Lower Pass Rates Research Articles

Enhancing access to specialist appointments in tertiary healthcare in Shanghai, China: a structured reservation pathway using digital health technologies

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to develop, implement the precise reservation path (PRP) and investigate its prediction function for scheduling shunting patients for specialist appointment registration in Shanghai, China.DesignThe...

The more the better? How excessive content and online interaction hinder the learning effectiveness of high‐quality MOOCs

AbstractHigh dropout rates and low pass rates are prevalent problems encountered by online learning platforms, which greatly hinder the development of online education. Drawing upon the theory of attention allocation, this study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the effectiveness of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), as well as the potential moderating effects. To address the limitation of using course completion rates as an overall measurement, this study endeavours to measure MOOCs learning effectiveness by examining dropout rates and pass rates as separate outcome indicators. We use secondary data analysis to investigate our research questions. Specifically, we collect 8602 courses from a Chinese MOOC platform (Zhihuishu) using data‐crawling techniques, and employ regression analyses to examine our research hypotheses. The findings indicate that course quality, content richness and interactivity significantly influence course dropout rates and pass rates. Besides, content richness moderates the relationship between course quality and learning effectiveness. Furthermore, frequent online interaction is associated with lower pass rates in high‐quality courses, but the moderating effect of online interaction on dropout rates is insignificant. This study contributes to the extant literature by examining course‐level factors that affect learning effectiveness. It also offers new theoretical insights and provides valuable suggestions for the design of MOOCs. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Attention is a scarce resource, and the concentration level greatly influences one's academic performance. Excessive online interaction may cause distractions and hinder learning outcomes. Information overload can result in anxiety and negative emotions, thereby reducing one's willingness to continue learning. In addition, information overload may reduce perceived usefulness and negatively affect academic performance. High dropout rates and low pass rates are common problems encountered by MOOCs today, hindering the development of online education. What this paper adds This study investigates the effect of course quality, content richness and interactivity on course dropout rates and pass rates. Content richness moderates the relationship between course quality and course dropout rates / pass rates. Courses with more content have higher dropout rates and lower pass rates, particularly for high‐quality courses. Online interaction moderates the relationship between course quality and the pass rates. More frequent online interaction is associated with lower pass rates for high‐quality courses. Implications for practice and/or policy The improvement of course quality can contribute to lower dropout rates and higher pass rates, thereby fostering the healthy growth of online education. When evaluating high‐quality courses, not only the depth of course content but also the integration of resources should be considered. High‐quality online courses should carefully regulate the number of videos and manage online learning resources. In addition, it is recommended that course designers consolidate essential video resources and ensure the effective and appropriate structure of course content. High‐quality online courses should restrict the frequency of online interaction. Additionally, these courses should strategically help learners allocate their attention, with a particular emphasis on prioritizing the course video content.

Coefficients of variation analyses of internal quality control status for blood lead in China from 2015 to 2023.

Blood lead test is widely conducted in Chinese laboratories, while the imprecision of blood lead measurement based on internal quality control (IQC) across China has not been comprehensively evaluated nowadays. Using the IQC data of blood lead collected through a web-based external quality assessment (EQA) reporting system, we analyzed current coefficients of variation (CVs) of blood lead from 2015 to 2023 among Chinese laboratories. Two allowable total error (TEa) imprecision levels from EQA were applied to calculate the pass rates, namely percentages of laboratories meeting precision quality specifications. Besides, CV values and pass rates by different subgroups were further performed to assess potential differences. Generally, median CV values significantly declined year by year from 6.8% in February 2015 to 5.9% in March 2023. The pass rates based on 1/3 TEa showed upward trends increasing from 15.3% in February 2015 to 20.0% in March 2023, but these percentages were non-ideal with less than 25%. No significant differences in CVs were found between tertiary hospitals and non-tertiary hospitals and between accredited and non-accredited laboratories. Significant time trends were observed in tertiary hospitals and nonaccredited laboratories. As for manufacturers, Bohui and self-made QC sample were most widely-used with obvious interannual declining trends of CVs. The CVs of blood lead demonstrated continuous overall improvements in the past twenty years. However, relatively lower pass rates indicated the non-ideal imprecision performance, and more proper performance specifications are warranted. Thus, imprecision improvement and ongoing investigation for blood lead IQC are still needed.

