Changes to state tests impact the ability of State Education Agencies (SEAs) to monitor change in performance over time. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Standardized Performance Growth Index (PGIz), a proposed statistical model for measuring change in student and school performance, across transitions in tests. The PGIz is a…

This study examined the effectiveness of the odds-ratio method (Penfield, 2008) and the multinomial logistic regression method (Kato, Moen, & Thurlow, 2009) for measuring differential distractor functioning (DDF) effects in comparison to the standardized distractor analysis approach (Schmitt & Bleistein, 1987). Students classified as participating…

Mathematical achievement is a student's success or failure on an examination of performance in the area of mathematics (Jensen, 1993). In order for students to be successful in the area of mathematics, they benefit substantially from participating in high-interest activities (Trautwein, Ludtke, & Marsh, 2006). Music is one high-interest…

The question of students' post-graduation plans is a critical one for the field of engineering as both industry and higher education institutions seek to understand how to increase the production of highly-skilled individuals for the STEM workforce. Despite the concern, there are but a few empirical studies that examine how students' academic…

Researchers have noted the persistent challenges that underrepresented faculty still encounter in higher education. For example, female and ethnic minority faculty members continue to experience barriers in achieving tenure and promotion. In spite of efforts to increase their presence and visibility, structural barriers account for the continued…

Eight percent of the population of the People's Republic of China is comprised of ethnic minority people, people with cultures (particularly languages and religions) that are distinct from the majority (or Han) Chinese. Ethnic students in China and elsewhere face considerable obstacles to getting a good education. A tiny percentage of Chinese…

The role of differential values as they relate to educational achievement was investigated by examining school records of and administering the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and questionnaires eliciting personal information, character trait preferences, and perceptions of self, ideal self, and others to 328 Indian and 271 non-Indian students from 7…