Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2007, Educational Leadership

In an effort to address a broad educational issue - the student achievement gap between European Americans and African Americans in public suburban schools – this qualitative case study examined the phenomenology of the social world, as conferred in interpretative discourse, that employs a Verstehen framework attempting to understand the culture in higher socio-economic suburban schools as well as how educators and other school personnel construct the meaning of the achievement gap in their social world. Using phenomenology, the crux of the discussion focuses on how teachers, administrators, and other school personnel understand the problem within their school setting(s). This interpretative study centered on ways that educators understand student achievement gaps in suburban school settings. Data analysis was initiated with data generated by the Ohio Department of Education's state-mandated tests and report cards and continued with the collection of open-ended surveys and interviews. In data analysis, theme response categories were formed. For each, further analysis was conducted by sub-groups (e.g. race, gender, professional position, etc.) in accordance with the most frequently mentioned themes. The outcome of the analysis was a discussion of the research questions. The methods employed were used to gain greater insight into how the Egan Local School District (a pseudonym) employees understand the achievement gap in relation to their “life-world” experiences. This study found that the respondents were very uncomfortable when they addressed the achievement gap. They believed that it had multiple causes, including broad social forces, social class, and a lack of cultural competence. African Americans were more likely to attribute the achievement gap to school or district factors than were European American respondents. The most striking differences, however, were between administrators, teachers, and support staff. Further research is needed to examine student trac (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2012, Educational Administration (Education)

The purpose of this study was to investigate fifth-grade student achievement in Ohio public charter schools as compared to student achievement in traditional public schools, and to determine whether the performance of charter schools changed over time. Research questions asked 1) how does student achievement in Ohio's public charters compare to that of traditional public schools, and 2) do Ohio's charter schools show increased student achievement over time? Drawing on an approach used by Miron (2002; 2005; 2007), adjusted, or filtered scores were created by using the slope and intercept obtained from two regression models (one for reading and one for mathematics) that were performed with traditional public schools for each of the six years of the study. This approach allowed the investigation to control for the influence of student achievement predictors generally recognized in the research literature: socioeconomic status, ethnicity, special needs status, and school size. The result produced three measures for each of the schools: actual scores, predicted scores based on the adjustment for demographic variables and the computed difference between the actual and predicted scores. Score differences were then compared and analyzed over time to determine whether the gap between public charter and traditional public school achievement changed. As public charter schools matured, and as the number of operational public charters increased, T-test results confirmed that charter school performance in Ohio improved. In the sixth year of the study, the level of charter school achievement approximated that of traditional public schools. Results of the study have policy implications regarding public charter school funding, methods to properly assess school-wide student achievement, and the equitable treatment of both public charter and traditional public schools with regard to sanctions related to student achievement outcomes. Further, study findings can be used to guide future (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 0, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

The Black-White achievement gap has been an acknowledged problem in American public education since the 1960s with the release of the Coleman Report (1966). Academic optimism has been linked to student achievement since its development in 2006. This study seeks to confirm the link between academic optimism and student achievement, and to see if there is a connection between academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap in an urban public-school setting.164 high school teachers from an urban school district in Ohio were surveyed to assess the level of academic optimism in their schools. This variable was then compared to the difference in math and ELA test scores between Black and White students at each school. The results of this study confirmed a significant positive correlation between academic optimism and student achievement, as well as between each of the three components of academic optimism (academic emphasis, collective efficacy, and faculty trust) and student achievement. However, there was no significant correlation found between academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap, nor between the factors of academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap.

Specialist in Education, Miami University, 2010, Educational Psychology

The following study examines the relationship between state achievement assessments and curriculum-based measurements. Specifically, reading performance on the Ohio Achievement Test and curriculum-based measurement oral reading fluency scores were evaluated. Relationships were examined to determine possible predictors of future state achievement test performance. Trimester benchmarks in oral reading fluency were utilized in evaluating the reading performance of 575 students from a suburban Southwestern Ohio school district. The results indicated that curriculum-based measurements of oral reading fluency and Ohio Achievement Test reading have a strong predictive relationship. A model, utilizing the most recently administered Ohio Achievement Test and oral reading fluency scores demonstrated the strongest predictive relationship with future successful state test performance. Given the federal and state objectives focused on increasing student achievement, these findings provide schools and educators with practical methods of monitoring and predicting student success.

