Purpose: The overarching purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the degree to which differences existed in Grade 4 STAAR Writing performance by student economic status, gender, and language status. In the first article, the purpose was to investigate the extent to which student economic status (i.e., Not Poor, Moderately Poor,…

Many students across the US, specifically in Texas, struggle with writing on grade level. On the last National Assessment of Educational Progress (2012), 70% of eighth- and twelfth-grade students were not writing on grade level. On the 2021 State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Writing, only 26% of the fourth grade students met…

This quantitative study examines the relationship between implementation of the 21st Century Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE) program and fourth grade student performance on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Data collection was extracted from schools within South Texas. The campus variation chosen for this study…

Writing is a complex, multi-faceted skill that students begin to learn early in their elementary school years and utilize throughout the rest of their academic, personal, and professional lives. Despite the importance of developing effective writing skills, elementary teachers today often lack the necessary training and preparation to provide…

The purpose of the study was to discover the pathways and roadblocks that lead to ELLs' writing abilities in fourth grade after transitioning from a bilingual to a general education classroom. This research compared students' data points in Dual Language classes on state assessments and the writing strategies implemented by Dual Language teachers.…

Meeting standardized test benchmarks is a challenge for elementary school students in Texas. The problem is that some elementary schools do not meet the performance standards of the fourth-grade STAAR state test average. Problem-based learning is a model used in schools to initiate problem-solving skills with a hands-on approach to real-world…

Building a culture of success in schools has been a goal in Texas public schools since standardized tests were developed in 1979. Many schools have begun instilling grit in the classrooms in hopes of increasing student achievement and teaching students how to push themselves through difficult tasks. The primary purpose of the study was to assess…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a writing intervention on the writing and reading achievement of middle school students. Specifically, this study was concerned with 6th grade students who were exposed to a writing intervention and those 6th grade students who were not exposed to a writing intervention with regards to…

The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental predictive study was to determine if CIA alignment factors and related district support systems are associated with student achievement to enable the turnaround of schools in crisis. This study aimed to utilize the District Snapshot Tool to determine if the district systems that support CIA…

The intent of this study was to examine predictor variables significant in developing English Language Learners' (ELLs) English language proficiency skills and academic achievement in reading, math, and writing. Using a sequential mixed methods design, the study sought to unveil how state and federal mandates in assessments and programmatic…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of school district size on the academic performance of Texas students. Specifically addressed was the extent to which differences in school district size were related to differences in student academic performance. The academic performance of the three major ethnic groups (i.e., Black,…

Science assessments require students to read and comprehend questions and to solve mathematical problems. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the following variables can be used to predict science achievement: English language arts achievement, mathematics achievement, socioeconomic status (SES), limited English proficiency (LEP)…