Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/1794/6278

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 203

Open Access
1 + 1 Is Not Always 2: Variation in the Relations Between Mathematics Self-Efficacy Development and Longitudinal Mathematics Achievement Growth
(University of Oregon, 2015-01-14) Shanley, Caroline; Biancarosa, Gina
Creating an educational program that results in positive post-secondary and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-oriented outcomes for all students is a national goal and federal policy directive. Recent research has shown that in addition to measures of academic proficiency, intra- and interpersonal skills are important factors in college and career readiness. Likewise, mathematics proficiency is an important skill for successful STEM outcomes and post-secondary success, but these achievements and outcomes frequently vary based on demographic characteristics. This study utilized data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 to examine the relationships between mathematics achievement growth in Grades K-1 and Grades 3-8, mathematics self-efficacy development in Grades 3-8, and demographic factors including sex, socioeconomic status (SES), and race/ethnicity. Various models of mathematics achievement growth were tested, and the relationships between both early and middle grades mathematics achievement growth and self-efficacy development were also explored. Sex, SES, and race/ethnicity differences in both mathematics achievement growth and self-efficacy development were discovered, and findings were consistent with familiar achievement gaps favoring white and Asian males from above median SES households. In particular, SES was found to be a ubiquitous factor in both mathematics achievement and self-efficacy development, and sex moderated some of the relationships between mathematics achievement and self-efficacy. Implications for future research, instructional design, and intervention development are discussed.
Open Access
A Better Tomorrow: Examination of International Students’ Success in Higher Education
(University of Oregon, 2017-09-06) Shen, Yue; Bullis, Michael
International student enrollment in U.S. higher education has increased and diversified over the past decade. The unique needs and challenges international students face in pursuing higher education in the U.S. need a systematic investigation. Previous research literature has identified cultural diversity as one main challenge against international students’ success. There needed to be a systematic approach in investigating the role of cultural values in predicting success of international students in higher education. The present study applied Cultural Dimensions theory to the cross-cultural context of international student experience at the University of Oregon. It sought on one hand validation of the theory-based measurement model of cultural values in the abovementioned context. On the other hand, it explored predictive relations between patterns of cultural values based on the measurement model, and academic outcomes of international students at the institution. Results of the study indicated that a Cultural Dimensions theory-based measurement model of cultural values had potential in further delineating the essential of cultural diversity in the higher education. Multiple patterns of cultural dimension values found in the study indicated the uniqueness of cultural disposition within both and between international and domestic student population. Although no statistically significant relations were found between certain cultural dimension pattern and academic outcomes, future research could be conducted in refining the measurement model, mapping the patterns of cultural values within international student population, and track change of such patterns of individual students over time, and in relations to cross-cultural interaction.
Open Access
A Case Study Evaluating the Fidelity of Implementation of Constructing Meaning Training at a Local Middle School
(University of Oregon, 2016-10-27) Sica, Brian; Zvoch, Keith
The purpose of this study was to understand the implementation of practices derived from Constructing Meaning (CM) training by teachers (n = 30) at a local middle school. The study took place in two phases. Phase one was primarily quantitative. Implementation fidelity was measured for each critical component of CM training, and component and aggregate indices were constructed and analyzed. The second phase, primarily qualitative, investigated teachers’ perceptions of the conditions that favored or hindered implementation. Results indicated that certain components were implemented to a greater degree than others and that the overall implementation fidelity was approximately 50%. Key conditions for implementation were identified as collaboration (both with peers and CM trainers), sufficient time, and clear connections to other programs.
