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- Genre: Academic theses
Description
The most recent reauthorizations of No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act served to usher in an age of results and accountability within American education. States were charged with developing more rigorous systems to specifically address areas such as critical academic skill proficiency, empirically validated instruction and intervention, and overall student performance as measured on annual statewide achievement tests. Educational practice has shown that foundational math ability can be easily assessed through student performance on Curriculum-Based Measurements of Math Computational Fluency (CBM-M). Research on the application of CBM-M's predictive validity across specific academic math abilities as measured by state standardized tests is currently limited. In addition, little research is available on the differential effects of ethnic subgroups and gender in this area. This study investigated the effectiveness of using CBM-M measures to predict achievement on high stakes tests, as well as whether or not there are significant differential effects of ethnic subgroups and gender. Study participants included 358 students across six elementary schools in a large suburban school district in Arizona that utilizes the Response to Intervention (RTI) model. Participants' CBM-M scores from the first through third grade years and their third grade standardized achievement test scores were collected. Pearson product-moment and Spearman correlations were used to determine how well CBM-M scores and specific math skills are related. The predictive validity of CBM-M scores from the third-grade school year was also assessed to determine whether the fall, winter, or spring screening was most related to third-grade high-stakes test scores.
ContributorsGambrel, Thomas J (Author) / Caterino, Linda (Thesis advisor) / Stamm, Jill (Committee member) / DiGangi, Samuel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
This study investigated the link between the cognitive clusters from the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ III COG) and Broad Math, Math Calculation Skills, and Math Reasoning clusters of the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ III ACH) using data collected over seven years by a large elementary school district in the Southwest. The students in this study were all diagnosed with math learning disabilities. Multiple regression analyses were used to predict performance on the Broad Math, Math Calculation Skills, and Math Reasoning clusters from the WJ III ACH. Fluid Reasoning (Gf), Comprehension–Knowledge (Gc), Short–Term Memory (Gsm), and Long–term Retrieval (Glr) demonstrated strong relations with Broad Math and moderate relations with Math Calculation Skills. Auditory Processing (Ga) and Processing Speed (Gs) demonstrated moderate relations with Broad Math and Math Calculation Skills. Visual–Spatial Thinking (Gv) and Processing Speed (Gs) demonstrated moderate to strong relations with the mathematics clusters. The results indicate that the specific cognitive abilities of students with math learning disabilities may differ from their peers.
ContributorsBacal, Emily (Author) / Caterino, Linda (Thesis advisor) / Stamm, Jill (Committee member) / Sullivan, Amanda (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description
This mixed methods action research dissertation examines the effects of implementing growth mindset teaching practices in third grade math as a means to improve student math self-efficacy, math mindset and student achievement. Since the transition to the Pennsylvania Core Standards, students across the state including those in this district have been experiencing a decrease in math achievement in grades three through eight according to the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) the standardized achievement test all public school students take. Locally, traditional interventions such as worksheets, boxed programs, computer-based programs and extra practice have not yielded gains so this intervention focused on developing growth mindset teaching practices in math to answer four research questions. Framed in Dweck’s Implicit Theories of Personal Attributes (1995), Bandura’s description of self-efficacy (1997) and Hall and Hords’ work with teachers in bridging research into practice (2011), this study used Jo Boaler’s, Mathematical Mindset (2015) in a book study with the third-grade teachers. The dissertation study analyzed pre and post survey data from the third-grade class (n=57) on both mindset and self-efficacy. The study also analyzed pre and post survey data from the teachers (n=2) on mindset along with pre and post intervention interviews with the teachers. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis revealed the intervention had a positive effect on teacher mindsets and practices, a positive effect on student mindsets and a positive effect on student math self-efficacy. While the study did not reveal the intervention to have a positive impact on student achievement at this time, previous research included in the literature review cites improvement in student achievement through developing growth mindset thinking. This gives reason to predict that with more time, these students will experience improved achievement in math. Implications from this study include that we should train all math teachers in incorporating growth mindset practices, and that administrators should build the bridge between research and practice for teachers as they implement new teaching practices in effort to positively affect student performance.
ContributorsCastiglione, Rebecca Ann (Author) / Marsh, Josephine (Thesis advisor) / Moses, Lindsay (Committee member) / Doran, Terrence (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
The problem of practice addressed in this mixed methods action research study is the underachievement of fifth-grade students in mathematics. This study explores the effects of an innovation designed to help students develop a growth mindset by utilizing self-regulation strategies to improve academic growth in mathematics. Students’ underachievement in mathematics has been illustrated by both state and international assessments. Throughout the decades, mathematics instruction and reforms have varied, but overall students’ psychological needs have been neglected. This innovation was designed to develop students’ psychological characteristics regarding facing challenges in mathematics. For this purpose, two guiding theories were utilized to frame this research study, Dweck’s mindset theory and self-regulation theory. To address the research questions of this study, pre- and post-questionnaire data, observational data and student work was analyzed. Results of the qualitative data indicated that the innovation positively impacted students’ mindsets and use of self-regulation strategies. However, quantitative data indicated the innovation had no effect on students’ use of self-regulation strategies or academic growth, and a negative impact on students’ mindsets.
ContributorsManchester, Sarah (Author) / Judson, Eugene (Thesis advisor) / Moses, Lindsey (Committee member) / Ellis, Raquel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020