The Effect of Time Variables as Predictors of Senior Secondary School Students' Mathematical Performance Department of Mathematics Education Freetown Polytechnic

This study aimed to investigate the effect of time variables as predictors of senior secondary school students' mathematical performance in Kossoh Town, Western Rural. The time variables considered in this study included the time of day when the math test was administered, the amount of time spent studying math outside of school, and the time of year when the test was taken. A sample of 250 Senior Secondary School Students from different public schools participated in the study. They were administered a standardized math test at three different times of the day (morning, afternoon, and evening), and their scores were recorded. Additionally, the students were asked to report the amount of time they spent studying math outside of school and the time of year when they took the test. The results of the study indicated that the performance of girls in the mathematics tests varied depending on the time of the day and their age group. The highest pass rates were observed in the morning and the lowest in the evening. Additionally, older girls and boys (above 20) generally had lower pass rates compared to younger age groups. This means time variables had a significant impact on the students' mathematical performance. Furthermore Students who took the test in the morning scored higher on average compared to those who took the test in the afternoon or evening. Additionally, students who reported studying math outside of school for a longer period of time had higher scores on the test. Finally, students who took the test later in the school year scored higher compared to those who took the test earlier in the year. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that time variables play a crucial role in predicting Senior Secondary School.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cardiovascular disease prevention among middle school students in China: a cross-sectional study.

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is rapidly increasing globally. With a concerning increase among adolescents due to unhealthy habits, obesity, and hypertension, understanding the current status of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to CVD prevention among middle school students is crucial for developing effective school-based health programs to prevent CVD. The analytic cross-sectional survey is used in questionnaires to assess KAP related to CVD prevention among middle school students (N = 17,731) from 50 schools across 16 provinces in China in June-July 2023. The pass rate of KAP scores is categorized as good and poor. Independent predictors of good KAP of CVD prevention are ascertained using a binary logistic regression model. The study surveyed 8,118 (45.78%) junior high school students and 9,613 (54.22%) high school students. The overall mean [standard deviation (SD)] for the knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 26.88 (8.12), 53.53 (7.22), and 39.80 (5.96), respectively. The knowledge scores had the lowest pass rate at 56.89%. Only 6.83% of the students know "the definition of blood pressure in adolescents." Attitudes toward health were positive, though the attitude regarding "the danger of prolonged sedentary to cardiovascular health" scored lowest at 73.55%. The practice section had a pass rate of 89.30%; 40.27% of students reported that they spend more than an hour a day on screens. Only one-third of the students would go to bed before 12 o'clock. In univariate analysis, junior high school and high school students differed significantly in knowledge and practice (p < 0.001), but attitude did not differ significantly (p = 0.103). The majority of students lack sufficient knowledge about CVD. It is also found that socioeconomic background, family environment, and educational levels have an impact on cardiovascular health behaviors among students. Strengthening health education involving students, parents, teachers, and communities is essential to promote health knowledge and practices among adolescents.

Transitioning From Points-Based Grading to a Modified Pass/Fail Grading Approach in a Simulated Patient Program

ObjectiveTo determine the impact of transitioning from points-based grading to a modified pass/fail grading approach in a simulated patient (SP) program on first year pharmacy (P1) student performance in a PharmD curriculum. MethodsCourse-level data from the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 academic years were collected to assess the impact of transitioning to a modified pass/fail grading approach on P1 student performance. During the 2021–2022 academic year, points-based grading was used. In 2022–2023, a modified pass/fail grading approach was implemented: communication assessment used pass/fail grading and clinical assessment used points-based grading; each assessment was worth 50% of the total SP activity grade. Chi-square tests were used to compare the percentage of students who passed each assessment (≥70%) with those who failed. ResultsAcross both academic years, students completed 9 formative (18 rubrics) and 6 summative (12 rubrics) SP activities. Each activity included separate communication and clinical assessment rubrics. There were no significant differences in performance on 27 of 30 rubrics. There were two formative SP activities where the percentage of students who passed the communication assessment using pass/fail grading (2022–2023 academic year) was different than points-based grading (2021–2022 academic year). In one fall semester activity, the cohort with the modified pass/fail grading approach had lower pass rates, but the opposite trend was observed in the winter semester. ConclusionOur program was able to successfully move to a pass/fail approach for communication assessments of SP activities while maintaining points-based grading for clinical assessments in our P1 curriculum with minimal impact on student performance.