Embargo
A Comparison of Eighth Grade Math, Reading and Behavior Outcomes in Grade K-8 Schools Versus Grade 6-8 Middle Schools
(University of Oregon, 2015-08-18) Anderson, Gail; Conley, David
The purpose of this study was to examine differences between school configuration and students' academic and behavioral outcomes. The participants were eighth grade students in K-8 schools who were matched with eighth grade students in 6-8 middle schools on factors including percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch, percentage of students receiving services for special education and English language learners, average years of teacher experience, and percentage of boys and girls in each school. Eighth grade student's standardized math and reading achievement data were collected at the school level for a 3-year period. Additionally, school-level data on suspensions and expulsions over the same 3-year period were also collected. The data were analyzed using arc-sine transformation, means, standard deviation, and a repeated-measure analysis of variance. No statistical interactions were observed between time and school type for any of the research questions. However, main effects favoring K-8 schools were found for (a) Math Test, (b) Reading Test, (c) In-school Suspensions, (d) Out-of-school Suspensions, and (e) Expulsions. These findings are interpreted with a lens towards assisting school districts as to which school configuration they should consider as it relates to the district's values and long-range goals.
Open Access
A Dynamic Network Study on How Consolidating State Governance Models Relates to Legislator Voting Patterns
(University of Oregon, 2018-09-06) Pitts, Christine Maria; Biancarosa, Gina
In 2011, Oregon was one of many states in the U.S. consolidating their education governance around an early learning, K-12, and postsecondary hub. This study uses legislator-voting data to investigate the relationship between this consolidated model and endogenous policy formulation processes. This study employs a separable temporal exponential random graph model (STERGM) to investigate how an education governance shift toward consolidated authority relates to bipartisan outcomes for education-related bills over time. Oregon legislator voting networks were analyzed for cohesion, centrality, and community detection measures, as well as by legislator attributes (e.g. gender, party, and title) to test the association they had on the likelihood of forming ties with other legislators. Finally, to study the relationship of bipartisanship with legislators’ likelihood to vote commonly, I added the legislators’ political party attributes within dyads to analyze the association that having different political parties had on legislators’ common votes. The results highlight evidence of legislator networks that were very dense at each time point included in the study, with a high likelihood of forming ties. However, when Oregon shifted to centralized education governance model their legislator networks became more distributed and cohesive when compared to other years included in the longitudinal study. It is possible that such a shift prompted collaboration among legislators resulting in mutuality that increased the likelihood for underrepresented groups of legislators (e.g. females and republicans) to vote commonly with their colleagues. Aligned with previous research, this study found that centralized governing bodies reinforced by political legislation provided collaborative initiatives for the legislative community. Attending to bipartisan voting patterns dynamically through a governance shift is a valuable investigation that will provide nuanced inferences about education governance and policymaking for states making similar consolidated governance shifts in the future.
Open Access
A Global Set of Dispositions? Applying Discrete-Choice Method to Measure Global Citizenship Dispositions of Secondary-School Students in Two Nations
(University of Oregon, 2020-09-24) Thier, Michael; Martinez, Jr., Charles
Global citizenship education is a fast-growing reform of crucial domestic and international importance. Unfortunately, schools that aim to offer global citizenship education have no way to determine if they are providing anything besides a traditional approach. Moreover, communities that want to join this burgeoning movement lack an evidence-generating mechanism to lobby for needed funds or approvals. Among nearly 150 extant measures relating to global citizenship, each has troubling limitations that could undermine their uses in secondary schools, such as being designed (a) for respondents at universities or multinational corporations; (b) absent rigorous psychometric testing; (c) without accounting for multidimensionality confounds (i.e., global citizenship featuring dispositions, knowledge, skills, and behaviors); or (d) as self-reports, which can invite social desirability bias. Seeking reliable data that would enable global citizenship educators’ valid inference-making for improving pedagogical practices or scaling up those that show promise, I designed this dissertation to develop a discrete-choice measure of global citizenship dispositions. Following an exploratory sequential design, this three-phase dissertation began with nominal group technique focus groups with 11 alumni/ae of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programmes in Sweden and the United States. Alumni/ae demonstrated social validity of eight consensus-defined global citizenship dispositions. Second, I drafted 120 items to operationalize four socially valid dispositions (Appreciation of Multiple Perspectives, Intercultural Sensitivity, Interest in Diversity, and Plural Geographic Allegiance), which an international panel of 18 global citizenship scholars vetted for content validity. Third, I pilot-tested content-valid items from socially valid dispositions with 182 Year 9 and 10 students. A confirmatory factor analysis and strong correlational evidence of items’ susceptibility to social desirability bias led me to construct a triadic discrete-choice measure that has demonstrated initial utility for assessing secondary-school students’ global citizenship dispositions and mitigating effects of social desirability. This dissertation—designed to reconcile practical and scholarly tensions about global citizenship—did not solve all the problems of measuring its dispositions among secondary-school students. But it did yield a self-report alternative that has shown proof of concept based on data from diverse participants who have experienced, who have thought deeply and written about, and who engage daily in global citizenship education.
