This paper provides evidence on the effect of local prescription opioid use on academic achievement of 3rd-8th graders between 2009 and 2018. Using county fixed effects models, I find that when counties have higher levels of prescription opioid use, students score lower on standardized assessments two to three years later, with variation by…

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has a partnership with NWEA for the development of the 2024 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Tests. Teachers from across the State work with NYSED in a variety of activities to ensure the validity and reliability of the New York State Testing Program (NYSTP). The 2024 Grades 3 and 4 English Language…

Recent research has demonstrated an intersectional approach to the study of differential item functioning (DIF). This approach expands DIF to account for the interactions between what have traditionally been treated as separate grouping variables. In this paper, we compare traditional and intersectional DIF analyses using data from a state testing…

This non-consecutive, three-year qualitative study explored the testing experiences of high school juniors who used Chromebooks to take their Smarter Balanced Standardized Assessments (SBAC) in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The study began in 2015, the first year in which SBAC was administered to students across California and other…

This dissertation investigates the impact of attending a STEM-designated elementary school on students' math, ELA (English Language Arts), and science achievement and growth scores. As technology continues to advance in education, educators are exploring innovative instructional methods. With a concerning decline in math proficiency nationwide,…

The purpose of this quantitative, ex post facto study was to determine the difference in students' LEAP ELA achievement scores in grades 3-5 based on the teacher's level of dyslexia knowledge. This study used the Phonological Deficit Theory (PDT) and the Criterion Referenced Assessment Theory (CRT) as its foundation. PDT describes the levels of…

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative study was to determine the effectiveness of one-to-one device initiatives in a secondary school setting. Not only was this study focused on the academic achievement of all students, but also the impact of such initiatives on the academic achievement in the free and reduced lunch population. The…

The continuous disparities in reading test scores between Black and White students remain a substantial problem in education. This study examines the historical disparity by investigating how the Georgia Milestones English Language Arts (ELA) End of Grade (EOG) Assessment incorporates cultural relevance. Employing the theoretical frameworks of…

This qualitative phenomenological research design study sought to explore whether the public education governance accountability system's high stakes standardized testing system in Texas played any role in the wellbeing of elementary school educators during the COVID-19 global pandemic. To explore the essence of the Texas high stakes…

This quantitative, correlational-predictive study was performed using publicly available archival data to determine if and to what extent post-COVID-19 relief funding (ESSER III) received by the Arizona public school districts in the 2021-2022 school year had a statistically significant impact on the English Language Arts (ELA) assessment during…

The present study investigates the correlation between teachers' implementation of Universal or Learning (UDL) in Mathematics and English/language arts (ELA) instruction and students' performance as measured by the state-wide standardised tests. Teacher participants included ELA and Mathematics teachers in grades 3-8 from a district in the United…

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has a partnership with NWEA for the development of the 2024 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Tests. Teachers from across the State work with NYSED in a variety of activities to ensure the validity and reliability of the New York State Testing Program (NYSTP). The 2024 Grades 6 and 7 English Language…