Comparison of diffuse correlation spectroscopy analytical models for measuring cerebral blood flow in adults.

Although multilayer analytical models have been proposed to enhance brain sensitivity of diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) measurements of cerebral blood flow, the traditional homogeneous model remains dominant in clinical applications. Rigorous in vivo comparison of these analytical models is lacking. We compare the performance of different analytical models to estimate a cerebral blood flow index (CBFi) with DCS in adults. Resting-state data were obtained on a cohort of 20 adult patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Data at 1 and 2.5cm source-detector separations were analyzed with the homogenous, two-layer, and three-layer models to estimate scalp blood flow index and CBFi. The performance of each model was quantified via fitting convergence, fit stability, brain-to-scalp flow ratio (BSR), and correlation with transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) measurements of cerebral blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The homogeneous model has the highest pass rate (100%), lowest coefficient of variation (CV) at rest (median [IQR] at 1Hz of 0.18 [0.13, 0.22]), and most significant correlation with MCA blood flow velocities (, ) compared with both the two- and three-layer models. The multilayer model pass rate was significantly correlated with extracerebral layer thicknesses. Discarding datasets with non-physiological BSRs increased the correlation between DCS measured CBFi and TCD measured MCA velocities for all models. We found that the homogeneous model has the highest pass rate, lowest CV at rest, and most significant correlation with MCA blood flow velocities. Results from the multilayer models should be taken with caution because they suffer from lower pass rates and higher coefficients of variation at rest and can converge to non-physiological values for CBFi. Future work is needed to validate these models in vivo, and novel approaches are merited to improve the performance of the multimodel models.

Determinants of CPA exam performance

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification is an important measure of professional achievement and a critical element to advancement in the accounting profession. The CPA exam is rigorous, with lower pass rates relative to other professional exams, and even lower pass rates for historically disadvantaged groups. Thus, a key policy question is how to improve candidates’ performance on the CPA exam. In this paper, we examine the role that environmental (community segregation, socioeconomic status, and education and income gaps) and other factors representing opportunity play in CPA exam performance. The results of univariate analysis across various demographic and opportunity factors and those of multivariate models indicate that opportunity influences exam performance of all candidates and differently so for the disadvantaged groups. Finally, we offer recommendations for programs to help meet the profession’s need for an increasing number of qualified CPAs and its diversity and inclusion goals.

Analysis of Performance and Failure Modes of the IROC Proton Liver Phantom.

To analyze trends in institutional performance and failure modes for the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core's (IROC's) proton liver phantom. Results of 66 phantom irradiations from 28 institutions between 2015 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate analysis and random forest models were used to associate irradiation conditions with phantom results. Phantom results included pass/fail classification, average thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) ratio of both targets, and percentage of pixels passing gamma of both targets. The following categories were evaluated in terms of how they predicted these outcomes: irradiation year, treatment planning system (TPS), TPS algorithm, treatment machine, number of irradiations, treatment technique, motion management technique, number of isocenters, and superior-inferior extent (in cm) of the 90% TPS isodose line for primary target 1 (PTV1) and primary target 2 (PTV2). In addition, failures were categorized by failure mode. Average pass rate was approximately 52% and average TLD ratio for both targets had slightly improved. As the treatment field increased to cover the target, the pass rate statistically significantly fell. Lower pass rates were observed for Mevion machines, scattered irradiation techniques, and gating and internal target volume (ITV) motion management techniques. Overall, the accuracy of the random forest modeling of the phantom results was approximately 73% ± 14%. The most important predictor was the superior-inferior extent for both targets and irradiation year. Three failure modes dominated the failures of the phantom: (1) systematic underdosing, (2) poor localization in the superior-inferior direction, and (3) range error. Only 44% of failures have similar failure modes between the 2 targets. Improvement of the proton liver phantom has been observed; however, the pass rate remains the lowest among all IROC phantoms. Through various analysis techniques, range uncertainty, motion management, and underdosing are the main culprits of failures of the proton liver phantom. Clinically, careful consideration of the influences of liver proton therapy is needed to improve phantom performance and patient outcome.

The Pass/Fail Effect: A Longitudinal Study of United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 Performance Over a Decade.