PHD, Kent State University, 2010, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Using two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), I investigated the relationships among bullying behaviors, internet use, and academic achievement for Black, Hispanic, and White boys and girls. I assessed three measures of academic achievement, including scores on mathematics, reading comprehension, and vocabulary. The four goals of this research project were 1) to investigate the relationships among bullying behaviors, internet use (e.g., chatting, e-mailing, surfing) and academic achievement, 2) to explore whether bullying behaviors and internet use affects academic achievement over time, 3) to test if internet use moderates the relationship between bullying behaviors and academic achievement, and 4) to test if race and gender gaps in achievement persist once accounting for the relationships among bullying behavior, internet use, and social capital. Findings indicate bullying by itself does not have a significant association with achievement outcomes, while the influence of internet use varies in significance and direction of effect based on type of use. Chatting was the only measure of internet use that consistently had a significant negative relationship across all achievement outcomes. The association between bullying behaviors and academic achievement was moderated by some forms of internet use such that at low levels of bullying, children with low levels of internet use had significantly higher test scores. As levels of bullying increased, low/high internet users test scores converged to the point that at high levels of bullying behaviors, differences in test scores between low/high internet users were statistically insignificant. Email use and surfing the web were found to moderate the association between bullying behaviors and reading comprehension. Surfing moderated bullying and math scores. Chatting moderated the relationship between bullying and each of the three outcomes. Lastly, there were no significant race or gender dif (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2010, Leadership Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between students' performance on the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and the fourth and fifth grade Reading and Math Achievement Tests in Ohio. The sample utilized students from a suburban school district in Northwest Ohio. Third grade CogAT scores (2006-2007 school year), 4th grade Reading and Math Ohio Achievement Test scores (2007-2008 academic year), and 5th grade Reading and Math Ohio Achievement Test scores (2008-2009 school year) were utilized in this study. Pearson Correlation was utilized to examine the relationship between the test scores. Secondly, the researcher examined whether the correlation coefficients between CogAT and fourth and fifth grade Ohio Achievement Test scores differ by CogAT performance level (below average, average, above average). Additionally, a linear regression test was utilized to determine whether the composite scores from the CogAT can predict proficiency on the fourth and fifth grade Ohio Achievement Tests in Reading and Math. The correlation coefficient on all four achievement tests indicated strong positive significant relationships between scores on each achievement test and scores on the CogAT for the entire sample (n=292), while three of four of the coefficient correlations were weak for the below average group. The average group generated the strongest correlations of the CogAT with all the OATs examined. The above average group generated moderate correlations. Predictions for future academic achievement are stronger with the above average and average groups, while weaker for the below average group. In general, students who score approximately 93-95 on the CogAT in 3rd grade are likely to achieve a proficient level on the 4th and 5th grade OAT for Reading and Math. The range of CogAT scores necessary to predict accelerated and advanced levels increases greatly. In addition, higher CogAT scores were necessary to achieve accelerated or advanced for Re (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2013, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Over the last decade, the focus on student achievement in America's public schools has dramatically increased. The pressure to perform and show growth in student achievement has been challenging due to increased levels of competition through school choice across the nation. Charter schools are one of the most recent education reform movements designed to increase accountability, innovation, and competition. Since the adoption of the first charter law was passed in Minnesota in 1991, the number of charter schools has grown rapidly across the nation. “Charter schools have recast the definition of public school and have presented the field of education with its greatest challenge” (Murphy & Dunn, 2002, p. 1). According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, there are currently over 5,000 charter schools that operate in 42 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 1.6 million students (“Charter schools 101:,” 2012). Students across the country have the option to attend charter schools or remain in the home school district. Parents and students are challenged to make a choice of which educational avenue is best for their family and must weigh all of the advantages and disadvantages to see which may produce the greatest outcomes and meet the needs of a diverse student population. The current investigation synthesizes numerous studies conducted across the nation at the elementary, middle and high school level. Meta-analytic techniques assist parents and educators in making evidence-based decisions while adding to the research supporting educational reform and promoting best practices in both educational models. This study was specifically designed to consider a number of variables in charter schools relative to traditional public schools, including socioeconomic status, English Language Learning, school competition, and eligibility for special education that may impact student mathematics and reading achievement. Analysis revealed that cha (open full item for complete abstract)

