Examining Hispanic Student Mathematics Performance on High-Stakes Tests: An Examination of One Urban School District in Colorado

Hispanic students, born both inside and outside the United States, comprise over 80% of the US English language learner population. The difference in mathematics achievement among Hispanic students and other populations has been well documented. As a result, it is important to understand the effects of using standards-based mathematics curriculum with high school Hispanic students. Mathematics achievement scores from the Colorado Student Assessment Program and Measurement of Academic Progress for Hispanic 9th and 10th grade students (n = 1,318) who used the Core-Plus Mathematics Program were compared to the progress of other student demographics (n = 2,003) who used the same curriculum. In following the recommendations of the National Research Council (On evaluation curricular effectiveness: judging the effectiveness of K-12 mathematics evaluations. National Academies Press, Washington, DC 2005), a meta-analysis (Glass in Educ Res 5:3–8, 1976) of Hispanic students using National Science Foundation Funded (NSFF) curricula was conducted to contextualize this study’s findings within the findings of previous studies. The results of this study indicated that Hispanic students have shown modest gains; however, their relative position compared to other ethnic groups is unremarkable. The meta-analysis Cohen’s d results ranged from +.673 (SE = .131) to −.670 (SE = .045) with slightly positive effects for Hispanic students using an NSFF curriculum when compared to those not using an NSFF curriculum (.043, SE = .012).     

One Goal,Two Institutions: How a Community College and 4-Year University Partner to Bridge Student College Readiness Gaps

ABSTRACT

Recent national attention on college completion poses unique challenges and opportunities for community colleges. Moving underprepared students through basic skills educational courses to degree attainment represents an ongoing challenge. With more than 60% of community college students enrolled in remedial education, 2-year institutions must explore innovative approaches aimed at underprepared student completion. One community college did just that and partnered with a 4-year institution to expand postsecondary pathway options for underprepared first-year students. By establishing the Tiger Gateway Program, these two institutions collaborated to address student college readiness gaps using a summer bridge model. Seventy-five percent of participants self-reported as Hispanic/Latino with the remaining 25% identifying as African American or Black. Outcomes indicate participants who completed the program, 23 of 26, made gains in intellectual, academic, and social development. Findings support scholarship attesting that highly structured, meaningful, well-defined collaboration particularly benefits students from low-socio-status and underserved populations.     

Improving Reading Skills in Predominantly Hispanic Title 1 First‐Grade Classrooms: The Promise of Peer‐Assisted Learning Strategies

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a supplemental peer‐tutoring reading program on phonological and reading fluency skills of first graders (N= 78) who were in predominantly Hispanic Title 1 classrooms. Sixty‐eight percent of the students were Hispanic, all were English speaking. Six classrooms were randomly assigned to either the peer‐assisted learning strategies (PALS) program or a control condition. PALS students participated in a peer‐mediated early literacy intervention three times a week for 20 weeks for a total of 30 hours. Reading fluency measures taken at fall, winter, and spring showed statistically significant differences favoring PALS on phoneme segmentation and nonsense word fluency. Additionally, results analyzed by ethnic subgroups (Hispanic and non‐Hispanic) revealed a differential pattern of response to PALS intervention. Social validity questionnaires reported that teachers and students viewed PALS in a positive light.     

Equity in college physics student learning: A critical quantitative intersectionality investigation

We investigated the intersectional nature of race/racism and gender/sexism in broad scale inequities in physics student learning using a critical quantitative intersectionality. To provide transparency and create a nuanced picture of learning, we problematized the measurement of equity by using two competing operationalizations of equity: Equity of Individuality and Equality of Learning. These two models led to conflicting conclusions. The analyses used hierarchical linear models to examine student's conceptual learning as measured by gains in scores on research-based assessments administered as pretests and posttests. The data came from the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes' (LASSO) national database and included data from 13,857 students in 187 first-semester college physics courses. Findings showed differences in student gains across gender and race. Large gender differences existed for White and Hispanic students but not for Asian, Black, and Pacific Islander students. The models predicted larger gains for students in collaborative learning than in lecture-based courses. The Equity of Individuality operationalization indicated that collaborative instruction improved equity because all groups learned more with collaborative learning. The Equality of Learning operationalization indicated that collaborative instruction did not improve equity because differences between groups were unaffected. We discuss the implications of these mixed findings and identify areas for future research using critical quantitative perspectives in education research.     