Open Access
A Joint Modeling Approach to Studying English Language Proficiency Development and Time-to-Reclassification
(University of Oregon, 2017-05-01) Matta, Tyler; Stevens, Joseph
The development of academic English proficiency and the time it takes to reclassify to fluent English proficient status are key issues in monitoring achievement of English learners. Yet, little is known about academic English language development at the domain-level (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), or how English language development is associated with time-to-reclassification as an English proficient student. Although the substantive findings surrounding English proficiency and reclassification are of great import, the main focus of this dissertation was methodological: the exploration and testing of joint modeling methods for studying both issues. The first joint model studied was a multilevel, multivariate random effects model that estimated the student-specific and school-specific association between different domains of English language proficiency. The second model was a multilevel shared random effects model that estimated English proficiency development and time-to-reclassification simultaneously and treated the student-specific random effects as latent covariates in the time-to-reclassification model. These joint modeling approaches were illustrated using annual English language proficiency test scores and time-to-reclassification data from a large Arizona school district. Results from the multivariate random effects model revealed correlations greater than .5 among the reading, writing and oral English proficiency random intercepts. The analysis of English proficiency development illustrated that some students had attained proficiency in particular domains at different times, and that some students had not attained proficiency in a particular domain even when their total English proficiency score met the state benchmark for proficiency. These more specific domain score analyses highlight important differences in language development that may have implications for instruction and policy. The shared random effects model resulted in predictions of time-to-reclassification that were 97% accurate compared to 80\% accuracy from a conventional discrete-time hazard model. The time-to-reclassification analysis suggested that use of information about English language development is critical for making accurate predictions of the time a student will reclassify in this Arizona school district.
Open Access
A Mixed Methods Exploration of Reading Intervention, Reading Motivation, and School Engagement With High School Students
(University of Oregon, 2016-02-23) Pearson, Alexa; Biancarosa, Gina
Older students with reading difficulties struggle with high school academics and are at risk for not graduating. Despite a growing body of research on adolescent literacy in upper elementary and middle school, the research on high school reading interventions is relatively scant and not as promising as one would hope. Rather than assuming students know how to read well by the time they enter secondary schools, educators need to consider the reading skills students may be lacking as well as ensure that students remain motivated and engaged in learning. This study synthesizes the research findings from several studies on supplementary reading interventions for adolescents as well as research findings on how motivation is interwoven with adolescent literacy achievement. Previous research has examined motivation for reading by looking at intrinsic and avoidance motivation and forming reading profiles of students in fifth grade. My study brings these profiles to the high school level and investigates whether the reading profiles at the end of eighth grade predict reading achievement and motivation for ninth grade students in a reading intervention course and those not in a reading intervention. The study focuses on ninth grade, a pivotal year for students, and how students’ involvement in reading intervention courses prior to and in ninth grade predict student achievement on a reading comprehension measure, as well as their reading motivation and school engagement.
Open Access
A Promising Reform: The Early College High School: Finding Supports That Work
(University of Oregon, 2018-09-06) Struyk-Bonn, Christina; Biancarosa, Gina
The Early College High School (ECHS) provides high school students with the opportunity to earn college credit while they are still in high school. The school in the study, the Metro East Web Academy, is one such school and currently has an ECHS population of 119 students. After close examination of the five aspects of the theoretical framework, the one area in need of closer scrutiny was the area of supports. Through this study, three main supports were examined: tutoring through Mt. Hood Community College, an advisory class that is not a required aspect of the ECHS program, and college information sessions. A survey was delivered to the 119 current students in the early college program and to 49 current graduates of the program. Various demographic groups did utilize supports to greater and lesser degrees: first year students did not access the tutoring center at the same rates as second or third year students; no students in any demographic groups chose the advisory or AVID and TRIO as the most helpful college support, and second language speakers did indicate that time management was a greater challenge to college success than did their non second language speaking peers.
