Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Iowa Tests of Basic Skills'

Thesis (M.S.)--Central Connecticut State University, 1999.
Thesis advisor: Philip Halloran. " ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science [in Mathematics]. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 29-32).

Currently, there is no standard protocol to identify students who are gifted in science. If students are identified as gifted early on in elementary school, teachers and parents can foster their interest, increasing the students’ knowledge, value, and affect as well as their willingness to re-engage science (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002; Gottfried & Gottfried, 1996; Häussler 1987; Neber & Schommer-Aikins, 2002; Osborne, 2003; Schunk, Pintrich, & Meece, 2008). In this study, a brief student identification form was developed for elementary school teachers to complete. The form was based on Hidi and Renninger’s (2006) four-phase model of interest development. The form was one piece of a more comprehensive identification protocol. Students in grades second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth from six Warren County elementary schools were asked to participate in this study. However, due to insufficient data, grades two and six were not used after collection. Few sixth grade teachers completed the forms and second graders did not take the ITBS. This study primarily focused on identifying students from underrepresented populations. These six schools, Cumberland Trace, Bristow, Lost River, Oakland, Richardsville, and North Warren, were chosen based on their larger population of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.

The current investigation supports the objectives of Project GEMS (Roberts, 2008), a grant funded program whose objectives include the development and validation of a protocol to identify students from underrepresented and diverse populations as gifted in the content areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Identification of students from low-income and diverse populations as gifted has been a struggle with current assessment techniques (Baldwin, 2005). Project GEMS aims to address this problem through development of interest measures specific to the STEM areas for use within an identification protocol. The current project developed a measure to assess interest in mathematics. The construct of interest was targeted as it is correlated with many positive factors in education that lead to increased academic performance (Schunk, Pintrich, & Meece, 2008). Existing math interest inventories are designed for older populations, lack good psychometric properties and are atheoretical. To improve upon existing interest measures, Hidi and Renninger’s (2006) four-phase model of interest served as the theoretical basis to inform and guide the process of development and validation of a math interest inventory. A twenty-seven item self-report math interest measure was designed to assess the four phases of Hidi and Renninger’s interest model (emotion, value, knowledge, and engagement; 2006). Pilot and field testing of the measure were conducted in elementary schools selected on the basis of a high proportion of low-income students in a south central Kentucky school district. The sample consists of 1,429,429 students in grades two through six. The measure was hypothesized to evidence good internal consistency, a four-factor structure, and a significant and positive correlations between the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the composite and subscales of the math interest inventory. The first hypothesis found support with an internal consistency reliability coefficient of .916 for the overall score. Results of confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor structure resembling Hidi and Renninger’s (2006) four phase model of interest and including the four components emotion, value, knowledge, and engagement. The correlations between the math scores from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the math interest inventory total score and scales partially supported the last hypothesis. The correlations were small and positive for the Values and Knowledge scales but small and negative for the Emotion and Engagement scales. The correlations for the total score of the math interest inventory were significant; however, their values had little practical significance. While the math interest measure evidences good reliability and support for the structure of the scales through confirmatory factor analysis, the current study did not provide evidence for a significant relationship with math achievement as measured by a standardized group administered math achievement test. These results are discussed in relation to limitations of the current study and recommendations for further investigation.

The purpose of this study was to assess the criterion validity of the Indiana Basic Competency Skills Test (IBCST) by exploring the relationships between scores obtained on the IBCST and (a) student gender, (b) teacher-assigned letter grades, (c) scores obtained on the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), and (a) scores obtained on the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT). The subjects were 300 third grade students enrolled in a small mid-Indiana school system. Data collected included gender, age, IBCST scores, OLSAT scores, SAT scores, and teacher-assigned letter grades in reading and mathematics. An alpha level of .01 was used in each statistical analysis. Gender differences were investigated by comparisons of the relative IBCST pass/fail (p/f) frequencies of males and females and boys' and girls' correct answers on the IBCST Reading and Math tests. Neither the chi square analysis of p/f frequencies nor the multivariate analysis of variance of the IBCST scores disclosed significant gender differences. Therefore, subsequent correlational analyses were done with pooled data.The relationship of teacher-assigned letter grades to IBCST p/f levels was studied with nonparametric and parametric statistical techniques. The 2x3 chi squares computed between IBCST performance and letter grades in reading and math were significant. The analyses of variance of the data yielded similar results. Teacher grades were related to IBCST performance.Multiple regression analyses were used to study the relationships between the IBCST and OLSAT performances. Significant multiple R-squares of approximately .30 were obtained in each analysis. Scholastic aptitude was related to IBCST performance.Canonical correlation analyses were used to explore the relationships between the reading and mathematics sections of the IBCST and SAT. Both analyses yielded a single significant, meaningful canonical correlation coefficient. The canonical variable loadings suggested that the IBCST Reading and Math composites, as well as the SAT composites, were expressions of general achievement. Thus, levels of achievement on the criterion referenced IBCST and the norm referenced SAT were related. The results of the study support the criterion validity of the IBCST with traditional methods of assessment as criteria.
Department of Educational Psychology

