The Effects of Curriculum Structure on the Achievement of Grade 3 and Grade 5 Mobile Students as Measured by the Maryland School Assessment

School systems are under continual pressure to increase student achievement on high-stakes tests and make Adequate Yearly Progress based on the No Child Left Behind mandate. One population which struggles to achieve on such tests is the mobile student population. Recent studies have shown that these students do not typically score as high on standardized tests as the stable student population. While past studies have focused on the ethnicity and socio-economic status of mobile students, very little research has been conducted to examine the effects of curriculum structure on the achievement of these students. This study examines the effects of synchronous and non-synchronous curriculum structure on mathematics and reading achievement in mobile and non-mobile students as measured by the Maryland School Assessment (MSA). Using third and fifth grade data from 2003-2004 MSA Mathematics and Reading, a two-way analysis of variance was conducted to analyze data from two Maryland school districts with differing curriculum structures. Non-mobile, with-in-school district mobile, and out-of-school district mobile student data were evaluated. Combined third and fifth grade data were examined, as well as data from each grade level, independently. Significant differences were found in the mean scores of non-mobile and mobile students, with the non-mobile students recurrently having the highest mean score in sub-test areas. No differences were found between mean scores based on curriculum structure, nor the interaction of curriculum structure and mobility status. The author provides recommendations for practice and further research.

Name thesis:degree_name

EdD

Level thesis:degree_level

Immediate Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program for Education Leaders (IDPEL)

Year dc:date.available

2007

Author dc:creator

• Barnes, Sonya

Contributors dc:contributor

• James A. Ryland
• Joetta Palkovitz-Brown
• Mary Frances Grasinger

• curriculum structure
• high-stakes test
• Maryland School Assessment
• mobility
• No Child Left Behind
• performance

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/249

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dsc.duq.edu:etd-1253