Texas Assessment Of Knowledge And Skills Research Articles

Achievement Differences between Large and Small Schools in Texas

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there exists a relationship between student achievement in Texas, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test, and the size of the high school at differentsocioeconomic levels. This study compared five size categories of Texas high schools to determine which size high school had the highest percentage of eleventh grade students passing all four sections (reading, writing, math, and science) of the TAKS test. Data were examined for statistical significance using an ANOVA and a post hoc Scheffé test. The findings indicate that smaller rural schools experience higher percentages of students passing all four parts of the eleventh grade TAKS test in Texas than the larger urban and suburban schools where 25 % or more of the students are living in low socioeconomic situations.

Trajectories of School Recovery After a Natural Disaster: Risk and Protective Factors

Disasters may have significant and lasting impacts on educational programs and academic achievement, yet the examination of differing patterns of school recovery after disasters is understudied. This paper focused on two aims: (i) identification of school academic recovery trajectories; and (ii) examination of potential risk factors associated with these trajectories. We used latent class growth analysis to identify school academic recovery trajectories for a cohort of 462 Texas public schools that were in the path of Hurricane Ike in 2008. Using Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) data from 2005 to 2011, we found that attendance and percent of economically disadvantaged youth emerged as significant risk factors for two identified academic recovery trajectories (High‐Stable and Low‐Interrupted). Higher levels of economically disadvantaged youth were associated with lower likelihood of falling in the High‐Stable trajectory, relative to the Low‐Interrupted trajectory. Higher levels of attendance were associated with higher likelihood of membership in the High‐Stable trajectory, relative to the Low‐Interrupted trajectory. These findings are consistent with the notion that disasters do not affect all people or communities equally. Findings highlight the need for policy initiatives that focus on low performing schools, as these schools are at highest risk for adverse outcomes post‐disaster.

TAKS-ing students? Texas exit exam effects on human capital formation

High-stakes exit exams are pervasive in the American education system and have the ability to affect students far beyond their earned scores. This paper considers how exit exams in Texas affect student motivational responses and classroom behavior before the end of high school. Employing a regression discontinuity framework, I examine the impact of failing the exam the first time it is administered. Considering behavioral responses to the administration of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), I study the impact on students’ courses taken, attendance, and disciplinary actions after the exam in the final year of high school. I find that, in line with a model of motivation with heterogeneous effects, some students who fail respond through an increase in the number of courses taken in their senior year, and find a smaller increase in disciplinary infractions.

HOW SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) PROJECT-BASED LEARNING (PBL) AFFECTS HIGH, MIDDLE, AND LOW ACHIEVERS DIFFERENTLY: THE IMPACT OF STUDENT FACTORS ON ACHIEVEMENT

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether participating in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project-based learning (PBL) activities effected students who had varied performance levels and to what extent students’ individual factors influenced their mathematics achievement. STEM PBL has been a critical challenge to be embedded in schools, thus the effect of STEM PBL should to be examined. Teachers in 3 high schools attended sustained professional developments provided by 1 STEM center based in a Southwestern university and were required to implement STEM PBLs once in every 6 weeks for 3 years (2008 through 2010). The participants were 836 high school students in these 3 schools who took the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test and had scores at least in the initial year. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze the data using student’s mathematics TAKS scores and demographic information for the longitudinal study. STEM PBL instruction influenced student achievement in mathematics by both student demographic backgrounds and performance levels. Low performing students showed statistically significantly higher growth rates on mathematics scores than high and middle performing students over the 3 years. In addition, student’s ethnicity and economic status were good predictors of academic achievement. Results of the present study implied that STEM PBLs in schools benefitted low performing students to a greater extent and decreased the achievement gap.

Elementary Principals’ Role in Science Instruction

This study explores the role elementary school principals play in science education. Specifically, the study employed an online survey of 16 elementary school principals at high-performing campuses in North Texas to explore their perceptions of how they influenced science education on their campuses. The survey used a combination of Likert-type rating scale items and open-ended questions. Responses from elementary principals suggest that the important components of instructional leadership for science included a) collaboration with teachers, b) changing teaching assignments, and c) teacher motivation. emands of state and federal accountability focus attention on the achievement of elementary school students in science. Elementary schools are often rated based on students’ performance, as are elementary school principals in some states. This study explores the role elementary school principals play in science education. Specifically, the study employed an online survey of elementary school principals at high-performing campuses in North Texas to explore their perceptions of how they influenced science education on their campuses. The participants in the study were all principals at recognized or exemplary elementary school campuses in North Texas during the 2007–2008 academic year. For purposes of school accountability ratings in Texas, science was first tested in the fifth grade using the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). To achieve a recognized rating, at least 80% of the students tested must have met the minimum expectations; for an exemplary rating, 90% must have met minimum expectations. The campuses were almost all exemplary, with an overall average of 96% of the fifth graders passing the science exam. Over 67% of the students tested on the selected campuses were individually commended for scoring at 90% or above.