The primary purpose of this study was to compare three instructional delivery systems for providing basic math skills training to non-degree industrial and technical teachers. Also examined was the extent to which selected teacher background characteristics were associated with test performance. Additionally, the three treatment groups were compared on the basis of student ratings of selected items on the course evaluation instrument. Eighty-four non-degree industrial and technical teachers teaching in West Virginia were given a pretest on basic math skills. This pretest was followed by a seven-week period of basic math review and remediation using one of three instructional delivery systems. The three instructional delivery systems included Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI), Individualized Learning Modules (ILM), and the traditional lecture (LEC). A posttest was administered to participants at the end of the review and remediation period. An analysis of covariance was used to compare the mean posttest scores for each of the three treatment groups. The pretest score served as the covariate. Results of the study indicated that although there were substantial gains in basic math scores within each treatment group there was no significant difference in mean posttest scores when comparing the three treatment groups. Computing the Pearson Product-Moment correlation in assessing the relationship between selected teacher background characteristics and posttest scores, it was found that the variables pretest and age were significantly related. Pretest scores had a high positive correlation to posttest scores while age had a moderate negative correlation. A one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the ratings of selected items on the course evaluation instrument. No significant difference in ratings between treatment groups was found for any of the items compared.
Ed. D.

The problem of the study was to examine the effects of Texas legislated basic skills testing as the effects relate to teachers, administrators, and local school districts. Questionnaires consisting of thirty questions were mailed to a stratified random sample of 120 educators from all twenty Regional Service Centers in Texas. Both teachers and administrators were included in the sample. Factual information and personal opinions were solicited to determine how educators and local school districts have been responding to the testing reform directives. Responses of educational groups and demographic types were compared using the chi-square test and presented in descriptive and tabular form.. Nine findings, nine conclusions, and six recommendations resulted from the study.

The purpose of this study is to examine the . relationship and effects of New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test (NJCBSPT) scores and grades in basic skills reading, elementary algebra, and English/ writing courses with the students' success in selected college-level general education courses in an attempt to establish predictor variables. In addition, the study examines the possibility that predictions of success in general education courses can be made more accurately by using multiple prediction variables. The population for the study consisted of seven years of successful basic skill course grades, New Jersey College Basic Skill Placement Test (NJCBSPT) scores and successful general education course grades for students at one small, rural community college. Coefficients of determination, correlation coefficients, t-tests, and linear and multiple regression were some of the analysis techniques used.
Ed. D.

xiii, 137 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Research suggests that development of the alphabetic principle is a critical factor in learning to recognize words and becoming a successful reader. The alphabetic principle encompasses both the understanding that relationships exist between letters and sounds and the application of these relationships to reading words. This study investigated the degree to which different measures of the alphabetic principle were predictive of later reading development. These measures were examined in the context of Ehri's phase theory of sight word development to investigate how different behaviors associated with the alphabetic principle fit within a developmental framework. Two cohorts of students (109 kindergarteners, 212 first graders) participated in this study from spring of 2007 until late fall of 2008 (58 second graders, 121 third graders). The predictive powers of single and combined measures of the alphabetic principle were analyzed using sequential regression. Results indicated that each measure explained significant between-student variation in performance on measures of word reading fluency, oral reading fluency (ORF), vocabulary, and reading comprehension. A measure of letter-sounds embedded in nonsense words appeared to have more utility for the prediction of reading outcomes than a measure of letter-sounds presented in isolation. Additionally, including a measure of nonsense words with a measure of letter-sounds embedded in nonsense words increased the predictive power of the model over and above the predictive power of letter sounds alone. Growth on ORF served as an additional criterion for the purpose of investigating the methodology of measuring growth. Two conceptualizations of growth were explored: raw score change over time and individual rates of growth over time (slope). Correlations and sequential regression were used to evaluate the relationship between raw score change and measures of the alphabetic principle. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to model individual slopes on Lexile measures of ORF (LORF). In general, raw score change appeared largely unrelated to measures of the alphabetic principle. HLM analyses revealed that individual differences in slope on LORF were minimal and not very reliable, making the prediction of these differences difficult. Recommendations for future research and implications for practice are discussed.
Committee in charge: Roland Good, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Kenneth Merrell, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Leanne Ketterlin Geller, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Jean Stockard, Outside Member, Planning Public Policy and Management