A promising science and literacy instructional model with Hispanic fifth grade students

Abstract

This study evaluated the Science and Literacy Instructional Model aimed at helping primarily Hispanic bilingual/English Learners (ELs) and economically disadvantaged fifth grade students with science achievement as measured by high-stakes standardized science achievement scores. The model combined purposeful planning, innovative academic vocabulary instruction, and a Lesson Design Lab. Difference-in proportions tests were used to determine if students at two school campuses showed positive achievement gains on a state science test. This study found statistically significant results with medium to large effect sizes at both campuses. Findings contribute to much needed research, practice, and policy in the area of effective models to assist both teachers and students in an era of high-stakes testing.     

DO INTERVENTION‐EMBEDDED ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES SUCCESSFULLY MEASURE STUDENT GROWTH IN READING?

Effective intervention delivery requires ongoing assessment to determine whether students are learning at the desired rate. Intervention programs with embedded assessment procedures (i.e., assessment that occurs naturally during the process of delivering intervention) can potentially enhance instructional decisions. However, there is almost no psychometric research on this type of assessment procedure. This study was designed to examine the psychometric characteristics of three types of progress measures that are embedded within a commonly used reading intervention program. Results indicated that generalized gains across different oral reading fluency passages predict concurrent gains on common and comprehensive tests of reading fluency, and that immediate instructional gains measured during instruction were significantly different from zero and thus sensitive to intervention effects. Overall findings suggest that at least some embedded assessment procedures demonstrate predictive validity and that these types of procedures have the potential to assist educators with data‐driven instructional decisions about students’ responsiveness to intervention.     

A model using the WISC-R to predict success in programs for gifted students

The present study attempted to develop a quantitative model using the WISC-R that could be used to predict those students most likely to be successful in gifted education programs. The study was conducted in two phases using two groups of gifted children. In phase one, 120 elementary students randomly chosen from a pullout program in a suburban school served as the subject pool. The subjects had varying degrees of success in the program. Phase one subject data were used to develop a quantitative model; phase two subjects were used for predictive purposes. Specific results in phase one yielded six maximally discriminant WISC-R subtests. These subtests were then used to predict at well above chance levels (87.8%) those students who were known to have been either marginally or highly successful in the program (n = 41). The present study goes one step beyond previous research by using these maximally discriminant subtests to predict program performance of gifted children.     

Summer School and Summer Learning: An Examination of the Short- and Longer Term Changes in Student Literacy

Research Findings: Multiple student cohorts were longitudinally tracked and student participation in a summer program bridging the 1st- and 2nd-grade academic years was recorded to examine selection and efficacy issues related to a summer school implementation in the Pacific Northwest. The estimation of regression discontinuity models uncovered evidence of a local average treatment effect. At the cutscore for program admission, participating students had estimated summer oral reading fluency gains approximately 0.40 SD larger than those of nonparticipants. Further examination of the literacy outcomes among the sample of cutscore eligible students revealed that struggling readers who participated in the summer program increased their level of reading fluency relative to struggling readers who declined an invitation to participate. However, the advantage gained by cutscore eligible participants was not sustained over the subsequent academic year. Practice or Policy: These results suggest that supplemental summer instruction delivered to at-risk students may promote literacy gains during the otherwise challenging summer months and thereby serve as a useful intermediary tool for K–12 stakeholders seeking to keep struggling readers on track toward proficiency.     

The Association Between a Community College’s Teacher Education Program and the 4-year Graduation Rates of Black and Hispanic Teacher Education Students

ABSTRACT

In response to a shortage of qualified Black and Hispanic teachers, community colleges (CC) have developed certificate programs and Associate of Arts degrees in teacher education to address shortages of minority teachers in the nation’s classrooms. We examined one CC’s effectiveness in transferring Black and Hispanic students to university teacher education programs and the association with Black and Hispanic students graduating with a bachelor’s degree. We compared enrollment and transfer student data for the 2003 community college teacher education program cohort to graduation data for native-to-university students of two 4-year universities. Data were analyzed using chi square and phi coefficients. The CC Black and Hispanic students graduated at the same rates as the native-to-university students and higher than their peers of the same races, regardless of major, who began at 2-year colleges at the national level. We encourage CC teacher education programs to invest resources to increase enrollment of Black and Hispanic students to address the growing need for minority teachers to serve in urban communities.     