Open Access
Academic Computing Infrastructure Program Evaluation
(University of Oregon, 2014-10-17) Oskui-Tabrizi, Nargas; Scalise, Kathleen
Academic computing is one major component of Information Technology infrastructure affecting the availability and utilization of technologies at universities. The study here evaluated two different colleges at the University of Oregon in comparison to a minimal logic model proposed here, the Support for Academic Computing Model (SAC). Based on the differences in IT needs and implementation of existing instructional technology services, the evaluation investigated the utility of the logic model and information regarding the two settings. The two colleges are the College of Education (COE) and the School of Architecture and Allied Arts (AAA). My hypothesis is that empirical evaluation studies based on a comparison with a base logic model for infrastructure needs across contexts may help to provide information to better align resources. Results show that a strong use case of 100% of faculty interviewed at COE rely on Learning Management Systems (LMSs), Data Visualization and Video & Audio tools, making them a core part of the SAC model. Most faculty interviewed in AAA utilize LMSs at 89%, then Productivity/Content Creation/Research Tools at 83%, and as an extension Instructional Media Tools at 46%, which helps to validate the SAC model across this second context. Other information in the model evaluation allows more specific comparisons of gaps in areas such as access to resources, knowledge of and about resources, mission-driven need for resources, and some patterns. Common themes that emerged from the faculty interviews are the need to showcase technology usage among colleagues, that services are not always well advertised, that technology may not be accessible or that there may be issues regarding limited or unclear funding for both support and resources that limits their use. This indicates that this style of a model might be helpful in planning and evaluating academic computing support programs and services. Future work would be needed to investigate the degree to which intervening according to the findings of such a model might be efficacious to improve the perceived quality of services or the usage patterns and outcomes, as well as the degree to which such a model could be generalized and evolve over time.
Open Access
“Americans Don’t Take ELD”: Long-Term English Learners and Stigma
(University of Oregon, 2022-02-18) Flores Gutierrez, Misael; Lucero, Audrey
English learners are a fast-growing population, and the English learner (EL) classification is designed to support students’ academic success who are learning English in school. While there is documented evidence that the EL classification is beneficial, there exists a growing body of research that suggests prolonged classification, more than five to seven years, produces negative consequences. When students are EL classified for more than five to seven years, they become known as Long-term English learners. To date, we know very little about these students’ lived experiences and how prolonged classification may lead to stigma, a consequence described in the literature, yet not examined using a conceptual framework. To address the gap in the literature, I use qualitative ethnographic methods to examine the extent prolonged classification may produce stigma using the Link and Phelan (2001) stigma framework. I find that the EL classification does produce stigma based on Link and Phelan’s stigma framework. However, prolonged EL classification is not a leading factor in the production of stigma. Indeed, stigma begins as early as kindergarten for students in this study. Furthermore, I find that the ELD class functions as an apparatus that wields power and control over human bodies and is the primary source for the production of stigma. The findings of this study may help policymakers, academics, and practitioners to find better ways to support the development of the English language for students whose first language is not English.
