This dissertation compares the performance of equivalence test (EQT) and null hypothesis test (NHT) procedures for identifying invariant and noninvariant factor loadings under a range of experimental manipulations. EQT is the statistically appropriate approach when the research goal is to find evidence of group similarity rather than group…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, quantitative study was to examine the effects of implementing a non-evaluative teacher goal setting process to determine if there was an impact on student achievement as measured by MAP growth scores and if there was an effect on teacher job satisfaction. For this study, teacher job satisfaction was measured…

Dialogue act (DA) classification plays an important role in understanding, interpreting and modeling dialogue. Dialogue acts (DAs) represent the intended meaning of an utterance, which is associated with the illocutionary force (or the speaker's intention), such as greetings, questions, requests, statements, and agreements. In natural language…

Rooted in learning theory and developmental psychology, the field of developmental education is concerned with addressing underprepared students' needs for growth. Much of this development relates to college readiness, thus students considered underprepared for college-level coursework are referred to developmental education coursework in subjects…

The purpose of the study was twofold. The first purpose of the study was to determine if a correlation existed between the Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading (STAR), created and distributed by Renaissance, and the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement Test in Math and Reading for grade 3, grade 4, and grade 5.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between "district capacity" as measured by the District Capacity Assessment (DCA) and the "initial, depth, scale," and "sustained" implementation of an evidence-based practice (EBP), Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). This exploratory analysis…

The purpose of this ex post facto study was to determine differences in the level of student engagement in (a) students attending community colleges that participated in the Achieving the Dream (AtD) in 2011 and 2012 and (b) students attending community colleges that did not participate in AtD in 2011 and 2012. The Community College Survey of…

The purpose of this causal comparative study was to test the theory of assessment that relates benchmark assessments to the Georgia middle grades science Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) percentages, controlling for schools who do not administer benchmark assessments versus schools who do administer benchmark assessments for all middle…

Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the extent to which differences were present in scholastic/faculty engagement activities, in academic/support service use, and in college benchmark scores between community college students who had been enrolled in an honors course and their peers who had not been enrolled in…

The demand for STEM college graduates is increasing. However, recent studies show there are not enough STEM majors to fulfill this need. This deficiency can be partially attributed to a gender discrepancy in the number of female STEM graduates and to the high rate of attrition of STEM majors. As STEM attrition has been associated with students…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare faculty and student perceptions of "student engagement" at a mid-Atlantic community college to determine the level of correlation between student experiences and faculty practices in five benchmark areas of student engagement: "academic challenge, student-faculty interaction,…

The study analyzed whether participation in a multisensory, structured language intervention for students identified with dyslexia yielded any relationship to progress in reading comprehension as measured on state-mandated assessments of reading comprehension. The study analyzed both the amount of progress made in the curriculum, as well as, the…

Purpose, Scope, and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to compare student success rates in a college developmental writing course delivered in a conventional classroom to the same course using a computer-delivered model. The sample was drawn from a small, Midwestern community college. Students were enrolled in one of three sections…

The purpose of this casual-comparative study was to assess the effectiveness of Academy of READING® (AOR) on eighth grade Response to Intervention students using third nine-week benchmark scaled score and Criterion Reference Competency Test scaled score. The data collected from a public middle-school in rural Georgia revealed how student…

The educational attainment gap is a concern in colleges and universities throughout the nation. More Whites obtain degrees than Black and Latino students. The problem is more critical with Black and Latino men, who represent an even smaller percentage of students on college campuses. Much of the student engagement research indicated that student…