Browsing by Subject "Economically Disadvantaged"
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item A Comparison of Value-Added Accountability Systems with Accountability Systems that Use the Success of Economically Disadvantaged Students as a Key Accountability Indicator(2014-12-12) Barlow, Kevin LynnAn effective and acceptable accountability system for education continues to puzzle educators and researchers. The focus of the present study was on two high profile accountability system models: status-based models and value-added models. Status-based models are those models that only considered the status (pass/fail) of students on achievement tests. Value-added models are those that make an attempt to show the achievement gains that students are making and therefore attribute those gains to the students? educational experiences (e.g., teachers and schools). In particular, the present study investigated how the two models might rank campuses differently when accounting for the low SES indicators of both students and schools. The present study investigated three independent, but connected studies of these two models. First, a comparison of value-added models is presented. Second, a Monte Carlo study is presented comparing the rankings of a status-based accountability system model and a value-added accountability system model. Third, the results from a field study where data from a Texas school district was used to compare the rankings of a status-based accountability system model and a value-added accountability system model are presented. In the latter two studies, evidence is presented showing that the two models ranked campuses differently within each district. This was especially evident when a district had a wide distribution of the campus percentages of low SES students throughout the district. The effect low SES students had on accountability is noticeable in the ranking of the campuses. Campuses with a high percentage of low SES students performed lower under the status-based accountability system model than under the value-added accountability system model. Identifying the correct accountability system model to use in evaluating our schools is extremely important in this age of accountability. Teachers, principals, and superintendents are evaluated on the performance of their students, schools, and districts, and in some cases pay incentives are also attached to these evaluations. The present study shows the need for more research in accountability systems in order to ensure that these evaluations are fair.Item Differences in Reading Performance Between Elementary Charter Schools and Traditional Public Schools: A Texas Statewide, Multiyear Investigation(2017-09-22) Escalante, Martha L.; Moore, George W.; Slate, John R.The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the degree to which differences were present in the reading achievement of Grade 3 students between charter elementary schools and traditional elementary schools. In the first journal article, the extent to which the reading achievement of Grade 3 students differed between charter elementary schools and traditional elementary schools was addressed. In the second study, the degree to which differences existed between charter elementary schools and traditional elementary schools in the reading achievement of their Grade 3 students who were in poverty was determined. Finally, in the third article, the extent to which differences were present between charter elementary schools and traditional elementary schools in the reading achievement of their Grade 3 Black students was ascertained.Item Inequities in Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program assignments by the economic status and ethnicity/race of Texas middle school boys and their effects on academic achievement: A multiyear, statewide investigation(2017-10-17) Eckford, Christopher Ardel; Slate, John R.The purpose of this proposed journal-ready dissertation was to determine the extent to which differences were present in Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placements by student demographic characteristics for Grade 6, 7, and 8 boys in Texas middle schools. In the first investigation, the degree to which Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placements differed by the economic status (i.e., Poor, Not Poor) of Grade 6, 7, and 8 boys was examined. In the second investigation, the degree to which Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placements differed by the ethnicity/race (i.e., White, Hispanic, and Black) of Grade 6, 7, and 8 boys was determined. Finally, in the third study, the extent to which Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placements were related to the reading and mathematics achievement of Grade 6, 7, and 8 boys was addressed. In the first two articles, four years of Texas statewide data was analyzed, whereas in the last article, only one school year of data were present. In this investigation, a causal-comparative research design was used. Through a Public Information Request, archival data were obtained from the Texas Education Agency for the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-2016 school years. Specific data requested from the Texas Education Agency were student demographic characteristics and Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placement. In all four school years, statistically significant differences were present for the majority of the analyses by student demographic characteristics. In the first two studies, statistically significant differences were present in the assignment to a Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placement by student economic status (i.e., Poor, Not Poor) and ethnicity/race (i.e., White, Black, and Hispanic). Boys who were poor and Black boys were assigned to a Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program placement statistically significantly more often than their counterparts. In the third study, statistically significant differences were present in reading and mathematics performance as a function of Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program receipt. Boys who received this consequence had statistically significantly lower test scores than their peers who did not receive this consequence. Results from these three studies were congruent with existing literature.