Open Access
An Analysis of Specific Learning Disability Exclusionary Clause
(University of Oregon, 2017-09-06) Lybarger, Pamela; Martinez, Charles
The purpose of Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) is to protect the rights of students with disabilities and to assure that all students receive equitable access to a free and appropriate public education; yet there are explicit exclusions written in the law for students who may have experienced environmental, cultural, and economic disadvantages. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used to study Section Four of the exclusionary clause of Specific Learning Disability (SLD) that states students must be excluded from identification if their learning difficulties are primarily the result of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. The Contextual Interaction Theory (CIT) was borrowed from water governance policy analysis to provide a theoretical framework for better understanding the complexity of context and interaction processes in special education policy implementation in Oregon. Survey (n = 100) and interview (n = 6) results showed that 87% of Oregon school psychologist respondents demonstrated some level of non-compliant behavior on Section Four implementation. Barriers to implementation included unclear state and federal guidelines, lack of measurable terms, unclear roles and responsibilities, external pressures to find students eligible, and lack of confidence that Section Four can be applied in every case for 69% or more of the sample. Recommendations for future research include defining the Section Four terms, developing a measurement tool with cut offs, and training to improve implementation; however, there is concern that this may be an impossible task. Recommendations were made to develop a state level Task Force to begin the dialogue; however, future research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of validity of CIT, definitions of Section Four terms that are measurable, identification and definitions of the mitigating mechanisms in the determination of Section Four for appropriate and possible implementation. A supplemental spreadsheet file included with this dissertation was used to illustrate the coding and mapping of Ochoa, Rivera, & Powell (1997) factors onto CIT categories.
Embargo
An Evaluation of Growing Early Mindsets (GEM™)
(University of Oregon, 2016-10-27) Coates, Kendra; Bullis, Michael
A growing body of literature and research emphasizes the importance of developing student mindsets and social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies (metacognitive learning skills) across the prenatal (P) to graduate school (20) (P-20) continuum to increase student motivation, engagement, achievement, and overall well-being. There is, however, an absence of research investigating the impact of braiding growth mindset, SEL, and mindfulness principles and practices together on early elementary student and teacher outcomes. The purpose of my dissertation is to measure the impact of a new PreK–3rd curriculum called Growing Early Mindsets (GEM™) (Coates, in publication) on student and teacher outcomes across the K–3rd continuum in two districts in Oregon. Data collected during the 2014–15 Mindset Works’ study of Growing Early Mindsets (GEM™) was used. Classrooms were assigned to experimental (implemented GEM™) and control groups and given pretest and posttest measures to measure the impact of GEM™ on students’ approaches to learning, social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies, and literacy skills as well as on teacher mindsets, perceptions, confidence, and motivation. Results were statistically significant for students’ approaches to learning and SEL competencies as measured by Teacher Reports and teacher’s beliefs as measured by the Teacher Mindset Survey. Results were not statistically significant for students’ approaches to learning and SEL competencies as measured by Student Surveys, nor students’ oral reading fluency as measured by district-administered oral reading fluency measures. All experimental teachers reported that GEM™ changed their perceptions of their own and others’ learning and growth, increased their confidence to integrate growth mindset and SEL practices, and increased their motivation to improve their overall teaching practices. While the results are somewhat promising, the findings raise many questions that need further exploration.
Open Access
An Examination of Native Language, Culture and Culturally Responsive Teaching in Schools
(University of Oregon, 2021-09-13) LaChance, Kelly; McClure, Heather
Title: An Examination of Native Language, Culture and Culturally Responsive Teaching in Schools The teaching of Native language and culture is described in the literature as a culturally responsive teaching approach. This study uses a sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design to examine the inclusion and teaching of Native language and culture in schools. Quantitative data from a grant funded teacher survey project was used to analyze teachers’ culturally responsive teaching, teachers’ years of experience, and AI/AN student density in schools. Qualitative data from the same teacher survey was analyzed to examine teacher responses to adjusting academic content and teaching approaches to impact Native students’ learning. The Indigenous culturally responsive teaching framework, which centers on the teaching of Native language and culture as a culturally responsive teaching model of practice, was used to guide the research. Findings indicate Indigenous culturally responsive teaching is perceived differently by AI/AN teachers, teachers of color, and white teachers. Implications for practice are to support the development of a praxis for AI/AN culturally responsive teaching which includes Native language teaching, culture, and culturally responsive teaching. Keywords: Culturally Responsive Teaching, American Indian/Alaska Native Education