Health education and reading skills of lower SES students

Conclusions Students exposed to the SHCP did not achieve significantly different (p=.01) reading comprehension mean scores than students not exposed to the program. However, the gains measured in this research covered only a nine week period, and if the reading comprehension mean score gains were projected over the academic year, the difference would be significant.The experimental students achieved significantly higher posttest vocabulary mean scores than students receiving their regular health instruction. Since there was no difference in mean scores by sex, it was concluded that the special prototype health-education curriculum in combination with the process used by the teachers appeared to have some impact on the experimental students' vocabulary mean scores.Since the total sample used in this study was small, there is a need for further studies with larger samples to further investigate the effects of the SHCP, as well as other prototype programs on the basic skill development of lower SES students.     

Flipping an Algebra Classroom: Analyzing,Modeling, and Solving Systems of Linear Equations

The present study investigated whether flipping an algebra classroom led to a stronger focus on conceptual understanding and improved learning of systems of linear equations for 54 seventh- and eighth-grade students using teacher journal data and district-mandated unit exam items. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to compare scores on three factors, analyze, model, and solve systems of linear equations. We found comparable statistically significant learning gains in both treatment groups. We found that the focus on conceptual understanding was similar in the flipped and control classrooms, and the learning gains were statistically significant and similar in both groups. Explicit attention to the substance of the at-home videos and in-class activities is needed to use the flipped classroom model to successfully shift the instructional focus from procedural to conceptual understanding.     

Children Using Robotics for Engineering,Science, Technology,and Math (CREST-M): The Development and Evaluation of an Engaging Math Curriculum

Children using robotics for engineering, science, technology, and mathematics (CREST-M) is an ongoing curriculum creation and evaluation project developing math-focused science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum units that incorporate storytelling with math and are designed to be engaging for students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields and to be appropriate for all ability levels including the gifted. This mixed-methods study evaluated one CREST-M unit, The Tale of the Monarchs, aligned to the Common Core State Standards: Mathematics (CCSS-M) for fourth- and fifth-grade fractions while incorporating all aspects of STEM. The unit includes an engineering design loop to help students create and program robots using LEGO WeDo 2.0. Students also use the scientific method in a problem-based learning (PBL) investigation in which they design and conduct experiments. The unit features a comprehensive storyline in which diverse characters solve real-world problems using STEM skills. The curriculum was evaluated through a CCSS-M aligned pre- and post-assessment of students’ understanding of fractions, the Cognitive Abilities Test Screening Form 7 (CogAT 7), and the Draw-a-Scientist pre- and post-assessment. The curriculum led to significant and meaningful gains in math achievement (Cohen’s d = 0.72) consistent for students at multiple ability levels (including high ability) and children from groups traditionally represented in STEM fields as well as those traditionally underrepresented (across gender, race, and socioeconomic status). In addition, the mental models of the career of a scientist that students articulated before the program were markedly more complex and less stereotypical following the program, indicating increased understanding of the career of a scientist.     

Effects of a Learning Information System on Mathematics Achievement and Classroom Structure

Abstract

The authors examined the effects of implementing an instructional system that automates application of evidence-based components of effective instruction on student mathematics achievement and on classroom behaviors known to be related to overall student achievement outcomes. A treatment group of 157 4th- and 5th-grade students used the intervention in conjunction with the Everyday Math curriculum. Student performance was compared with a within-school control group of 61 4th- und 5th-grade students, as well as all 4th- and 5th-grade students in the district (N = 6,385). The students in the control groups received only the Everyday Math curriculum. Results indicate that the implementation of the instructional management system as an enhancement to Everyday Math resulted in an increase in the amount of time spent on classroom activities that researchers have identified as contributing to positive academic outcomes. Furthermore, students who used the Accelerated Math program demonstrated greater mathematics achievement gains than did the control groups.     

High school students’ decision making about sustainability

This study examined decision making in an urban US high school classroom in which tenth‐grade students analyzed scientific evidence about current issues of sustainability, technology and society. A full‐year course, called Science and Sustainability, was used in both groups, and a computer program, called Convince Me, provided scaffolding for making evidence‐based decisions for one group. During the course of instruction, both the groups completed open‐ended written assessments. Limited student progress, in using evidence to support claims and in weighing benefits and drawbacks, was demonstrated. The Convince Me group showed more significant gains than the Science and Sustainability group alone. Implications for instruction are discussed.     

