The purpose of this study is to examine the evidence underlying the claim that scores from CampusReady, a diagnostic measure of student college and career readiness, are valid indicators of student college and career readiness. Participants included 4,649 ninth through twelfth grade students from 19 schools who completed CampusReady in the 2012-13 school year. The first research question tested my hypothesis that grade level would have an effect on CampusReady scores. There were statistically significant effects of grade level on scores in two subscales, and I controlled for grade level in subsequent analyses on those subscales. The second, third and fourth research questions examined the differences in scores for subgroups of students to explore the evidence supporting the assumption that scores are free of sources of systematic error that would bias interpretation of student scores as indicators of college and career readiness. My hypothesis that students' background characteristics would have little to no effect on scores was confirmed for race/ethnicity and first language but not for mothers' education, which had medium effects on scores. The fifth and six research questions explored the assumption that students with higher CampusReady scores are more prepared for college and careers. My hypothesis that there would be small to moderate effects of students' aspirations for after high school on CampusReady scores was confirmed, with higher scores for students who aspired to attend college than for students with other plans. My hypothesis that there would be small to moderate relationships between CampusReady scores and grade point average was also confirmed. I conclude with a discussion of the implications and limitations of these results for the argument supporting the validity of CampusReady score interpretation as well as the implications of these results for future CampusReady validation research. This study concludes with the suggestion that measures of metacognitive learning skills, such as the CampusReady survey, show promise for measuring student preparation for college and careers when triangulated with other measures of college and career preparation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if traditional indicators of college readiness were better predictors of students’ first semester college GPA and persistence to the second year of coursework compared to non-traditional indicators of college readiness. Specifically, this study analyzed the predictive validity of high school class rank and ACT/SAT scores compared to that of the psychosocial skills measured by the ACT Engage on students’ first semester college GPA and their likelihood of enrollment in the second year of college coursework. Methodology: Linear and logistic regression models were used to examine the effect of gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, high school rank, Texas Success Initiative college readiness scores, SAT or ACT scores, and the ten themes of the ACT Engage Inventory (dependent variables), on students’ first semester college GPA and rate of persistence to the second year (independent variables). A sample of 4,379 first semester college freshmen participated in this study. Findings: Results indicated that high school rank, ACT/SAT scores and psychosocial skills measured by the ACT Engage theme academic discipline were accurate predictors of college performance. Results regarding the predictive power of traditional academic and non-traditional psychosocial predictors of persistence were less definitive. Students qualifying for federal financial assistance and female students showed the greatest likelihood of not returning for the second year of college. Research Limitations: One limitation of this study occurred because separate ethnicities were not evaluated as independent variables. Additionally, further research should occur regarding the relationship between the independent variables of gender and socioeconomic status and the dependent variable persistence. Practical Implications: Due to the predictive power of high school class rank, college entrance exam scores, and the psychosocial skill of academic discipline, educators and policy makers should design targeted preparation and support initiatives around improving students’ skills in these areas. Recommendations for such initiatives were provided. Value of Paper: This paper is valuable to educators at the secondary school and university levels because results can be used to design preparation and support programs in order to improve students’ performance and persistence at the college level.

This mixed methods study investigates how ecological factors influence the decisions urban Hispanic middle school and high school adolescents make concerning their college and career aspirations. I examine the academic aspirations, career aspirations, the influence of peers, teachers, and parents of seventh-, eighth-, ninth-, and tenth-grade urban Hispanic adolescents, and gender roles in college and career aspirations through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological subsystems theory. Participants took the Student Career Assessment (SCA) survey consisting of Likert-type multiple choice questions and open-ended questions to assess their college and career aspirations. Quantitatively analyzed data examined the extent urban Hispanic middle school and high school adolescents were influenced by items on scales of encouragement, literacy, and education and whether there were differences by gender and grade level. Student responses as to why they chose a specific career were analyzed qualitatively. Combined results for urban Hispanic middle school and high school adolescents show a) both genders are interested in finishing high school and going to college, b) Hispanic females are encouraged more than males to pursue their college and career aspirations, c) more females than males know their career aspiration, but the majority of students do not know how to prepare for their chosen career, e) females have more confidence in their literacy skills than males. The more confidence Hispanic high school students have in their literacy skills, the more likely they are to graduate from high school. Implications for future research should involve conducting studies in the areas of college and career aspirations of urban Hispanic adolescents using random sampling. More gender studies involving the college and career aspirations of urban Hispanic adolescents would significantly add to the current body of knowledge.