Open Access
An Examination of Third Grade Reading Achievement for Students Identified as SLD, Tier 2, or Tier 3
(University of Oregon, 2020-09-24) Fee, Kira; Hollenbeck, Keith
The purpose of this study was to examine formative reading and vocabulary achievement results for third grade students recently found eligible for special education (SpEd) within specific learning disability (SLD) reading eligibility versus other third grade students not identified with SLD. The participant sample crossed four consecutive school years, and students were assigned to four different groups according to SLD status and Fall overall easyCBM© risk including: (a) students not in SpEd with a Fall designation of Low Reading Risk Group (non-SpEd low risk), (b) students not in SpEd with a Fall designation of Some Reading Risk Group (non-sped some risk), (c) students not in special education with a Fall designation of High Reading Risk Group (non-SpEd high risk), and (d) students in special education with a Fall designation of High Reading Risk Group (SLD high risk). The SLD high risk group was comprised of 90 students, so 90 students were randomly selected and assigned to each of the other three groups. Fall, Winter, and Spring easyCBM© passage reading fluency and vocabulary progress monitoring data were collected. Data were analyzed using a mixed effects model, including omnibus tests and pairwise comparisons. Specifically, the pairwise comparisons found SpEd High Group’s mean PRF scores were significantly lower from all other groups and, importantly, significantly lower than the non-SpEd High group in Fall (p = .01), Winter (p < .00), and Spring (p < .00). Vocabulary pairwise comparisons for the SpEd High Group versus the non-SpEd High Group found no significant difference in Fall (p = .45), but significant differences in Winter (p < .00) and Spring (p < .00). Implications of my findings focus on district policy regarding: (a) the use of CBMs for risk labels, (b) Response to Intervention (RtI) as an effective framework, and (c) reading achievement growth for students with SLD are discussed
Open Access
An Oregon Research-Practice Partnership: A Multiple Case Study of the First Two Years of Implementation across Four Oregon High Schools
(University of Oregon, 2022-10-04) Joye, Solaris; Biancarosa, Gina
School systems across the country, like those in Oregon, continually attempt to improve their students’ academic outcomes. Unfortunately, these costly efforts often fail to create lasting change. One factor in many of these failed improvement efforts is the lack of successfully implementing research-based practices (RBPs) at state and local levels. This phenomenon is often characterized as implementation failure. In the context of public K12 education, implementation failure often stems from a lack of knowledge about RBPs and a lack of capacity to implement them. While university-based school partnerships have long existed, these partnerships have more recently been formed to address this specific research to practice gap regarding the improvement of student outcomes.The Oregon Research Practice Partnership (ORPP) was established in 2017, with the goal of improving high school graduation rates across Oregon by helping to close this gap and help schools successfully implement RBPs to improve student outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess initial implementation of ORPP to understand its early-phase processes to determine its level of fidelity with original goals and to gain insight into how future efforts can strengthen similar partnerships and bolster their outcomes in companion schools. This study includes a convergent mixed method design, examining school partner perceptions of the ORPP model. Results indicated that numerous implementation challenges existed early in the life of ORPP, which would require numerous adaptations for outputs to be more effective. Lessons are learned from these challenges that may help other similar partnerships in early phase implementation. Lessons include the need for early identification and adoption of an integrated implementation framework to guide initial partnership development. Framework adoption should include identification of implementation drivers, a process to ensure proper model fit for schools and their needs, and a clear mechanism to successfully transfer knowledge for sustained adoption by school partners. Defined training guidelines and role definition for all partners, which vertically align with district vision and goals, should be in place. Lastly, model fidelity measures need to be in place from the start.
Open Access
An analysis of local district capacity in the implementation of Oregon's extended application collection of evidence graduation requirement
(University of Oregon, 2009-06) Levy, Theresa A.