EDD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

This study aimed to identify student perceptions of readiness to practice based on the self-assessment and preceptor scores, as well as post-graduation feedback in relation to their achievement goal orientation and evaluation scores of clinical skills and professional and personal skills. Post-graduation feedback, obtained through open-ended survey questions related to student educational experiences, allowed for an understanding of students' transition into professional practice. A mixed-methods approach was used. The Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised (AGQ-R) was used to determine student achievement goal orientation. Assessment scores from students and preceptors were obtained through the ATrackTM system, and student perceptions of their educational experiences were received from open-ended survey questions. Analysis of the quantitative data demonstrated that there was no significance between student self-evaluations and preceptor evaluation scores collectively or categorically. Additionally, there were no significant relationships between student self-evaluations and achievement goal orientations collectively or categorically. Qualitatively, participants found that the pandemic of COVID-19, and the shortage of opportunities for real-life experiences resulted in a lack of exposure to authentic situations and hands-on practice limiting them for professional practice. Conversely, many of the participants felt the diverse clinical rotations and clinical practice and competencies led them to feel prepared for their transition to professional practice as certified athletic trainers.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Leadership Studies

The current study examined the impact of a pre-matriculation social belonging intervention on the academic achievement of incoming first-time, full-time college students at a four-year public university in the Midwestern United States utilizing a secondary analysis of existing data. The theoretical framework was viewed through the lens of Bandura's (1997) Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) which focused on social and cognitive abilities with an emphasis on social influences, self-efficacy, and motivation. Bandura's (1986) Triadic Reciprocal Determinism Model undergirded the study as the conceptual framework and captured learning as (a) behavioral, (b) personal, and (c) environmental. The secondary analysis of existing data included College Transition Collaborative (CTC) pre-matriculation social belonging intervention data, student demographic and achievement data. Given the large dataset and variability in data, the final sample population (N = 2,138) was collapsed and randomly equalized based on the treatment condition (standard, customized, and CTC control) and no-treatment control groups to create a unique custom secondary analysis of existing data to analyze the research questions. Additionally, race and ethnicity data were collapsed into White and non-White student groups. Factorial analysis of covariance (factorial ANCOVA) was used to examine if there were statistically significant main effects or individual impact of each independent variable (race and ethnicity, gender and CTC Intervention) on the dependent variable (first-year cumulative GPA). Additionally, the researcher examined if there was a statistically significant two-and three-way interaction effect or influence of the relationships between the independent variables and the dependent variable. Overall, the results of the current study suggested that students who participated in the CTC pre-matriculation social belonging intervention saw a positive difference in first year cumulative GPA compared (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 0, Education

The purpose of this study is to determine if Project-Based Learning (PBL) retrieval activities can impact knowledge gains and retention in high school mathematics students, and to look for a possible relationship between student achievement level, retrieval activity type, and mathematics knowledge retention. For two mathematical topics, ten high school seniors (six average-achieving and four high-achieving) received instruction, completed a post-instruction test, participated in either a PBL or a Traditional retrieval activity, and completed a post-activity test the day after the activity to measure knowledge gains and a deferred post-test six weeks after the activity to measure knowledge retention. There was no statistically significant difference in either knowledge gains or knowledge retention based on type of retrieval activity. The knowledge gains effect size between the two groups was negligible (Hedges' g = 0.017). The knowledge retention effect size was small (Hedges' g = 0.203) with a preference for the Traditional activity. Within both achievement levels, large effect sizes (Hedges' g > 0.8) were found in knowledge retention, with the high-achieving group showing higher knowledge retention after the PBL activity and the average-achieving group showing higher knowledge retention after the Traditional retrieval activity. These results indicate that PBL activities can be as effective as Traditional activities in the high school mathematics classroom and may be more beneficial to some students. Future research to determine attributes that may contribute to student's response to different types of retrieval activities is suggested.

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2021, School Psychology

Homework has historically played a role in schools, with a specific aim to increase academic performance. However, the debates surrounding this topic are numerous, leaving educators to question the merit of homework and if it really is the best method for improving academic gains outside of the classroom. This study aimed to examine the impact of homework on academic success through a meta-analysis of current research, specifically conducted within the United States. Effect size was used to measure the impact of homework on student learning. Results from this study indicated that homework has a small effect on increasing academic achievement. Results from this study also exposed the limited availability of experimental research that studies the direct impact of homework on academic achievement. This impacted the researcher's ability to adequately calculate effect size comparisons for homework characteristics. This is problematic, as homework is often used as a strategy for closing the achievement gap. Based on these results, educators should closely examine homework policies and practices within their district, as well as examine other strategies for increasing student learning.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2021, Foundations of Education: Educational Psychology

