of validity for the tool by demonstrating its ability to distinguish different levels of performance by expert and novice negotiators. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2015. / October 30, 2015. / Includes bibliographical references. / Valerie Shute, Professor Directing Dissertation; Paul Marty, University Representative; Robert Reiser, Committee Member; James Klein, Committee Member.