Oregon's extended application requirement, adopted by the State Board of Education as a graduation requirement in 2002 coupled with more rigorous state graduation requirements adopted in 2008, have significant capacity implications for local school districts. The purpose of this study was to examine how local school districts in Oregon have implemented the extended application requirement through their existing capacity. District capacity was examined through a survey that asked about four capacity domains: human capacity, organizational capacity, structural capacity, and material capacity. In addition, the survey addressed barriers to implementation as well as capacity needs to support implementation of extended application and new state graduation requirements. A self-administered web-based survey was developed to collect data. The survey was administered to curriculum administrators in all K-12 public school districts ( N =175) in Oregon. The response rate was 50% with representation from districts ranging in size from small to large and from all regions of the state, including rural, suburban, and urban settings. The survey used a five-point scale to determine the extent of extended application implementation, district capacity, and implementation barriers. Two open-ended questions asked participants to comment on their capacity needs. Study results showed that extended application implementation progress ranged from very little progress to great progress in districts across the state. The new graduation requirements were identified as a barrier to extended application and will likely impede implementation progress further. Additionally, in multiple regression analysis, district capacity was a predictor of extended application implementation and reflected that districts lacked the capacity to support implementation. Interrelationships were found between the four district capacity domains and implementation which suggest that capacity should be viewed holistically and comprehensively. Furthermore, district capacity analysis should be more intentional in the policy process in order to inform state policy decisions. Capacity-building needs were identified including: increased state-level guidance, time for teachers and administrators to collaborate, and a need for additional professional development, financial resources, and staffing. A coherent, state-wide strategy is recommended to build district capacity to support implementation of extended application and the new graduation requirements.
Open Access
An Analysis of Subgroup Differences on Self-Assessment Scores of College Readiness Skills
(University of Oregon, 2014-09-29) Young, Ronald; Conley, David
College and career readiness is an essential element in the success of students post high school; predicting how successful a high school student will be in a post-secondary setting is the focus of substantial research. Many tools and methods exist for predicting a student's readiness for college and career; unfortunately, gaps persist between readiness rates of different groups of students. The purpose of this study is to examine diagnostic data generated by an innovative survey tool to determine the relationship between high school students in ninth and tenth grades and their self-assessments of five subscales measuring college readiness. Using extant data collected by the Educational Policy Improvement Center as part of the CampusReady tool, this study uses basic descriptive and inferential statistics to look for differences between groups. Results suggest significant differences in the way that students from certain populations (students whose parents have completed differing levels of education, economically disadvantaged students, and Hispanic students) self-evaluate key college readiness skills. Findings from this study will inform K-12 practitioners who plan/develop college and career readiness programs. The impact of student self-reporting of college and career readiness has implications for future studies that aim to integrate college and career readiness programs.
Open Access
Analyzing AP Syllabi for Problem Solving, Authentic Learning, and Collaborative Learning Practices
(University of Oregon, 2014-09-29) Anderson, Heather; Conley, David
A rubric was used to determine the frequency of college-readiness practices of Problem Solving, Authentic Learning, and Collaborative Learning present in Advanced Placement Calculus and English syllabi. Chi square tests were conducted and determined Problem Solving, Authentic Learning, and Collaborative Learning were found significantly more often in the English syllabi than in the Calculus syllabi. Problem Solving and its subcomponents understanding the problem and strategizing, as well as the Collaborative Learning subcomponent dialogue, were found in the English syllabi more than in the Calculus syllabi. The Collaborative Learning subcomponent reciprocal teaching was found more frequently in the English Literature and Composition syllabi while peer review was found most often in English Language and Composition syllabi and not analyzed for its presence in the Calculus syllabi. No significant differences were found between subjects for the Problem Solving subcomponent hypothesizing, Authentic Learning or any of its subcomponents, nor the Collaborative Learning subcomponents using out of class time for study group learning or group projects.
Open Access
Analyzing the technical quality of a rubric used to assess science fair projects
(University of Oregon, 2009-06) Potter, Melissa C., 1977-
Presenting science fair projects gave students an opportunity to complete a performance assessment that comprised a meaningful task focused on process and subject to standards-based assessment. Students presented science inquiry and engineering design projects to judges at a regional science fair. The judges used the domains of the Potter Rubrics to assess the students' work and assigned a Quality score to each project. Using multiple regression, this study found that the mean scores on the Methods and Analysis domains predicted the mean Quality scores. Analyzing the technical quality of the Potter Rubrics addressed some of the measurement and generalizability concerns about performance assessments. Recommendations for future research and implications for practice were examined.