碩士
國立政治大學
英語教學碩士在職專班
95
The present study aims to investigate the question types of the English reading comprehension tests in the BCT and to conduct an experiment on the effectiveness of related reading skills and strategies. The findings and suggestions of the present study may be helpful for the reading instruction in junior high school. A total of 60 ninth graders in a junior high school in Jing-mei, Taipei participated in this experiment. They are from two different classes; one is the control group and the other is the experimental group. According to the categorization of the reading skills from Mo (1987) and Johnson (2004), the present study examined the question types of the English reading comprehension tests in the BCT and the frequency distribution of different question types. The reading pretest included all the reading passages and items from 2002 to 2004, and the participants were asked to take the pretest as a formal exam. Then, the experiment of the present study lasted for 13 weeks, two class periods a week. The participants in the experimental group received the instruction of the reading skills and strategies while the participants in the control group were taught the vocabulary, the grammar, the structures and their meanings in the same reading passages. After the formal reading instruction, the participants took both of the BCT in 2006, and their performances may reflect the effectiveness of the formal reading instruction. There are several findings for the present research. First, six different question types are identified in the English reading comprehension tests of the BCT and they are identifying the main idea, finding the detailed information, determining the meaning out of context, finding the targets of the reference, drawing implications and inferences and drawing correct conclusions. But the last question type drawing correct conclusions was not identified in the BCT of 2006. Second, there existed an unbalanced distribution of these question types. Nearly half of the reading questions can be classified as the type finding the detailed information, and the proportion of the question types related to the literal skills was much larger than those of the question types concerning the critical skills. Moreover, the results of the reading pretest showed that there is no significant difference between the experimental and the control groups and that the participants performed better on the literal skills than on the critical ones. At last, the results of the participants’ performances in the first BCT of 2006 revealed that the formal reading instruction of the reading skills and strategies is effective. But the participants took the second BCT after they graduated, and the effectiveness of the instruction may reduce because of time and lack of practice. Finally,the researcher would like to suggest the BCT committee include more reading question types that may emphasize students’ overall reading abilities. Junior high school English teachers may design their own reading classes and help their students improve and internalize the reading skills and strategies they need. The designers of the English textbooks may include these useful reading skills and strategies in different tasks and activities.

Title: Comparison of performance in test of skating with and without the puck among the Extraleague U16 competition defensemen and forwards Objectives: The aim of this diploma thesis is to compare basic ice hockey skills of defensemen and forwards in a skating test carried out with and without the puck. We would like to analyze the data we receive, draw conclusions about the skills of players and come up with practice recommendations for defensemen and forwards. Methods: The diploma thesis was written from a methodological point of view based on experiment, which resulted in a comparative analysis by using different statistical methods. The testing was done on ice hockey stadiums of HC Hvězda Praha, HC Slavia Praha and HC Letci Letňany. The tested group of ice hockey players came from HC Hvězda Praha, HC Slavia Praha and HC Letci Letňany who play in the Extraleague U16 competition. Results: From the results and comparison of average performances of the U16 players we can conclude that the defensemen did not dominate over the forwards in backward skating, tests carried out with the puck. The difference performances of backward skating without the puck was 0,12sec (in favor of the forwards) and in backward skating with the puck 0,69sec (in favor of the forwards). And not even when comparing deficient...

