The purpose of this predictive correlational study was to determine if a predictive relationship existed between teacher-student rapport, as perceived by students, and biology achievement scores. The Teacher-Student Likert Scale Questionnaire was used to measure students' perceptions of rapport with their science instructor. Students' scores on…

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and in preparation for standards-aligned assessments and twenty-first-century literacy demands, the needs of the adolescents who struggle with reading demand attention. Students who exhibit poor literacy levels have historically occupied seats in secondary classrooms, but the likelihood…

Multiple-choice exams, while widely used, are necessarily imprecise due to the contribution of the final student score due to guessing. This past year at the United States Naval Academy the construction and grading scheme for the department-wide general chemistry multiple-choice exams were revised with the goal of decreasing the contribution of…

The purpose of this article is to describe preliminary psychometric characteristics of a student self-report measure of self-determination, the "Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report" version (SDI-SR), designed for youth with and without disabilities. We administered the draft assessment to 311 youth and examined item functioning…

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates of child behavior change over time in a replication of the KEEP intervention. Method: The study sample was drawn from the treatment group of the Maryland replication of KEEP (n=65). Change over time was analyzed using multilevel linear mixed modeling. Results: Parents' use of…

This study investigated the effectiveness of five commonly administered academic testing accommodations on reading and math performance in children with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A total of 96 parents of 3rd-8th grade students with ADHD participated. More than half of the sample also had parent-reported learning difficulties…

To address the paucity of data on the use of MOOCs in "traditional" postsecondary institutions, Ithaka S+R and the University System of Maryland studied the feasibility of repurposing MOOCs for use in hybrid, credit-bearing courses. In this paper we will describe the design of a large-scale study undertaken to examine the use of MOOCs in…

Much research focuses on what might be possible with digital games in the classroom. This study focuses on what is currently probable and typical. It uses a controlled quasi-experimental design to compare outcomes for students of 13 teachers in 10 diverse urban, suburban, and rural schools. The teachers integrated a set of 55 typical educational…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent to which differences in student performance were present between Black males in Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Texas on selected AP examinations from the 2001 through the 2012 exam years. Specific AP exams included in this study were the English Language and…

There are relatively few examples of quantitative approaches to quality control in educational assessment and accountability contexts. Among the several techniques that are used in other fields, Shewart charts have been found in a few instances to be applicable in educational settings. This paper describes Shewart charts and gives examples of how…

This causal-comparative study was designed to address an increasing educational trend: providing interventions to students who passed a No Child Left Behind tested course but who failed the accompanying high school assessment in one Maryland public school system. The purpose of the study was to determine which of three intervention types…

Latent difference score models (e.g., McArdle & Hamagami, 2001) are extended to include effects from prior changes to subsequent changes. This extension of latent difference scores allows for testing hypotheses where recent changes, as opposed to recent levels, are a primary predictor of subsequent changes. These models are applied to…

This brief report offers analysis of ACT and SAT results from 2008 to 2013 in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) region. The brief focuses on the increase in test participation rates and points to policies that SREB states initiated that affected these rates. Five SREB states currently require 100 percent student participation on the…

This causal-comparative study examined the relationship between enrollment/non-enrollment in music programs of differing content or quality and mathematical achievement among 739 secondary (grades 8-12) students from four different Maryland counties. The students, both female and male, were divided into sample groups by their participation in a…

Mathematics proficiency of English language learners (ELLs) on the Maryland School Assessments (MSA) for mathematics continues to lag behind the proficiency level of students who are proficient English speakers. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a statistically significant relationship between English language learner's…