The validity of end-of-course reading grades as indicators of TAAS performance for third grade students in the Klein Independent School District /
The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of end-of-course (EOC) reading grades as indicators of TAAS performance for third grade students in the Klein Independent School District. In 2003, students who do not pass the reading portion of the state test may be retained. The Texas Educ...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
2002.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=726445271&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of end-of-course (EOC) reading grades as indicators of TAAS performance for third grade students in the Klein Independent School District. In 2003, students who do not pass the reading portion of the state test may be retained. The Texas Education Code mandates the alignment of state standards, curriculum, and assessment. The Texas Education Code also requires the Texas Education Agency to conduct studies of the correlation of course grades to state test scores. A review of the literature revealed that teachers often include non-achievement data such as effort, behavior, or attendance when computing grades which can inflate end-of-course scores. As poverty increases, end-of-course grade inflation increases. Research showed that grade inflation was more likely to occur among minority groups. End-of-course reading grades and Texas Learning Index reading scores on the English Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test were gathered for 2119 third grade students in the Klein Independent School District for spring 2000. Research findings indicated a moderate, positive, linear relationship between EOC reading grades and TAAS scores. The majority of students who failed the TAAS reading test, and would thus face retention in 2003, were minority and poor students. Although most of the students in the district performed well on both measures of reading, an achievement gap was evident between White and Asian students and Hispanic and African American students. The majority of the students who failed the TAAS reading test had passing end-of-course reading grades and were served in the regular education program. Recommendations include on-going staff development for teachers in differentiating instruction and in research-based reading strategies. Benchmark tests to measure student progress toward standards mastery should be administered periodically. Administrators and teachers should disaggregate the data and use the information to improve instruction. Students and parents should be informed of areas needing improvement and provided with strategies for learning. Classroom instruction should be standards-focused, but not test-focused, so that a variety of instructional models are evident based on cognitive theory. Further study to determine teacher attitudes about assessment and to explore grading practices was recommended. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Educational Administration". |
| Physical Description: | x, 109 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-105). |