Purpose: Summarizing expository passages is a critical academic skill that is understudied in language research. The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of verbal summaries produced by adolescents for 3 different discourse types and to determine whether a composite measure of cognitive skill or a test of expressive syntax predicted…

The current investigation sought to extend prior research evaluating the use of the PEAK Relational Training System as a comprehensive treatment model in improving language skills demonstrated by individuals with autism. Baseline PEAK-Direct Training and Verbal Behavior Milestone Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) assessments were…

There is now a rich research literature documenting the positive and lasting impact of "high-impact educational practices" (HIPs) on undergraduate student learning and success, from improved retention and graduation to students' sense of belonging and engagement, in all kinds of undergraduate settings (e.g., Kuh, 2008; Kuh, O'Donnell,…

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the impact of differential item functioning in anchor items on the group invariance in test equating for different sample sizes. Within this scope, the factors chosen to investigate the group invariance in test equating were sample size, frequency of sample size of subgroups, differential form of differential…

Purpose: Musical training is often linked to enhanced auditory discrimination, but the relative roles of pitch and time in music and speech are unclear. Moreover, it is unclear whether pitch and time processing are correlated across individuals and how they may be affected by attention. This study aimed to examine pitch and time processing in…

Minnesota has one of the highest student-to-school counselor ratios in the nation. Not only are there racial and economic gaps in student achievement, but there are also racial and economic disparities in access to a licensed school counselor. This dissertation utilizes hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine if not only the…

Identifying gifted students early is important so they may receive adaptations in their learning environment including admittance into gifted programs (Subotnik, Olszweski-Kubilius, & Worrell, 2012). An effective method to increase the likelihood of identifying gifted students is needed (Pfeiffer, 2003). Admission at the elementary level…

Students nationwide demonstrate poor reading comprehension scores. Poor reading comprehension can hinder an individual's life from school age and through adulthood. Because of this, it is the goal of many educators as well as many school systems to improve student achievement in reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to find a method…

Traditional pre-test (TpT)/post-test (PT) and retrospective pre-test (RpT)/post-test (PT) designs are used to collect data on self-reported measures to assess the magnitude of change that occurs from interventions. If measurement invariance does not exist across the measurement occasions within these research designs, it is inappropriate to…

Producers and consumers of test scores are increasingly concerned about fraudulent behavior before and during the test. There exist several statistical or psychometric methods for detecting fraudulent behavior on tests. This paper provides a review of the Bayesian approaches among them. Four hitherto-unpublished real data examples are provided to…

Stakeholders throughout the United States of America (USA) Catholic School system have collaborated to develop a set of standards and benchmarks aimed at securing a strong future for the continuance of its educational programs. Catholic Schools in the (USA) are comprised of a diverse population of students and faculty who collectively represent a…

Debilitating test anxiety is a general threat to validity if it biases assessment scores. Moreover, if bias differs between demographic groups, anxiety also raises concerns about test fairness. This study applied structural equation modeling to investigate possible measurement bias due to anxiety on the ACT® assessment and relationships among…

This Research Brief summarizes the performance of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) students participating in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The IB program was offered at six M-DCPS high schools in 2017-2018. Over 3,000 examinations were taken by M-DCPS students in 27 subject areas in 2017-2018. The number of IB examinations…

This paper investigates whether prompting students to draw their own visual representations enhances students' learning from technology-based instructional activities with visual representations. Seventy-two undergraduate students were randomly assigned to receive an educational technology with (1) drawing prompts throughout instruction, (2)…

The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between the peer pressure levels of prospective teachers and their risk-taking tendencies. In order to achieve this aim, 503 students at Erciyes University studying in the physical education and sports, mathematics, physics, chemistry, classroom, biology, geography and Turkish teaching…