School Sponsored Extracurricular Activities and Math Achievement among Hispanic Students

Differences in math achievement between Hispanic eighth grade students who participated in school sponsored extracurricular activities and Hispanic eighth grade students who did not participate in school sponsored extracurricular activities at an inner-city campus in the State of Texas were examined for the 2008-2009 academic year. The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) Math exam served as the measure of student achievement. Hispanic eighth grade students who were involved in extracurricular activities had statistically significantly higher scores as well as higher passing percentages than did Hispanic eighth grade students who were not involved in extracurricular activities on the TAKS Math exam. Implications are presented and recommendations for future research are made.

Brief report: Gum chewing affects standardized math scores in adolescents

Gum chewing has been shown to improve cognitive performance in adults; however, gum chewing has not been evaluated in children. This study examined the effects of gum chewing on standardized test scores and class grades of eighth grade math students. Math classes were randomized to a gum chewing (GC) condition that provided students with gum during class and testing, or a control condition with no gum (NGC). Participants included 108 students. The math sections of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III), and math class grades were used to assess academic performance. Students in the gum chewing condition improved standardized test scores and maintained higher grades in math class compared to those in the no-gum chewing condition. These results are encouraging as gum chewing may be a cost-effective and easily implemented method to increase student performance.Trial Registration: NCT00792116.

Obesity, Level Of Fitness And Academic Performance In Hispanic American Adolescents

Childhood obesity has become most prominent public health concern in the United States. Obesity and lower physical fitness, may cause low self-esteem and depression, these two psychological disorders may affect academic performance. PURPOSE: of this study was to investigate whether levels of obesity and physical fitness have an influence on academic performance in Hispanic adolescents. METHODS: Body mass index (BMI), one mile run and curl-up scores from 1,720 Hispanic adolescents in grades 8-11 were collected. Students were classified into four groups for BMI score using CDC weight status cut point (underweight, health weight, overweight, and obese) and three groups for aerobic fitness (one mile run) and muscle strength (curl-up) using FITNESSGRAM standards (ES: exceed standard, MS: meet standard, and US: under standard). Reading and Mathematics scores in Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test were obtained from a South Texas school district. RESULTS: Obese students scored lower than other groups in reading (36.2±.8 vs. 43.1±.6, Mean±SE, P<.01) and mathematics (34.5±.9 vs. 40.8±.8, P<.05) in 11th grade and scored lower in reading only in 10th grade (38.6±.8 vs. 43.8±.5, P<.05). However, there was no relation between the level of obesity and TAKS scores in 8 and 9th grades. In 8th grade, ES in one mile run scored higher than US in reading (42.7±.7 vs. 39.5±.5, P<.05) and mathematics (40.2±.9 vs. 32.5±.7, P<.01) and also ES in curl-up scored higher than US in both reading (41.4±.5 vs. 38.2±.9, P<.05) and mathematics (37±.7 vs. 31.8±1.0, P<.01). 9th grade ES in one mile run or curl-up scored higher than US in mathematics (32.9± 1.5 vs. 28.3±.8 and 31.2±.9 vs. 26.3±1.4 in one mile run and curl-up, P<.05). In 10th grade, only ES in aerobic fitness was associated with higher scores in mathematics (41.5±1.1 vs. 33.1±.9, P<.01). None of physical fitness measures correlated with TAKS scores for the 11th grades. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the data suggests that higher BMI and lower levels of aerobic and muscle fitness are associated with lower academic achievement in Hispanic adolescents. Results indicate that academic achievement is more affected by physical fitness, such as aerobic fitness and muscle strength, in early adolescence and it is more affected by level of obesity (body image) in late adolescence.

Identifying Predictors of College Success Through an Examination of AVID Graduates’ College Preparatory Achievements

This mixed-methods research investigates the high school college preparatory achie vements and college success of 50 high school graduates who participated in Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and belonged to groups underrepresented in higher education. High performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and acquiring college credits while in high school were found to be significant predictors of college success. In addition, AVID support and strategies contributed to students’ transition into college.