O presente foi realizado em contexto escolar e teve como objetivo comparar competências motoras de crianças do 2º ano de escolaridade a nível nacional, regional (Concelho de Oeiras) e local. A nível local foram selecionadas três escolas do Concelho de Oeiras. Para o efeito foram utilizados os respetivos resultados obtidos nas provas de aferição do 1º ciclo do ensino básico, na disciplina de Expressão Físico-Motora do Ministério da Educação. A relevância deste tipo de análise deve-se à importância da aquisição de competências motoras para um adequado crescimento e desenvolvimento e consequentemente à relevância de um rastreio em idades jovens. Foram utilizados os resultados das avaliações conduzidas no 2º período escolar de 2019, na disciplina de Expressão Físico Motora, pós implementação do programa de “apoio à expressão físico motora do 1º ciclo”. Como forma de comparação, foram utilizados os resultados nacionais das provas de aferição de Expressão Físico Motora do ano 2018, que foram retiradas do site do Instituto de Avaliação Educativa (IAVE), e utilizadas as médias das provas de aferição de Expressão Físico Motora do concelho de Oeiras em 2018, que foram cedidas pela Câmara Municipal de Oeiras, sendo que ambas as médias são resultados pré implementação do programa. A amostra contou com um total de 145 alunos, com idades compreendidas entre os sete e os oito anos de idade, dos quais 69 são rapazes e 76 são raparigas. As competências motoras avaliadas foram agrupadas em matérias: Perícias e Manipulações; Deslocamentos e Equilíbrios; Jogos. As menções foram categorizadas como: Conseguiram; Conseguiram Mas…; Revelaram Dificuldades; Não Conseguiram. Foi também realizada uma análise por categorias, isto é a separação dos alunos mais capazes (categoria superior) dos alunos menos capazes (categoria inferior), em termos motores: Categoria Superior (Conseguiram + Conseguiram Mas…); Categoria Inferior (Revelaram Dificuldades + Não Conseguiram). Os resultados evidenciam que o “programa de apoio à expressão físico-motora” parece ter sido mais efetivo nas matérias dos jogos, uma vez que para todas as escolas do concelho em 2019 as médias foram superiores às encontradas no concelho de Oeiras e a nível nacional, antes do programa ter sido implementado. Por outro lado, na categoria inferior (“Revelaram Dificuldades e Não Conseguiram”), nos deslocamentos e equilíbrios só a escola EB ARA ficou abaixo da média nacional em 2018 e da média de Oeiras em 2018 com 16,3%, ao passo que a EB SM com 20,71% e a EB SAT com 23,70% ficaram acima de Oeiras (20,20%) e a baixo da nacional (26,50%).
This study was carried out in a school context and aimed to compare the motor skills of children in their second year of schooling at national, regional (Oeiras municipality) and local levels. At local level, three schools were selected from the Oeiras municipality. For this purpose, the respective results obtained in the tests of measurement of the 1st cycle of basic education, in the subject of Physical-Motor Expression of the Ministry of Education were used. The relevance of this type of analysis is due to the importance of the acquisition of motor skills for adequate growth and development and, consequently, to the relevance of screening at young ages. The results of the evaluations conducted in the 2nd school year of 2019, in the subject of Motor Physical Expression, were used after the implementation of the program of "support for motor physical expression in the 1st cycle". As a way of comparison, the national results of the 2018 Motor Physical Expression tests were used, which were taken from the website of the Educational Assessment Institute (IAVE), and the averages of the Oeiras municipality's Motor Physical Expression tests in 2018 were used, which were provided by the Oeiras Municipal Council, with both averages being pre-implementation results of the program. The sample included a total of 145 students, aged between seven and eight years, of whom 69 were boys and 76 were girls. The motor skills assessed were grouped into subjects: Skills and Manipulation; Displacement and Balance; Games. The mentions were categorized as: Achieved; Achieved But...; Revealed Difficulties; Not Achieved. An analysis by categories was also carried out, i.e. the separation of the most capable students (upper category) from the least capable students (lower category), in motor terms: Higher Category (They managed + They managed But...); Lower Category (They revealed Difficulties + They did not manage). The results show that the "support program for physical-motor expression" seems to have been more effective in the subjects of games, since for all schools in the municipality in 2019, the averages were higher than those found in the municipality of Oeiras and at national level, before the program was implemented. On the other hand, in the lower category ("Disclosed Difficulties and Couldn't"), only the EB ARA school was below the national average in 2018 and the Oeiras average in 2018 with 16.3%, while the EB SM with 20.71% and the EB SAT with 23.70% were above Oeiras (20.20%) and below the national average (26.50%).