Browsing by Subject "Achievement Gap"
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Item Achievement and Opportunity Gaps in Mathematics Education in Turkey Compared to European Union Countries(2010-12-08) Yetkiner, Zeynep 1978-One of the main purposes of this dissertation was to examine gender- and socioeconomic status (SES)-related mathematics achievement gaps among Turkish middle-school students compared to achievement gaps in European Union (EU) countries. A further purpose of the present study was to investigate qualified mathematics teachers? distribution in relation to student SES among Turkish middle schools. Finally, relationships between mathematics teacher quality indicators and students? mathematics achievement within Turkish middle-school classrooms were explored. In this dissertation, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2007 data were used. Sample countries were Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, and Slovenia. Achievement gaps by gender and SES were examined using Cohen?s d effect sizes and 95 percent confidence intervals. Relationships between mathematics teacher quality and students? mathematics achievement were investigated using hierarchical linear modeling. Results showed none or only negligible gender differences but substantial SES-related gaps in Turkish students? achievement in mathematics, overall, or in various content and cognitive domains. Correlations between students? SES levels and their achievement were the largest in Turkey compared to the sample EU countries. Among the sample EU countries, only Hungary had as large or even somewhat larger disparities as Turkey between low- and high-SES students? mathematics achievement. The current study also identified SES-related inequities in access to qualified mathematics teachers in Turkey. Low-SES students were more likely to be taught by mathematics teachers who had less than 3 years of experience or who did not hold a degree in mathematics or mathematics education. On the other hand, years of experience and a degree in mathematics or mathematics education were found to be substantially related to Turkish eighth-grade students? mathematics achievement. Low-SES students? mathematics teachers were also more likely to report lack of confidence in their preparation to teach various mathematics contents. To narrow achievement gaps, Turkish policy-makers can explore and benefit from policies of the countries identified in the present study as more equitable in terms of student achievement than Turkey. The current study also shows Turkish policy-makers importance of the equitable distribution of qualified mathematics teachers in closing the mathematics achievement gap in middle schools.Item Middle Class and Middle School: Does Opportunity Knock for African American Students?(2012-12-10) Mooney, Patricia 1960-Closing the achievement gap between African American and White students continues to challenge educators in both urban and suburban contexts. Teachers and administrators in America are overwhelmingly White, and have limited training, if any, in understanding cultural differences or developing culturally responsive practices and policies. More importantly, racism and deficit thinking impose invisible barriers that inhibit the success of African American students. This Problem of Practice explored the existing achievement gap between African American and White students at Keller Middle School, a Title I campus in southeast Texas. Using a qualitative research methodology, campus data, policies, and practices were examined through the lens of societal racism, institutional racism, and deficit thinking. Three fundamental themes were revealed in this study: 1) White teachers and administrators believed that African American students were not successful in school because they (or their families) had internal defects that impeded learning; 2) African American parent and student participants had deficit beliefs about other African Americans and used defensive othering as a coping strategy; and 3) African American students and parents perceived themselves as successful and attributed that success to a high motivation to achieve. Recommendations are given to address the gap in achievement for African American learners in middle school.Item Perceptions of Five Middle School Science Teachers: A Suburban Success Story on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Achievement for Eighth Grade African American Students(2012-07-16) Henry, Cheryl TurnerThe purpose of this qualitative study was to examine a problem of practice present in an actual school district. The study examined the achievement gap that existed between African American and European American students in eighth grade science. Over the course of one school year, the perceptions of five eighth grade science teachers and an administrative team?s series of strategies were explored in a suburban middle school in Southeast Texas. Since the enactment of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (2001), the achievement gap has been discussed and studied. However, few studies have investigated the strategies used by teachers to close the achievement gap for African American students who attend suburban schools. This study examined the perceptions of five science teachers about the achievement gap at one suburban middle school, and identified and described the teaching methods and practices, aimed at closing the achievement gap as measured by the performance of African American students on the eighth grade Science Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. Participants were the eighth grade science teachers at the chosen school. The results yielded a reduction in the achievement gap for African American students in eighth grade science on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills; 90% of the African American students passed the Science TAKS test in comparison to the 77% pass rate the previous school year. Member checking and peer debriefing were used to establish trustworthiness. Recommendations for future study include a comparison of culturally responsive teaching and Quantum Learning (2008) strategies, as well as areplication of the identified strategies in the study to other suburban and urban schools, and districts.Item Robbing Tamika to Pay Jamaal: An Exploratory Investigation of the National Assessment of Educational Progress(2013-05-07) Lea, JemimahThe purpose of this study was to provide an exploratory analysis of African American females achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) within the years 1996 through 2012 across academic contents and grade levels. To conduct this analysis, four questions were posed: 1) What is the academic achievement trend of African American females on the mathematics, reading, U.S. history, science, and visual and performing arts NAEP within the years 1996 through 2012? 2) How does African American female achievement proficiency differ across grade levels on the NAEP in mathematics, reading, science, and U.S. history in 2009? 3) How does the academic achievement of African American females compare to the academic achievement of African American males in core content areas (mathematics and reading) on the NAEP? and 4)How does African American females academic achievement compare to the academic achievement of their female counterparts on core content areas (mathematics, science, U.S. history, reading, visual arts and music) on the NAEP within the years 1996 through 2012? The results of this study are: 1. African American females? achievement trends mirrored the combined trends of all other populations; however, their scores were well below the other subgroups (Asian, White and Hispanic female students.) 2. African American females outperformed African American males in mathematics and reading. 3. More than 35% African American female students fail to meet the basic level of proficiency in all grades tested in every content area. Moreover, less than 3% of the African American female students scored at the advanced level in any subject or grade level. 4. The current practices are maintaining rather than closing the gaps between African American female performance and other students. African American female student score disparities in all other areas ranged from 1 point to 40 points. The data suggest that preteen and teenage years are important for African American female proficiency. It is recommended that African American female students, their parents, educational professionals, and researchers address the seriousness of the low performance of African American female achievement and institute policies, programs and practices to address their academic needs