Academic Accountability In Texas Public Schools: 2003-2007

This study examines factors affecting test scores in a sample of thirty-seven Texas public high schools from 2003 to 2007 since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The schools were chosen based upon similar tax rates and district sizes. The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test was implemented in 2003 to measure the performance of Texas public high school students. Schools are rewarded for high performance based upon the student scores on the TAKS test, which is administered once per year. Much of the debate on student and school accountability has centered on the importance of student performance on the standardized TAKS test. Those who oppose testing say that teachers and administrators may simply narrow the curriculum and teach the test. Proponents of testing feel that accountability will give administrators and teachers incentives to help students learn. As a result, many school districts in Texas have increasingly put pressure on teachers to improve test scores.

Do Principal Preparation Programs Influence Student Achievement Through the Building of Teacher-Team Qualifications by the Principal? An Exploratory Analysis

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to explore how the characteristics of the principal preparation programs of newly hired elementary school principals might influence school achievement through the development of well-qualified teams of teachers by the school. Of primary interest is whether elementary school principals from preparation programs with certain types of characteristics are more or less likely to build teams of well-qualified teachers who, in turn, positively affect overall student achievement. A secondary purpose is to establish a relationship between the overall school-level qualifications of teams of teachers and school-level student achievement on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) to underscore the importance of the first relationship. Research Design: This quantitative study utilizes ordinary least squares regression to analyze seven extracts of data from the Texas Education Agency, merged together to create a data set that matched teachers, principals, school characteristics, and student achievement to individual schools. First, the authors establish the relationship between school-level teacher-team quality and school-level student outcomes on the TAKS. Second, they examine the relationship between principal preparation program characteristics and the measures of teacher-team quality after controlling for principal characteristics, school characteristics, and student achievement. Furthermore, because the authors hypothesize that principals cannot quickly alter the quality of teams of teachers in schools, they examine school achievement and teacher-team quality over four years.

Fourth-Grade Biliteracy: Searching for Instructional Footholds

To examine factors predictive of successful 4th-grade 2nd language reading, I used a hierarchical multiple regression equation that included Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) Reading percentile rank as the criterion variable. The equation tested 5 predictor variables: English language proficiency, years of U.S. schooling, and 3 informal reading inventory scores. The full regression equation indicated that the composite predictor variables accounted for 35% of the variance in TAKS Reading percentile rank, English language proficiency and years of U.S. schooling accounted for 25% of the variance, and English language proficiency accounted for 13% of the variance. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

An Investigation of the Relationship Between Retention in First Grade and Performance on High Stakes Tests in Third Grade

The association between grade retention in first grade and passing the third grade state accountability tests, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) reading and math, was investigated in a sample of 769 students who were recruited into the study when they were in first grade. Of these 769 students, 165 were retained in first grade and 604 were promoted. Using propensity matching, we created five imputed datasets (average N=321) in which promoted and retained students were matched on 67 comprehensive covariates. Using GEE models, we obtained the association between retention and passing the 3(rd) grade TAKS reading and math tests. The positive association between retention and math scores was significant while the association was marginally significant for reading scores.

Beginning teacher success: an investigation into the feedback from mentors of formal mentoring programs

Teacher mentors of first‐year teachers provided insight into those practices they viewed as essential for their success in the mentoring role. Specifically, they were queried about teacher involvement/support, staff development, administrative support and resource materials. Almost all of the mentor teachers believed a teacher mentoring program that had well‐defined goals was necessary for retaining beginning teachers. Some of the mentor teachers considered that staff development that provided strategies to serve students in special populations better was important for retaining beginning teachers. Mentors indicated that the most difficult parts of their duties involved scheduling conflicts with the mentee, receiving little support from administration (e.g., limited release time to meet with beginning teachers), and having no guidelines or preparation for what they were expected to do. Additional comments made by mentors consisted of the need for more time for new teachers to be able to reflect upon their teaching practices and a de‐emphasis on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores. They also indicated that because too much time was being spent on students’ standardized test scores, schools and schooling were being negatively influenced.