Objectives This study aimed to analyze the impact of theUnited States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 transition to a pass/fail scoring system in 2022 on the performance of first-time test takers in three distinct groups: Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) and Doctor of Medicine (MD) examinees from US/Canadian schoolsand examinees from non-US/Canadian schools. The analysis spans a decade-long period from 2012 to 2022, offering insights into the implications of this pivotal change in medical education. Methods We analyzed the performance of first-time USMLE Step 1 examinees from US/Canadian MD and DO programsand non-US/Canadian schools from 2012 to 2022, including the transition year to a pass/fail scoring system. Data were obtained from USMLE performance data reports and organized into annual contingency tables. Descriptive statistics and comparative analysis were used to identify trends and differences in performance across the groups. Data visualization techniques were employed to illustrate these findings, and the results were contextualized within the broader changes in medical education. Results In 2021, first-time takers from US/Canadian MD and DO Degree programs had passrates of 96% and 94%, respectively, while non-US/Canadian schools had a pass rate of 82%. However, in 2022, these rates dropped to 93%, 89%, and 74%, respectively. The most significant relative decline was observed among non-US/Canadian Schools' first-time takers, with an 8% decrease. Repeaters consistently had lower pass rates across all groups. Conclusion The study reveals a notable decline in pass rates following the transition to pass/fail scoring, although this is based on just one year of data. This underscores the importance of students not rushing into the exam and dedicating sufficient time for preparation. The potential impact of this research could be transformative for medical education, but more years of data post-transition will be needed to confirm these initial findings. These findings serve as a reminder that the change in scoring does not diminish the rigor of the exam, prompting students to approach their studies with diligence and patienceand potentially paving the way for systemic improvements in medical education and healthcare delivery worldwide.

OC-098 HERNIA BASECAMP ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM: AN ANALYSIS OF THE UEMS CME approved module test results

Abstract Aim Hernia Basecamp is an online learning platform hosted within the WebSurg website with 205 video lectures. A number of these lectures are selected to create 10 modules of 3 hours each with UEMS CME accreditation. The aim of this study was to review the CME module test results since launch in June 2021. Methods Hernia Basecamp was interrogated in January 2023. Data on the number of CME module tests taken, the pass rate and the country of the examinee were collected. Results The numbers of tests taken, the number of passes, and the pass rate per module as well as the totals is shown in the table. The UK, Switzerland and Germany were the top 3 countries representing 36% of the modules passed. Conclusions The UEMS approved CME accreditation tests generally had a high pass rate. BUT, detailed knowledge of the basics of groin hernia AND published guidelines was poor as reflected in the lower pass rates.

Characterizing the interplay of treatment parameters and complexity and their impact on performance on an IROC IMRT phantom using machine learning

Aim of the StudyTo elucidate the important factors and their interplay that drive performance on IMRT phantoms from the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core (IROC). MethodsIROC’s IMRT head and neck phantom contains two targets and an organ at risk. Point and 2D dose are measured by TLDs and film, respectively. 1,542 irradiations between 2012–2020 were retrospectively analyzed based on output parameters, complexity metrics, and treatment parameters. Univariate analysis compared parameters based on pass/fail, and random forest modeling was used to predict output parameters and determine the underlying importance of the variables. ResultsThe average phantom pass rate was 92% and has not significantly improved over time. The step-and-shoot irradiation technique had significantly lower pass rates that significantly affected other treatment parameters’ pass rates. The complexity of plans has significantly increased with time, and all aperture-based complexity metrics (except MCS) were associated with the probability of failure. Random forest-based prediction of failure had an accuracy of 98% on held-out test data not used in model training. While complexity metrics were the most important contributors, the specific metric depended on the set of treatment parameters used during the irradiation. ConclusionWith the prevalence of errors in radiotherapy, understanding which parameters affect treatment delivery is vital to improve patient treatment. Complexity metrics were strongly predictive of irradiation failure; however, they are dependent on the specific treatment parameters. In addition, the use of one complexity metric is insufficient to monitor all aspects of the treatment plan.

Quantifying For-Profit Outcomes in GME: A Multispecialty Analysis of Board Certifying Examination Pass Rates in For-Profit Affiliated Residency Programs.

