In this paper, we explore an approach to understanding how multimodality works in a community of practice. Using a social learning framework, we show how a community of practice, involving a pair of high school students, engaged in perceptual, bodily, and imaginary experiences while discussing about calculus concepts in a dynamic geometry…

Purpose: One purpose of this study was to analyze the overall AP exam performance of Hispanic students of Mexican origin from California, Texas, and Arizona. A second purpose was to conduct a comparison of Hispanic student exam scores from California, Texas, and Arizona on mathematics and English exams. Specifically, the performance of Hispanic…

The main focus of this dissertation is the literacy practices of students in a high school International Baccalaureate (IB) English classroom. The students demonstrated their meaning of texts that were studied as part of the curriculum in order to prepare them for their Formal Oral Commentaries. This was a mandated assessment of the IB English…

This year, many high-school teachers in the district where the author teaches experienced exam anxiety because midterms--as they had come to know and love them--were no more. For a variety of reasons, the semester exam schedule looked very different. More to the point is the new philosophy about exam content and format that underpinned the…

The many-faceted Rasch (MFR) model has been used to evaluate the quality of ratings on constructed response assessments; however, it can also be used to evaluate the quality of judgments from panel-based standard setting procedures. The current study illustrates the use of the MFR model for examining the quality of ratings obtained from a standard…

Research has described the key role of formulaic language use in both written and spoken communication (Schmitt, 2004; Wray, 2002), as well as in relation to L2 learning (Ellis, Simpson--Vlach, & Maynard, 2008). Relatively few studies have examined related fixed and semi-fixed multi-word units (MWUs), which comprise fixed parts with the potential…

In this qualitative study, the prior experiences, perceived challenges, and support systems of 17 Grade 12 Hispanic students at an early college high school were explored using the framework of social capital theory. Utilizing Moustakas's phenomenological design, data were collected using focus group and individuals interviews. Several themes…

AP social studies courses are viewed as beacons for rigorous and demanding coursework in secondary classroom settings. Recent curricular revisions and enrollment initiatives made by the College Board have led to further discourse concerning instructional and curricular tensions that still need to be addressed. Moreover, reform made in AP social…

The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program was developed to increase the number of secondary students who participate in rigorous academic courses, to accelerate student learning, and to improve student performance. The AVID program in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) targets students who (1) are in the academic…

No one is born with all of the answers, and therefore it is not unusual for students of all ages and ability levels to need assistance completing their homework assignments. Traditionally, resources for seeking help on homework included class notes, textbooks, teachers, friends, tutors, and parents. Now, however, the Internet has greatly extended…

With the goal of increasing students' academic readiness for college, high schools in the United States are increasingly offering "credit-based transition programs," including International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and dual enrollment. Existing research points to the promise of IB, AP, and other credit-based…

The foregoing articles constitute what I consider a comprehensive and clear description of the redesign process of a major assessment. The articles serve to illustrate the problems that will need to be addressed by large-scale assessments in the twenty-first century. Primary among them is how to organize the development of such assessments to meet…

Advanced Placement (AP), launched in 1955 by the College Board as a program to offer gifted high school students the opportunity to complete entry-level college coursework, has since expanded to encourage a broader array of students to tackle challenging content. This Education Commission of the State's Policy Analysis identifies key components of…

Presented at the Advanced Placement Annual Conference (APAC) in Lake Buena Vista, FL in July 2012. This presentation reviews concepts central to achieving equitable AP access and success for all willing and academically prepared students. We analyze trends in participation and performance by race/ethnicity from the AP Report to the Nation and…

Washington's 2008 Strategic Master Plan for Higher Education called for creating "multiple pathways from high school to college or workforce training" --through greater use of dual credit and concurrent high school and college enrollment options. The most prevalent of these in Washington are Running Start, which accounts for 12,500 FTE;…