Saudi Arabia launched a strategic plan to further develop its overall education plan. The strategic plan contains goals to develop classroom environments that concentrate on inculcating learning skills (e.g., critical thinking and problem solving), fostering students' self-development, improving students' confidence, promoting students' spirit of creativity, and increasing students' desire to be challenged in the learning context (“Education and Vision 2030,” 2017). The goals are aligned with the principles of Achievement Goal Theory (AGT), a key motivational theory in Educational Psychology. Indeed, motivational theories often guide educational philosophies which seek to increase students' interaction and engagement in learning. AGT is considered to be an essential factor that influences students' intrinsic motivation and desire not only to learn but also to continue learning. Teachers are the heart and soul of the education system, and they are the most immediately influential component in students' learning and development. There is a lack of research evidence regarding Saudi teachers' Goal Orientation. Thus, the present study's focus was to explore teachers' Goal Orientation in Saudi Arabia using a descriptive survey design. The sample of the study consisted of 292 teachers. The data iii was analyzed using the Rasch model for dichotomous data. The demographic information of the teachers revealed that 83.83% of teachers had not been exposed to Achievement Goal Theory. The results show that teachers preferred Mastery Orientation (MO) strategies with some students but not all. It seems that teachers did not have a comprehensive grasp of the importance of practicing MO strategies with all students most of the time. The results suggest that teachers' selection of MO strategies could be influenced considerably by certain characteristics of both the situation and the student. Also, the results identified the areas where teachers fail to practice the most important M (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2018, College of Education and Human Services

The purpose of this study was to explore whether and how tracking structures in mathematics courses at the middle school level relate to differences in achievement between white and black students. This study used propensity score matching to compare the achievement outcomes of students enrolled in advanced mathematics classes, with students of comparable ability and background enrolled in grade-level math classes. The study sample was comprised of 1,510 students. Results from the study show that enrollment in an advanced-math course was associated with statistically significant improvement in math achievement for average-ability students. In addition, study results show that increases in student achievement associated with average-ability black student enrollment in advanced-level math courses surpass the increases in math achievement outcomes associated with average-ability white student enrollment in advanced-level math courses. These findings have important equity implications because average-ability black students opt to enroll, or are disproportionately placed, in grade-level math as compared to average-ability white students. The findings suggest that increased enrollment of average-ability black and white students in advanced-level math would lead to a reduction in the racial math achievement gap and to improved math achievement outcomes for both black and white students.

PHD, Kent State University, 2018, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

According to the TIMSS 2015 international study findings, students who enjoy learning mathematics a lot scored much higher (average 61 points) than the students who do not enjoy it a lot. Enjoying learning mathematics is one of the indicators of the construct “intrinsic motivation” towards mathematics, and this type of other constructs, such as confidence, attainment value, and utility value were found to have significant contributions in students' academic achievement in previous studies. This study considered the Expectancy-Value Theory (E-VT) of achievement motivation and the Social Equity Theory (SET) to investigate racial-ethnic gaps in achievement motivational constructs as well as achievement scores of U.S. eighth-grade students in the mathematics and science domains. The TIMSS 2011 U.S. national data on mathematics and science were utilized to answer four research questions. The first research question addressed the psychometric properties of the achievement motivation scales in the TIMSS 2011 Student Background Questionnaire, and the findings of this study confirmed sound evidence regarding the construct, convergent, and divergent validity of the scales. The second research question looked for the racial-ethnic gaps in achievement motivational constructs. A series of measurement invariance tests confirmed that the racial-ethnic groups (Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White students) are not comparable after controlling for students' relative standing or ability levels on the constructs. The third and fourth research questions sought to determine the extent to which the E-VT and the SET explain variance in mathematics and science achievement. This study results showed that the E-VT constructs explain more within-group variance in the mathematics domain (with moderate to large effect sizes) than the science domain (with moderate effect sizes), and the SET variables explain the almost similar amount of within-group variance in both domains (with moderate effect (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2017, College of Education

This dissertation addresses approaches to closing the achievement gap for urban public high schools. High school graduation rates have been increasing, both nationally and in Ohio; however, this is not the case for all students. The problem addressed in this research is that graduation rates of African-American and Hispanic students in Ohio were not increasing at the same rate as those of White students within the past decade. The literature review indicated that poverty was not always a predictor of lack of academic success. Through qualitative case study methodologies, this research explored how three urban public schools in Ohio made significant gains in improving the graduation rate of African-American and Hispanic students. Eighteen individuals were interviewed during the course of this study and their testimonies show that instructional strategies, academic interventions and building strong relationships with students were important in closing the achievement gap. The findings of this research include specific strategies and approaches that led to increased graduation rates. Additionally, this study provided participants, including African-American and Hispanic students, their parents, community leaders, and educators, an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns, and make valuable recommendations on how to continue to improve the education of underperforming African-American and Hispanic students in Ohio. The personal experiences of the participants in this study may help other public school district educators in the nation serving similar ethnic groups, gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities to closing the achievement gap.