The number of for-profit hospitals has increased in the United States, but their role in and outcomes for graduate medical education (GME) are unclear. To describe for-profit involvement in internal medicine (IM), general surgery (GS), and pediatrics GME by quantifying change in for-profit affiliated residency programs and comparing for-profit and nonprofit affiliated program board certifying examination pass rates. We used Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and Medicare data to quantify for-profit prevalence in IM, GS, and pediatrics GME from 2001 to 2021. We used public pass rate data from the American Board of Surgeons (2017-2019; n=242 programs; 6562 examinees), American Board of Internal Medicine (2018-2020; n=465 programs; 23 922 examinees), and American Board of Pediatrics (2018-2020; n=202 programs; 9819 examinees) to model the relationship between profit status and pass rate within each specialty and across specialties combined using linear regression. The proportion of for-profit affiliated residency programs increased 400.0% in IM, 334.4% in GS, and 23.2% in pediatrics from 2001 to 2021. Bivariate linear regression revealed significantly lower pass rate in for-profit affiliated programs in IM β =-7.73, P<.001), pediatrics (β =-14.6, P<.001), and the 3 specialties combined (β =-5.45, P<.001). Upon multiple regression with addition of program characteristic covariates, this relationship remained significant in pediatrics (β =-10.04, P=.006). The proportion of for-profit affiliated residency programs has increased in IM, GS, and pediatrics from 2001 to 2021. After controlling for covariates, for-profit affiliated programs were associated with lower board examination pass rates in pediatrics with no association in IM, GS, or the combined measure.

Revisiting Retake Policy: Analyzing the Success Rates of Examinees With Multiple Attempts on the United States Medical Licensing Examination.

A testing program's decision making on retake policy considers a number of factors, including fairness to examinees, examination security, examination purpose, and classification accuracy. For high-stakes licensure and certification examinations charged with protection of the public, this includes balancing fairness issues inherent in the potential for false negatives with the public protection need to minimize false positives. Since 2012, the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) has maintained a policy of ≤ 6 attempts on any examination component. The purpose of this study was to empirically examine the appropriateness of existing USMLE retake policy. A sample of over 300,000 examinees who were administered each Step examination between 2008 and 2018 was examined to address how pass rates (per attempt and cumulatively) differed for examinees and examinee subgroups via graphic depictions of pass rates, the impact of restricting the number of attempts on examinees and examinee subgroups via logistic regression analyses, and the impact of restricting the number of attempts on classification error via classification error analyses. Repeaters displayed consistently lower pass rates on subsequent attempts. Regardless of Step, most passing examinees did so by their fourth attempt. Models predicting the log odds of examinees taking ≥ 5 attempts showed a significant effect of gender, race, and medical school status, although the associated sample sizes are small. Misclassification analyses showed that, as attempts increased, the percentage of false passers increased and percentage of false failers decreased. These considerations led to the USMLE's decision to reduce its attempt limit from 6 to 4 on any Step or Step component effective July 2021. This change balances the competing interests of fairness and examination access to the examinee population, while simultaneously maintaining a minimum standard consistent with the mission of the USMLE program to protect the public.

Factors associated with successful passage of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine general examination

BackgroundBoard certification relies on passing the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) general examination. Pass rates might depend on properties of residency training programs (RTP).HypothesisWe hypothesized that <4 weeks of dedicated study time, lack of board preparation lectures, status as a re‐taker, and private practice RTP would result in lower pass rates of the ACVIM general examination.SubjectsTwo hundred forty‐eight ACVIM general examinees.MethodsCross‐sectional study. Examinees were surveyed using a Qualtrics survey over a 3‐year period. Factors included: study weeks, on‐call duty, board preparation lectures, academic or private practice program, and status as a re‐taker.ResultsFirst‐attempt examinees were more likely to pass (P < .0001, OR 5.12, 95% CI [2.53, 10.52]). For first‐attempt examinees, on‐call duty during study weeks resulted in a lower pass rate (P = .002, OR 0.31, 95% CI [0.16, 0.67]). General didactic and specific board‐preparation lectures resulted in higher pass rates (P = .003, OR 3.08, 95% CI [1.44, 6.61]; P = .02, OR 3.04, 95% CI [1.20, 7.68]). Diplomate‐led board‐preparation lectures resulted in higher pass rates than resident‐led (P = .007, OR 10.67, 95% CI [1.75, 64.91]). Using a mixed effect logistic model, predicted pass rates were highest with both lack of on‐call duty and presence of didactic lectures (predicted pass rate 95%, 95% CI [0.87, 0.98]).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceTo optimize pass rates, RTP should provide study time without on‐call duty. Provision of didactic lectures and specific board‐preparation lectures by diplomates assist in candidate preparation.