Attachment,Acculturation, and Psychosomatic Complaints Among Hispanic American University Students

This study investigated adult attachment and acculturation frameworks of reported psychosomatic complaints related to perceived discrimination among a sample of Latino/Hispanic university students (N = 160). The model supported by the data suggests that attachment anxiety, acculturation toward the dominant cultural norms, and adherence to Latino/Hispanic cultural beliefs are important factors for perceived discrimination and psychosomatic complaints experienced by Latino/Hispanic students. Counseling implications and future research directions are discussed.     

Impact of a full‐time integrated program on the achievement of nonhandicapped and mildly handicapped children

Abstract

We compared achievement gains of mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped third graders in a full‐time integrated program, Team Approach to Mastery (TAM), with gains of similar students in regular classrooms and resource‐room programs. Comparisons of residualized gain scores on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills showed that nonhandicapped students made substantially greater gains in full‐time integrated TAM classrooms than both mildly handicapped students in the same classrooms and nonhandicapped students in regular classrooms. Although mildly handicapped students in integrated TAM classrooms tended to experience greater gains than students in resource rooms, differences were significant only in math. Overall, results indicated the effectiveness of the TAM model, particularly when achievement gains of nonhandicapped and mildly handicapped students are contrasted with those reported in a more popular, and complex, integrated classroom model.     

Factors affecting hispanic student transfer behavior

Few studies examine transfer of nontraditional-age Hispanic community college students to four-year institutions. The present study examined attitudes, cognitive and noncognitive experiences, and transfer-related behaviors of students (N=277) who graduated from one two-year institution, in order to determine factors associated with successful transfer and make appropriate policy recommendations. An undergraduate survey based on Tinto's (1975, 1987) conceptual framework and Cabrera, Nora, and Castaneda's (1993) integrated model of student retention provided measures of family concerns, encouragement, social and academic integration, English communication skills, and educational and institutional commitments. Structural equation modeling via LISREL gave parameter estimates of causal links among variables in the hypothesized model. Variables significant for Hispanic transfer students were mathematics ability, academic achievement, and an intent to transfer.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Association for Institutional Research Forum, Chicago, Illinois, May 1993.     

Teacher ratings of Hispanic,black, and Anglo students' classroom behavior

Teachers rated the behavior of Hispanic (N = 56), black (N = 56), and Anglo (N = 56) elementary students with the Teacher Checklist of School Behavior. The behavior of Hispanic students was rated less favorably than that of either of the other two groups. The Hispanic students were perceived to avoid peer and teacher interaction to a greater extent than Anglo and black students and to exhibit more physical reaction (absenteeism, physical complaints, clinic requests, etc.)     

Investigating Change in Adolescent Self‐Efficacy of Food Safety Through Educational Interventions

A successfully targeted intervention can influence food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as encourage participants to recognize their own responsibility for safe food handling. This acknowledgement of an individual's responsibility and capacity to address food safety can be understood as self‐efficacy of food safety (SEFS). This study investigated the impact of a specific educational intervention, Hands On: Real‐World Lessons for Middle School Classrooms, curriculum on SEFS in adolescents and was guided by two research questions: (1) to what extent can an existing food safety curriculum impact students’ SEFS, and (2) to what extent does a relationship exist between changes in self‐efficacy and changes in food safety behavior, particularly when controlling for knowledge gains. A total sample of 424 students across 6 states participated in this study. Teachers were trained to implement the Hands On program in their classrooms and then students were administered a pre‐ and posttest to measure the impact of the program on knowledge, food safety‐related behaviors, and SEFS. The data indicated that there is a strong predictive relationship between SEFS and positive behavior change. Additionally, the Hands On program was effective at increasing students’ SEFS.     

Effect of Time on Perceived Gains from an Undergraduate Research Program

The current study examines the trajectories of student perceived gains as a result of time spent in an undergraduate research experience (URE). Data for the study come from a survey administered at three points over a 1-yr period: before participation in the program, at the end of a Summer segment of research, and at the end of the year. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine the effect of time on perceived gains in student research skills, research confidence, and understanding of research processes. The results suggest that the students experienced different gains/benefits at developmentally different stages of their UREs. Participants reported gains in fewer areas at the end of the Summer segment compared with the end of the yearlong experience, thus supporting the notion that longer UREs offer students more benefit.