The effect of chronological age and instruction on music aptitude, as well as the transition between the developmental and stabilized music aptitude stages, were examined to further establish the rationale for selection of the most appropriate music aptitude test for students in Grades 3, 4, and 5. Archived scores of the "Intermediate…

This dissertation develops and applies sophisticated Item Response Theory (IRT) methods to address fundamental measurement challenges in cognitive testing, focusing on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). The first chapter implements a confirmatory multidimensional IRT…

In the mid-1960s, educational lawmakers began passing and implementing plans to raise the achievement of all students across the United States. In these early years of education mandates, the federal government became more involved in public education. Education lawmakers began to focus on struggling learners and how teachers could support those…

This dissertation had two purposes: (1) to create and document the development of a new music achievement test entitled the Musical Discrimination and Styles Task (MDAST), and (2) to describe the strength of the evidence supporting the validity and reliability of this new developmentally appropriate music aptitude and achievement instrument. I…

Tracking is the practice of grouping students into homogeneous classes based on their perceived ability or intelligence. It is a pervasive system used by school districts across the United States and, like most widely used practices, it has its proponents and opponents. Through a qualitative case study approach, this study aims to explore…

In an era of heightened accountability and expanding educational technology choices, mathematics educators must critically assess the effectiveness of the tools available to them. While deciding on technological tools, it is essential that we not only promote rigor in mathematics but also ensure closing learning gaps and improve students' beliefs…

The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study is to determine if and to what extent is there a statistically significant difference in math aptitude, as measured by SAT-Math scores, between African American male and female public high school students enrolled in a STEM program versus those enrolled in a non-STEM program in a high school of…

Prior research suggested that all students were not treated equally in the educational setting and that boys perform better than girls on standardized tests. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how class composition affected performance on the math section of the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) test and Preliminary SAT (PSAT)…

This study examined Carroll's Model of School Learning (MSL) on adult basic education (ABE). The study's central question was, "Does Carroll's MSL account for additional variance in TABE 11 or 12 scores beyond instructional time after controlling for age?" A non-experimental cross-sectional design was employed to explore the fiscal year…

Learning and teaching mathematics can be challenging, especially considering its importance for academic, occupational, and personal success, yet disparities persist in achievement among diverse racial and ethnic groups. Racial inequality, educational bias, and injustice impact success in mathematics education, with White and Asian-American…

Integers present a global challenge for students due to their abstract nature and complex operations. To delve into the challenge students encountered, error analysis served as an alternative method to investigate errors diagnostically. This study aimed to explore error patterns related to integer addition and subtraction among seventh-grade…

Proficiency in foundational math skills for all students is an educational goal. Students will build and rely on these foundational skills for the rest of their lives. A solid understanding of mathematics is needed every day, no matter the job or career. Some students are lacking these fundamental math skills needed for their future. This research…

Mathematical aptitude in the United States has been a concern over the past few decades, not only from an international perspective but from a student proficiency perspective. This phenomenon is also further negatively impacted due to COVID-19 associated learning loss. Correspondingly, there are calls for students to develop entrepreneurial skills…

In 895 CE, Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihriya Al-Qurashiya ([foreign characters omitted]?), an African woman founded the world's first university to award degrees, Al Quaraouiyine. Al Quaraouiyine remains one of the most influential and impressive in history. Ironically, there is a perception held by some that African American women are inferior to…

Mathematics plays a crucial role in engineering education. Students who are good at math are often advised to consider engineering as a career. In this study, engineers, mathematics teachers, and engineering professors were asked about the type of mathematics representative of engineering, whether the engineering problems created by math…