Chinese ICU physicians\u2019 knowledge of antibiotic pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD): a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundPatients with sepsis have a high mortality rate, accumulated evidences suggest that an optimal antibiotic administration strategy based on pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) can improve the prognosis of septic patients. Therefore, we assessed Chinese intensive care unit (ICU) physicians’ knowledge about PK/PD.MethodsIn December 2019, we designed a questionnaire focused on Chinese ICU physicians’ knowledge about PK/PD and collected the questionnaires after 3 months. The questionnaire was distributed via e-mail and WeChat, and was distributed to ICU doctors in 31 administrative regions of China except Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. The passing score was corrected by the Angoff method, and the ICU physicians’ knowledge about PK/PD was analysed accordingly.ResultsWe received a total of 1,309 questionnaires and retained 1,240 valid questionnaires. The passing score was 90.8, and the overall pass rate was 56.94%. The pass rate for tertiary and secondary hospitals was 59.07% and 37.19%, respectively. ICU physicians with less than 5 years of work experience and resident physician accounted for the highest pass rate, while those with between 5 to 10 years of work experience and attending accounted for the lowest pass rate. The majority of participants in the Chinese Critical Care Certified Course (5C) were from Jiangsu and Henan provinces, and they had the highest average scores (125.8 and 126.5, respectively). For Beijing and Shanghai, the average score was only 79.4 and 90.9, respectively.ConclusionsChinese ICU physicians’ knowledge about PK/PD is unsatisfactory. Therefore, it is essential to strengthen ICU physicians’ knowledge about PK/PD.

Succeeding in Continuing Trauma Education During a Pandemic.

BackgroundCorona virus disease 2019 (Covid-19) impacted continuing medical education programs such as the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course. Modifications made to medical training like teleconferencing could affect students’ learning success. We sought to evaluate the effects of the American College of Surgeons modifications on success rates in passing the ATLS course.MethodsThis study evaluated 28 ATLS 10th edition courses educating 898 students at our region before and after Covid-19 modifications. Traditional two-day courses were performed in-person while modified courses were conducted with a one-day teleconference followed by a second in-person practical day. We compared the characteristics and course pass rates between the traditional and modified ATLS courses.ResultsModified ATLS courses had significantly lower pass rates (81.0%; 95% confidence interval = [74.8–87.3]) compared to traditional ATLS courses (94.3%; [92.2–96.3]).ConclusionsModifications to the ATLS course are associated with lower student pass. This is possibly due to ineffective knowledge consolidation. Better modifications to the course are required such as use of electronic learning tools with modification to course schedule or returning to the traditional course but with the use of Covid-19 vaccines and other protective measures. These suggestions should be considered and evaluated further by ATLS program leaders.

Increasing Hispanics in the Educator Workforce: A Science Methods Intervention to Improve Passing Rates on an EC-6 Science Certification Examination

ABSTRACT Although increasing numbers of teachers of color are entering the teacher pipeline, they continue to be in high demand, but short supply. Research shows teachers of color have lower pass rates on certification exams, a single factor that functions as a gatekeeper to teacher licensure. This study explores the impact of a science methods intervention on Hispanic elementary teacher certification scores. Results show the mean score for the post-intervention (241.63) was 17 points higher than the pre-intervention score (224.63) and the results were statistically significant (t = −5.816, df = 18, p = .000). In this study, not only did the Science certification scores improve, the scores for Hispanic and White EPSTs were not statistically significantly different (t = .394, df = 50, p = .695).

The influence of gender and ethnicity on facemasks and respiratory protective equipment fit: a systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionBlack, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) has conventionally been developed for a predominantly white male population that does not represent...

Program Characteristics and Certification Examination Pass Rates: A Statistical Analysis of BACB-Published 2015-2019 Data.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) annually publishes data on the pass rates of institutions with verified course sequences (VCS). The current study analyzed BACB-published data from the years 2015-2019 and explored relations among program mode, number of first-time candidates, and examination pass rates. In a correlation analysis of number of first-time candidates and pass rates, there was a weak negative correlation, indicating that larger numbers of first-time candidates are associated with lower pass rates. Further, statistically significant differences were found among the mean number of first-time candidates, mean pass rates, and mean number of passing first-time candidates across program modes. Campus and hybrid programs had higher mean pass rates than distance programs, whereas distance programs had higher numbers of passing first-time candidates than campus programs. External validity and implications for indicators of program quality are discussed.