COVID-19 has disrupted higher education globally, and there is scarce information about the "learning loss" in university students throughout this crisis. The goal of the study was to compare scores in a large-scale knowledge diagnostic exam applied to students admitted to the university, before and during the pandemic. Research design…

The application of Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) has recently gained researchers' attention worldwide. However, the impact of AWE feedback on student writing, particularly in languages other than English, remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the impacts of Chinese AWE feedback and teacher feedback on Chinese writing revision,…

This paper describes how plate tectonics and rock genesis, two topics that are typically addressed separately in secondary Earth science classes, can be taught together as an integrated system. We define the TecRocks Reasoning Framework, developed to support student reasoning about rock formation situated in the context of plate tectonics. We also…

This study uses a computerized formative assessment system that provides automated scoring and feedback to help students write scientific arguments in a climate change curriculum. We compared the effect of contextualized versus generic automated feedback on students' explanations of scientific claims and attributions of uncertainty to those…

Instructional coaching has been implemented in schools to improve student achievement; however, literature shows a lack of evidence of the efficacy of improving student reading achievement. The problem addressed in this study was that school districts have implemented instructional coaching to improve student reading achievement, but the…

In educational measurement, Item Response Theory (IRT) provides a means of quantifying student knowledge. Specifically, IRT models the probability of a student answering a particular item correctly as a function of the student's continuous-valued latent abilities [theta] (e.g. add, subtract, multiply, divide) and parameters associated with the…

Educational stakeholders have long known that students might not be fully engaged when taking an achievement test and that such disengagement could undermine the inferences drawn from observed scores. Thanks to the growing prevalence of computer-based tests and the new forms of metadata they produce, researchers have developed and validated…

In this study, we explored retest effects on test scores and response time for repeaters, examinees who retake an examination. We looked at two groups of repeaters: those who took the same form twice and those who took different forms on their two attempts for a certification and licensure test. Scores improved over the two test attempts, and…

Repeated measurements of student ability (i.e., progressing monitoring) is an essential element of informed decision-making when adjusting instruction. An important characteristic of progress monitoring measures is frequent administration to identify areas of concern and to evaluate academic growth. The purpose of this study was to determine if…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of using a combination of three Curriculum Associates' mathematics products: (a) "i-Ready® Diagnostic," (b) "i-Ready® Instruction," and (c) "Ready® Mathematics Core Curriculum" over use of "i-Ready Diagnostic" alone at grades K-5. Use of all three products…

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on preschool children's school readiness skills remains understudied. This research investigates Head Start preschool children's early numeracy, literacy, and executive function outcomes during a pandemic-affected school year, using a novel virtual assessment methodology. Study children (N = 336; mean age = 51…

After the passage of "No Child Left Behind," and especially after Obama-era Race to the Top initiatives, rising accountability for improved achievement and widespread dissatisfaction with the instructional value of statewide test reports led many school districts to purchase computer-adaptive "interim" testing systems. A common…

Understanding student ideas in large-enrollment biology courses can be challenging, because easy-to-administer multiple-choice questions frequently do not fully capture the diversity of student ideas. As part of the Automated Analysis of Constructed Responses (AACR) project, we designed a question prompting students to describe the possible…

The purpose of this evaluation was to examine the impact of i-Ready Personalized Instruction that met Curriculum Associates' recommended usage levels on mathematics achievement, as measured by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) mathematics assessment. This study compared mathematics achievement growth of students who used…

This study partially replicates McManus and Marsden (2017), who found that providing L1 explicit information (EI) plus task-essential practice led L2 learners to make more accurate and faster interpretations of French morphosyntax. The current study removed the original study's L1 EI component to examine the role of the L1 practice. This design…