Public school districts throughout Texas are required to be rated by the Texas Education Agency's A-F accountability rating system, which had not been adequately investigated at the time of conducting the study. The following research question guided the correlational study: To what extent do student achievement, school progress, and closing the…

This study analyzed the relationship between after-school programs and standardized assessment results of schools in Texas. Information was collected from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website including Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) reports and after-school grantees. The independent variables were after-school 21st Century…

Expectations and legislation have placed new accountability measures on educators to ensure that students are college ready upon high school graduation. Research was necessary to analyze the relationship between instructional spending and college readiness measures as reported on the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) in Texas. The…

The intent of this study was to examine predictor variables significant in developing English Language Learners' (ELLs) English language proficiency skills and academic achievement in reading, math, and writing. Using a sequential mixed methods design, the study sought to unveil how state and federal mandates in assessments and programmatic…

This was an exploratory study that sought to find a positive correlation between teachers' perceived use of technology and successful test scores as measured by state indicators. As more districts purchase expensive technology to assist teachers in reaching the lofty goals set by the state, it is important for administrators and local school board…

The researcher developed a case study using a qualitative research methodology to describe the functions of a team of math teachers in a professional learning community in a Title 1 low performing high school that led to increased student achievement. The tenth-grade Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) mathematics results for the…

Standardized-test scores are increasingly important indicators of school success. But how robust are school-performance ratings when they are based on measures derived from these scores? In my thesis, using data from Houston Independent School District (HISD) and New York State (NYS), I examined the robustness of school-performance ratings across…

To remain competitive in a global economy, institutions of higher learning must commit to excellence and establish as a priority organizational and human resource development (McCabe, 2001). While mission statements from community colleges throughout the country may include similar foci, it is of paramount importance that these institutions of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of demographic (indicators describing student characteristics), structural (indicators describing school characteristics), student (indicators of student academic achievement), and financial (indicators of instructional expenditures) factors to student mathematics achievement. A sample (n…

No Child Left Behind has caused educators to take a critical look at the achievement levels of all population groups on campus. African-American student achievement can no longer be masked by the achievement levels of other student populations. Educators must develop strategies to reduce the African-American achievement gap in order to meet…

American public schools are in crisis. Schools across America are grasping to change curriculum, build learning communities, and increase teacher accountability to meet the moving target of the demands placed on them by "No Child Left Behind." As the deadline of 2014 grows nearer with every passing year, accountability standards increase…

Federal legislation such as No Child Left Behind requires greater focus and attention on the part of schools and school districts not only to make school improvements, but also to meet rigorous accountability requirements such as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as determined by high student achievement guidelines. These requirements have compelled…

The major purpose for the study was to determine if a relationship existed between district ratings, as assigned by the Texas Education Agency, and population groups, funding, and class size. The variables utilized for this study included the following number of student ethnicity/race (African American, Hispanic, and White) utilized in a district…

Spurred by the "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001, virtually every educational reform program now includes an accountability component that requires sound data collection and reporting (NCLB, 2002, section 101). Drawing from empirically based and theoretical literature in the field, this dissertation examines Adequate Yearly Progress…

The purpose of this study was to identify cognitive and non-cognitive variables that will predict a student's ability to achieve success in the lowest level developmental mathematics course at San Jacinto College. The study examined the ability of cognitive variables (standardized entrance examinations, high school grade point average, and type of…