Secondary students with disabilities are given accommodations to support deficits they have in learning and/or behavior. Higher levels of test anxiety within this population are a factor often unaddressed by administrators. The physical environment in which students with disabilities take tests influences their ability to achieve maximum…

Measurement errors attributable to cultural issues are complex and challenging for educational assessments. We need assessment tests sensitive to the cultural heterogeneity of populations, and psychometric methods appropriate to address fairness and equity concerns. Built on the research of culturally responsive assessment, this dissertation…

This study's primary purpose was to determine how students with a learning disability (LD) in mathematics react in different testing environments, and whether changing the testing parameters can improve the outcomes. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires, heart rates, and math fluency probes. These data were used to test the…

All communication systems rely on sets of rules that must generally be followed for successful communication to be possible; in the case of human language, these rules are given by the grammar. However, despite these rules, there is considerable variation that has been noted across the grammar. In this dissertation, I explore one understudied…

This dissertation provides a start-to-finish description of development, administration, and validation for an online middle-school physics test using a DCM framework with response-time. The first paper illustrated the process of implementing DCM with a careful selection of the content domain and a simulation approach for a Q-matrix construction.…

Taking tests can trigger multiple emotions. To regulate emotions we might experience during test-taking situations, strategies such as reappraisal and suppression are often used. This study aimed to investigate if college students' cultural values affect their emotion regulation in test-taking situations. The sample included 298 college students.…

Current literature exists centered on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework, its components, and ways in which MTSS is intended to support all students. Yet, there is a gap in the literature that examines how elementary schools are implementing it. This dissertation study sought to understand what the MTSS framework implementation at…

Postsecondary institutions, especially selective ones, use standardized tests such as SAT and ACT as important indicators to measure applicants' academic abilities. However, many studies have found that the test scores correlate to applicants' racial/ethnic backgrounds. Selective institutions work hard to secure their diverse classes. Hence, more…

Latinx is the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. As a result, the demographic landscape of colleges across the nation is also changing to reflect this new reality. However, many Latinx students are still not finishing college at the same rate as other ethnic groups. One area of research that is lacking regarding Latinx students is…

In this state, one constant that students with disabilities have experienced has been the lack of accessibility to the high-stakes standardized test, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). The purpose of this Action Research study was to investigate and improve the access, to MCAS testing for students with disabilities in…

This study specifically sought to examine district test coordinators' perspectives on the purpose(s) of interim assessments within a district's assessment agenda and to identify factors the district test coordinators consider when selecting district-required interim assessments. Interim assessments are part of many local school districts'…

Basic teacher certification examinations serve as the primary tool for assessing the academic readiness of candidates to enter teacher education programs in many parts of the United States. However, data indicate that teacher examinations disproportionately hinder diverse individuals. Current research has linked Florida's General Knowledge,…

In an era focused on testing to ensure accountability, educators question the fairness and wisdom of the standardized tests as a means to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction. The problem addressed by this study was the impact of stress, anxiety, and burnout on elementary teachers as a result of expectations in administering state…

With the widespread use of technology in the assessment field, many testing programs use both computer-based tests (CBTs) and paper-and-pencil tests (PPTs). Both the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014) and the International Guidelines on Computer-Based and Internet Delivered Testing (International Test…

This study explores the experiences of teaching and learning in a progressive school. In this study, I explored three primary research questions: a) How do efforts to maintain a progressive educational approach to teaching and learning play out in the experiences of teachers and administrators? b) How does test-based reform affect or challenge…