Although a substantial amount of research has been conducted on differential item functioning in testing, studies have focused on detecting differential item functioning rather than on explaining how or why it may occur. Some recent work has explored sources of differential functioning using explanatory and multilevel item response models. This…

The assessment of test data for the presence of differential item functioning (DIF) is a key component of instrument development and validation. Among the many methods that have been used successfully in such analyses is the mixture modeling approach. Using this approach to identify the presence of DIF has been touted as potentially superior for…

When missing values are present in item response data, there are a number of ways one might impute a correct or incorrect response to a multiple-choice item. There are significantly fewer methods for imputing the actual response option an examinee may have provided if he or she had not omitted the item either purposely or accidentally. This…

In response to staff concerns about literacy and numeracy standards of commencing students, the School of Health Sciences at the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) Fremantle campus worked with academic support staff from the University's Academic Enabling and Support Centre (AESC) to develop a Post Entrance Numeracy Assessment (PENA). The…

This study explored the extent to which domain-specific knowledge predicted proportional word problem-solving performance. We tested 411 seventh-grade students on conceptual and procedural fraction knowledge, conceptual and procedural proportion knowledge, and proportional word problem solving. Multiple regression analyses indicated that all four…

Although federal regulations require testing students with severe cognitive disabilities, there is little guidance regarding how technical quality should be established. It is known that challenges exist with documentation of the reliability of scores for alternate assessments. Typical measures of reliability do little in modeling multiple sources…

A common theme of models of conceptual growth is to establish the hierarchical structures of abilities that can be interpreted along developmental lines. Integrating the literature on the development of mathematical concepts and skills in children, a comprehensive 6 level model for describing, explaining and predicting the development of key…

This study was designed to examine the relationship and predictability of selected principal demographic factors and academic factors on overall school accountability ratings. Specifically, the effect of principals' age, gender and years of experience and TAKS reading and TAKS mathematics score on overall accountability ratings. The population for…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in scores on the Mississippi Algebra I SATP2 when one group was allowed to use programs and the other group was not allowed to use programs on TI-84 calculators. An additional purpose of the study was also to determine if there was a significant difference in the…

This dissertation examined the impact of an intervention aimed at improving the standardized test scores for students on the mathematics portions of a high-stakes high school examination. Research shows that the achievement gap between high performing and low performing students on standardized tests continues to grow and that the long-term…

Public schools in the state of Texas are held accountable for performance and quality of education. Accountability is important to all schools, but it is critical to open-enrollment charter schools to remain in good standing. The current economic situation in Texas public education has brought attention as well as the need for alternative…

Preschool education is a major topic on many national educational agendas. Countries and supranational organizations have promoted reforms aimed at readying children for entry into formal schooling, and preschool coverage rates have steadily increased in recent decades. In this policy brief the authors analyze data from 37 education systems that…

This study generated empirical evidence about the characteristics of effective professional development for K-12 teachers and explored the relationship between professional development and student achievement. This study provided evidence about whether characteristics found in past studies could also be found in the Rigor/Relevance Framework, a…

About one-third of college students are required to take remedial courses to redress the lack of preparation for college-level coursework. Assignment to remediation is generally made on the basis of a placement test score, and in some states students are required to take a placement test prior to enrolling in college-level courses. In this type of…

Coteaching is an instructional strategy that improves the achievement of students with disabilities, but few researchers examined the impact of coteaching on general-education students. Vygotsky's social-constructivist perspective of learning, the zone of proximal development, was the theoretical framework used in this research study. The…