EIMAC Spring Meeting Proposed Studies for 12th Grade State NAEP Peggy Carr

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EIMAC Spring MeetingProposed Studies for 12th
Grade State NAEPPeggy Carr
May 2, 2005
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High School Reform

• U.S. Department of Educations Preparing
  Americas Future High School Initiative (PAF-HSI)
  
• Launched in October 2003
• Designed to help states and local leaders fully
  prepare students for success in further
  education, for participation in the highly
  skilled U.S. workforce, and to be responsible
  citizens

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High School Reform
contd

• Three goals of PAF-HSI
• Equip leaders with current knowledge about high
  schools
• Develop expertise within the Dept. of Education
  to help state and local education systems improve
  high schools
• Facilitate a national dialogue to raise
  awareness about the need for significant reform
  in American high schools

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Study 1
NAEP High School Transcript Study(HSTS)
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HSTS Schedule

• Training
• Catalog coders January 2005
• Field staff May 2005
• Transcript coders July 2005
• Data collection
• Course catalogs February August 2005
• Student transcripts June October 2005
• Report release October/November 2006

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NAEP 2005 HSTS Report

• The HSTS main report will highlight the following
  topics including student race/ethnicity, gender,
  etc. differences
• Trends in course credits earned
• Trends in Mean GPA
• Relationship between NAEP 2005 assessment scores
  and course-taking behavior
• Relationship between NAEP 2005 assessment scores
  and GPA

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Possible Topics for Research Reports

• Curriculum Offerings in Our Nations Mid- and
  Large-Sized High Schools
• Trends in Coursetaking Behavior of High School
  Students
• Racial/Ethnic Differences in High School
  Coursetaking and GPA
• Differences in High School Coursetaking and GPA
  for Students with Varying Socioeconomic Status

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Possible Topics for Special Reports

• The Relationship between Coursetaking and GPA in
  the Freshman and Later Years of High School
• The Relationship between Coursetaking Patterns,
  GPA, and NAEP Scores
• The Relationship between School Characteristics
  and Student Coursetaking
• Gender Differences in High School Coursetaking
  and GPA

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Study 2
Principals Advisory Panel
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Purpose

• To get input from secondary school principals
  with experience administering NAEP to high school
  students in order to address issues related to
• 12th grade participation in NAEP
• The unique logistical challenges that come with
  administering NAEP in high schools
• Improving communication and working relationships
  with principals and high schools

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Structure

• Up to ten secondary school principals
• All with some firsthand experience with NAEP
• Representing school districts from a broad cross
  section of the country urban, suburban, and
  rural
• Representing students of different socioeconomic
  levels, different races and ethnicities, and
  other background factors

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Format

• Panel will work in five stages with each stage
  addressing pre-assessment, assessment, and
  post-assessment issues
• Stage One About half the principals engage in a
  broad brainstorming session to discuss the issues
  and develop potential solutions
• Stage Two Remaining principals react to and
  enhance the summarized Stage One discussion

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Format
contd

• Stage Three Sub-panels of high school teachers
  and superintendents refine recommendations from
  the first two stages
• Stage Four The entire panel of principals comes
  together to develop specific recommendations and
  possible courses of action
• Stage Five Focus groups of parents and high
  school students react to all new concepts

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Logistics

• Panel to meet over the course of one year with
  first meeting in Summer, 2005
• Meetings will consist of three to four conference
  calls and one to two in-person meetings in
  Washington, D.C.

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Study 3
Proposed Special Study of 12th Grade Fall
Testing
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Background

• 12th-grade participation rates and motivation
  have long been a concern
• The NAGB ad hoc committee on 12th grade
  recommended moving the 12th-grade testing window
  to fall
• May conflict less with state testing windows
• Seniors may be more engaged at this time of year
• There may be administrative efficiencies gained
  by moving all 12th grade assessments to the fall
• Some concern, however, that it would be perceived
  as minimizing the importance of the senior year

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Study Questions

• Is student and/or school participation greater in
  the fall?
• Do students respond to more questions in the
  fall? (Are they more engaged?)
• Does data collected in the fall fit the IRT model
  from a winter administration?

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Summary of Study Design