Gum chewing affects academic performance in adolescents

Chewing gum may have an impact on improved memory during specific tasks of recognition and sustained attention. Research objective was to determine the effect of gum chewing on standardized test scores and math class grades of eighth grade students. Four math classes, 108 students, were randomized into two treatments ‐ gum chewing condition (GC) that provided Wrigley's sugar‐free gum to chew during class, during homework and during test taking situations or a control condition with no gum (NGC). Math sections of Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement and math class grades were used to assess academic performance. An increase in TAKS math test scores was found for all students, but students in GC had a significantly greater increase in TAKS math test scores compared to NGC (F (1, 103) = 4.25, p &lt; .05). Although math class grades for both GC and NGC conditions declined over time, math grades for students in GC declined less in comparison to NGC (F (1, 103) = 4.35, p &lt; .05). These results show chewing gum may be a cost‐effective and easily implemented method to increase student performance. Today's high‐stakes testing environment underscores the need for novel approaches to facilitate improved academic performance as standardized test scores have become a mandatory requirement for assessing academic achievement. This project was supported by The Wrigley Science Institute.

Anatomy of a physics test: Validation of the physics items on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills

We report the results of an analysis of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) designed to determine whether the TAKS is a valid indicator of whether students know and can do physics at the level necessary for success in future coursework, STEM careers, and life in a technological society. We categorized science items from the 2003 and 2004 10th and 11th grade TAKS by content area(s) covered, knowledge and skills required to select the correct answer, and overall quality. We also analyzed a 5000 student sample of item-level results from the 2004 11th grade exam, performing full-information factor analysis, calculating classical test indices, and determining each item's response curve using item response theory. Triangulation of our results revealed strengths and weaknesses of the different methods of analysis. The TAKS was found to be only weakly indicative of physics preparation and we make recommendations for increasing the validity of standardized physics testing.

A bilingual education for a monolingual test? The pressure to prepare for TAKS and its influence on choices for language of instruction in Texas elementary bilingual classrooms

A tension exists for teachers in Texas bilingual third and fifth grade classrooms between state and local bilingual education policy, which encourages them to transition students gradually from Spanish into English instruction while providing bilingual support; and state and federal accountability policy, which requires them to choose a single language for each child’s high-stakes test. Interview data from teachers in six Texas elementary schools suggest that the high-stakes Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), a test offered in both English and Spanish in 3rd–6th grades and used for school and district rankings at both state and federal levels, drives teachers’ decisions with regards to language of instruction for their students. We argue that children who test in Spanish will be taught in Spanish, with little attention to the transition process until the testing pressures are lifted; children who test in English will be taught in English, with little attention to the support in their primary language that may determine their ability to succeed on a test in their second language.

Item-Level Comparative Analysis of Online and Paper Administrations of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills

This article describes a comparative study conducted at the item level for paper and online administrations of a statewide high stakes assessment. The goal was to identify characteristics of items that may have contributed to mode effects. Item-level analyses compared two modes of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for up to four subjects at two grade levels. The analyses included significance tests of p-value differences, DIF, and response distributions for each item. Additional analyses investigated item position effects and objective-level mode differences. No evidence of item position effects emerged, but significant differences were found for several items and objectives in all subjects at grade 8 and in mathematics and English language arts (ELA) at grade 11. Differences generally favored the paper group. ELA items that were longer in passage length and math items that required graphing and geometric manipulations or involved scrolling in the online administration tended to be the items showing mode differences.

Mathematical Literacy and Standardized Mathematical Assessments

Mathematical literacy is an important skill that is gaining the attention of mathematics educators. Students are increasingly challenged on standardized assessments to read, create, use, and comprehend numerous mathematical representations as a way of demonstrating mathematical literacy. Test items assessing algebra concepts from the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test for Grades 3 through 8 were used for the study. The study examined the frequency and categories of external representations used to present and solve assessment items. The analysis showed a heavy emphasis on verbal representations even though algebra items were to use verbal, numerical, graphical, and symbolic representations. The variety of representations on assessments has implications for professional development opportunities for mathematics educators.

Constructing Accountability Performance for English Language Learner Students

In this article, I examine the assimilationist assumptions embedded in the development and implementation of the Texas Reading Proficiency Test in English (RPTE). The RPTE was designed as a developmental bridge for English language learner (ELL) students to perform on the English Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). These assumptions are revealed in the policy language and modification process. They are also negotiated and reconstructed in a school site, Márquez Elementary. I draw from a prior ethnographic study of Márquez to portray local practices and discourses of ELLs and accountability. As these accountability performance policies targeting ELLs circulate through a particular school, the space available for bilingual education is subsumed to performance-oriented mandates, symbols, and ideology. Consequently, the RPTE to TAKS accountability policy design privileges assimilationist discourse and subtly promotes the imposition of earlier transition models of bilingual and ELL education at the local level.