Defense Date

10-10-2008

Graduation Date

2008

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

EdD

Department

Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program for Education Leaders (IDPEL)

School

School of Education

Committee Chair

Phillip Diller

Committee Member

Winston Cleland

Committee Member

Jane Johnston

Keywords

Predicting Performance on the PSSA, Assessment

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), the 4Sight Reading Benchmark Assessment (4Sight), and the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) reading assessment for fifth grade students in one urban school district in Pennsylvania. A goal was to determine how well each assessment, the DRA and the 4Sight, predicted student performance on the PSSA, and specifically to investigate whether the DRA, the 4Sight, or both are significant predictors of student performance on the PSSA. An additional goal was to determine whether there was any added benefit to the prediction by using both assessments.

To study the relationship between the three assessments, a stepwise multiple regression approach was used to analyze student scores for a random sample of 40 students. Correlations between all assessments were significant, but only 4Sight entered the regression equation as a significant predictor of PSSA scores. 4Sight accounted for 60.5% of the variance in scores. Further analysis indicated that the DRA only contributed an additional 1.4%, making it an insignificant predictor.

Discussion of the results allows the reader to consider the value of both assessments based on format and philosophy. The DRA and the 4Sight differ in format to one another and measure a student's reading level differently. The DRA is considered an authentic, performance based assessment and the 4Sight is a more objective format that mirrors the format of the PSSA.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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