Professional development (PD) is used as the primary means for ensuring the continued learning of teachers. PD opportunities and support vary in type and quality. Little is known about the participation in and support of PD for high school science teachers. The establishment of supportive professional cultures provides a means to support teachers' PD in addition to providing meaningful interactions between teachers to improve practices related to teaching, learning, and assessment. Even less is known about patterns of relationships between professional culture with high school science teachers and students. PD and professional culture have been reported to increase teacher retention and student achievement. The studies presented in this dissertation use mixed methods approaches to explore data collected by the Policy Research Initiative in Science Education Research Group during the 2007-2008 academic year. The first study assessed PD of high school science teachers from two perspectives: (1) teachers' participation in PD, and (2) schools' practices to support teachers' participation. Teachers' participation was determined using self-reported survey data. Schools' PD support was operationalized using data collected from administrative interviews. Descriptive statistics revealed little relationship between teachers' participation in PD, schools' PD support, and teacher retention. Descriptive statistics of schools' PD support indicated associations with student achievement. The second study operationalized school science professional culture with a rubric developed for the study. Elements within the rubric addressed many components mentioned in the literature as indicative of positive professional culture. School science professional culture had little relationship with either teacher retention or student achievement. Strong associations were found among the elements associated with school science professional culture. These results provide support for the inclusion of these elements in future studies of school science professional culture. The final chapter provides a summary of both studies. Recommendations are made for improving policies in place to support PD and professional cultures experienced by high school science teachers. Specific attention should be directed at the development of cohesive PD programs that address both schools' and teachers' needs. Additionally, more opportunities for in-depth communication regarding school practices for teaching, learning, and assessment need to be provided.

The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on April 20, 2010). Thesis advisor: Dr. Sandra Hutchinson. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 615-676).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 96-100).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-100). Also available in print.

Educators need clear, actionable data to help them understand students' current levels of performance and students' probable trajectory toward college- and career-readiness in math if they are to make informed programmatic decisions to shape that trajectory. This study explored the relation between CBM-math in Grade 7 as a one-point, teacher accessible measure of student math skill and the students' performance on the Grade 8 EXPLORE-math test, a large-scale achievement test linked to one set of college- and career-readiness benchmarks. Results indicated that a moderate positive correlation and predictive relation exist between CBM-math and EXPLORE-math. Information was disaggregated by gender and for subgroups, including students eligible for special education, free or reduced meals, and English language development services. No difference in means for male and female students on either measure was identified, but eligibility for special education or for free or reduced lunch was associated with lower performance on both measures. Insufficient numbers of ELD students hindered detailed analysis, but none of the ELD students included in the study achieved the EXPLORE benchmark or the CBM normalized cut score based on the 40th percentile. An ROC analysis showed that easyCBM consistently predicted students who did not meet the EXPLORE benchmark, although results indicated that a higher cut score on easyCBM may be a more consistent predictor. The study adds to validity research on CBM and may be useful for educators seeking to identify students at risk of missing achievement benchmarks and make programmatic decisions to ensure students are on track to be college- and career-ready in math.

This study examined the career development experiences of one African American man, a former student-athlete in a Division I revenue generating football team. This study focused on his experiences as a student-athlete who participated in football as he transitioned out of elite athletics. Division I collegiate athletics represents a highly sought opportunity (NCAA, 2015h). However, this opportunity may reduce college completion and disrupt maximal career development (Hartman, 2014; Van Rheenen, 2013). This qualitative case study of one participant explored the nuanced influences and pathways the participant used to enter his current career after completing college. Mark Savickas’s (2002) Career Construction Theory (CCT), a constructivist non–a priori narrative theory, served as the theoretical framework. Qualitative interview data were collected during a progressive series of three separate in-depth, face-to-face interviews. Data were first analyzed using an inductive, open-coding process. Four patterns emerged from the data relative to the participant’s career development experiences: ambivalence, performance prioritization/competitive spirit, practical mind-set/good judgment, and value of selected communities, which helped him decide on the ideal career environments. Findings were then analyzed via the Savickas CCT tenets of successful career construction that include life themes, self-concepts, and life design. Findings include (a) the participant executed a largely linear pathway developing his career since retirement from elite athletics, (b) the participant experienced minimal challenges to reaching his current level, and (c) that participation in collegiate football provided valuable career development experiences. Additionally, the findings demonstrated a positive career development based on the participant’s alignment of CCT tenets life themes, self-concepts, and life design.