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2017, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between a 1:1 laptop program and the achievement test results for the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT). Two cohorts were examined (N=193): 1. Tenth graders who took the OGT subtests in Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies in 2014 (n=109) and who had received traditional instruction and 2. Tenth graders who were given individual laptops and eTexts to use at school and at home, and who took the same OGT tests in 2015 (n=84). A Chi Square statistical assessment was conducted to compare student performance. No statistical difference was evident for overall passage rates when comparing the two cohorts. For the laptop cohort, there was no statistical difference in the expected counts for the subject areas of Writing, Science, and Social Studies. For Reading, laptop cohort scores reflect a trend, with scores moving upward into the Accelerated performance category. Math scores showed significantly more scores falling in the highest performance category of Advanced in comparison to what was expected. Similarly, when looking at the economically disadvantaged subgroup within the laptop cohort (n=29), a positive and significant difference from what was expected occurred within the Advanced category for Math, while a trend toward significance for improved performance occurred for Reading scores. The potential for significant gains in student achievement is evident. Additional longitudinal research is warranted to better understand the significance of impact as pedagogical practices develop following initial implementation and considering contextual factors.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1984, Graduate School

Honors Theses, Ohio Dominican University, 2016, Honors Theses

Academic mindset, the importance of how students think about their intelligence, can affect their achievement in mathematics. Over many years, researchers have tried to understand a perceived gender gap in math achievement in favor of boys, but research has been inconsistent. Whether or not a gender gap exists in math achievement, sex differences remain in the STEM professions. Understanding the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence math achievement and beliefs about intelligence might help to shed light on the issues. The current study assesses middle school students' implicit theories of intelligence (i.e., mindsets), achievement goals, study behavior, and math anxiety in order to understand math achievement. Results show that regardless of sex, students' math achievement is equivalent. However, girls are more likely to have higher math anxiety than boys, while boys report greater enjoyment in math than do girls.

Doctor of Education, University of Toledo, 2011, Educational Administration and Supervision

This study investigates whether students who regularly attend the after school program Kids Unlimited show greater academic gains on the Ohio Achievement Assessment than students at the same schools who do not attend Kids Unlimited. This study also investigates whether there is a difference in Ohio Achievement Assessment scores between students who regularly attend Kids Unlimited and those who do not based on gender, grade level, socio-economic status, special education status, race, or school site. And finally, this study investigates whether students who have attended Kids Unlimited for more than one academic year attain higher Ohio Achievement Assessment scores than students who have attended Kids Unlimited for a maximum of one school year. The results of the study show that no significant differences were found in Ohio Achievement Assessment scores for students who regularly attended the after school program Kids Unlimited when compared to students at the same schools who did not attend Kids Unlimited. Statistical differences were found in Ohio Achievement Assessment scores for reading based on gender, grade-level and race and significant differences were found for math achievement scores based on school site, grade-level and race. These differences should be interpreted with caution due to similar significant results for non-Kids Unlimited students and low sample sizes. Finally, no significant differences were found in achievement assessment scores for students who attended Kids Unlimited for more than one academic year when compared to students who attended Kids Unlimited for a maximum of one school year.

Master of Science and Education, University of Toledo, 2005, Educational Administration and Supervision

This study sought to determine the prevalence of teacher-centered or student-centered beliefs and practices based on grade taught and years of experience. The most prevalent concepts related to student-centeredness were individualization, collaboration, high expectations, and meaningfulness. The least prevalent concepts were in assessments, interpersonal relationships, and relevance of content. Teachers with less than six years of experience had slightly higher mean scores than those with more than six years, with no statistically significant difference between their mean performances. Teachers who taught grades 7 – 12 also had slightly higher mean scores than those who taught grades K – 6. There was no statistically significant difference between their mean performances. The findings shed light on both experienced and less experienced teachers. It also poses a different way of looking at teachers, no matter the grade level they teach. More research should be conducted, with the possibility of extending the sample regionally and nationally.