This dissertation develops and evaluates the validity and reliability of the Skills Self-Efficacy Scale for Adolescents (SSES-A), a measure designed to assess adolescents' self-efficacy in critical future skills: problem-solving, communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Anchored in Social Cognitive Theory and Psychometric…

Students with disabilities often face academic challenges while in school. They can only master academic concepts if they receive services that are appropriately monitored and assessed. This quantitative causal-comparative study analyzed the associations between academic assessment methods for students with disabilities in a local Florida school…

Teaching effectiveness in higher education has been studied for a long time. The widely used student evaluation of teachers has limitations on measuring teaching effectiveness by directly assessing teacher-centered practices. Additionally, there is little evidence to support the usefulness of student evaluation data to improve and shape the…

Computer-based technological tools can be an efficient and effective way to enhance mathematics classroom activities like formative assessment. Whilst there are a number of theoretical frameworks and standards to help pre- and in-service teachers understand the individual complexities of mathematics pedagogy, technology integration, and formative…

Math anxiety levels directly and negatively impact student performance in the math classroom. Educators must work to implement instructional strategies that effectively reduce math anxiety and improve student math performance. This study evaluated mastery learning interventions as an effective tool for reducing math anxiety among middle school…

Advanced practice provider (APP) fellowship programs are comprehensive programs designed for physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver safe, high-quality care in their specialized areas of practice (Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship Accreditation TM, 2023). An APP…

Measures of teacher effectiveness have become a major research and policy issue due to the increased focus on teacher accountability during the past decade. Growing concerns about the variability in the quality of teaching and traditional approaches to measuring teacher effectiveness led to federal and state policies calling for more rigorous…

Once students have mastered the mechanics of reading, they are expected to learn new material by reading. This new material, however, becomes increasingly more complex as students enter upper elementary and especially middle and high school. If students fail to comprehend what they read, they risk failure in content courses such as science and…

The purpose of the study was to validate a theoretical model of diagnostic, formative classroom assessment called, "Proximal Assessment for Learner Diagnosis" (PALD). To achieve its purpose, the study employed a two-stage, mixed-methods design. The study utilized multiple data sources from 11 elementary level mathematics teachers who…

This study examines the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT V2.0) for use as a formative faculty development tool. The MSCEIT was designed to measure emotional intelligence abilities as defined by Mayer-Salovey's EI Ability model. Individuals can deliberately develop emotional intelligence skills; a formative assessment of EI…

This dissertation study includes an evaluation of a school district model of professional learning that aims to improve school administrators' instructional leadership skills and teacher practice to positively impact student learning. This study employs a valid and reliable survey instrument that measures professional learning standards. The…

This dissertation focused on the process of designing, implementing, and formatively evaluating an eight week Classroom Aide Professional Development Training Program (CAPD-TP) on behavior management and academic instruction within the context of a New Jersey state approved private special education school for students with behavioral and/or…

This study examined the intended and unintended consequences associated with the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) as perceived and experienced by teachers in the Houston Independent School District (HISD). To evaluate teacher effectiveness, HISD is using EVAAS for high-stakes consequences more than any other district or state in the…

In recent years, state and national policy created the need for higher accountability standards for student academic performance. This increased accountability creates an imperative to have a formative assessment system reflecting validity in inferences about the effectiveness of instruction and performance on statewide large-scale assessments.…

Classrooms are a primary site of evidence about learning. Yet classroom proceedings often occur behind closed doors and hence evidence of student learning is observable only to the classroom teacher. The informal and undocumented nature of this information means that it is rarely included in statistical models or quantifiable analyses. This…