RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COLLEGE READINESS, OKLAHOMA STATE TESTING PROGRAM, AND EXPLORE By Rick Martin Bachelor of Science in Education East Central University Ada, Oklahoma 1984 Master of Education University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, Oklahoma 1988 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education July, 2010 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COLLEGE READINESS, OKLAHOMA STATE TESTING PROGRAM, AND EXPLORE Dissertation Approved: Dr. Ken Stern Dissertation Advisor Dr. Ed Harris Dr. Janice Miller Dr. Mike Woods Dr. A. Gordon Emslie Dean of the Graduate College ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my appreciation to all who assisted me with time, support, encouragement, and shared knowledge while I worked on my degree. I greatly appreciate the staff at the schools that provided the data to make the study possible. I particularly want to thank my committee members who provided feedback and direction when needed. Thanks to Dr. Harris and Dr. Miller for filling in on my committee after previous committee members left the University. A special thanks to Dr. Stern for continuing to serve as my advisor following his retirement from the University. I greatly appreciate the time and expertise Dr. Miller shared on statistics in assisting me in data analyses. Thank you Dr. Woods for giving your time to serve as an outside member and the contributions you made to improve my work. Special thanks must go to my family, especially my wife Debbie, as she took care of our children while I was away many hours working on my degree. Thanks to my children, Luke and Sara for understanding while I was away from home for so many hours. I also want to thank my oldest daughter, DeAndra, for helping her Mom with Luke and Sara and providing emotional support to both of us. I appreciate the relationship I developed with my cohort while working on the program. I really appreciate Paul for being able to work together completing many classes along the way and sharing stories of our coaching backgrounds. iii Finally, I would like to thank the faculty of Oklahoma State University’s graduate school who were of great assistance during my years of study. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................8 Research Questions ................................................................................................10 Purpose of the Study ..............................................................................................11 Significance of the Study………………………. ..................................................12 Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................................14 Definition of Terms................................................................................................16 Summary ................................................................................................................20 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE..................................................................................21 No Child Left Behind.............................................................................................23 No Child Left Behind Accountability Systems .....................................................27 NAEP .....................................................................................................................49 Study of Oklahoma’s Accountability System ........................................................55 EXPLORE..............................................................................................................56 Oklahoma State Testing Program ..........................................................................58 Summary and Theory ........................................................................................62 III. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 64 Introduction ............................................................................................................64 Sample Population .................................................................................................66 Instruments .............................................................................................................66 Data Collection Procedures ....................................................................................68 Data Analysis Procedures ......................................................................................69 v Chapter Page IV. FINDINGS and Analyses ......................................................................................72 Introduction ............................................................................................................72 Predictive Validity Research Question one ...........................................................73 Summary of Findings ..........................................................................................75 Predictive Validity Research Question two ...........................................................75 Summary of Findings ..........................................................................................86 OSTP Research Question one…………………………………… ........................87 Summary of Findings………………………………………………. .................92 OSTP Research Question two………………………………. ...............................93 Summary of Findings…………………………………………….. ..................101 Summary of Findings ...........................................................................................103 V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..........................106 Summary ..............................................................................................................106 Conclusions ..........................................................................................................114 Recommendations ................................................................................................120 Final Comments ...................................................................................................122 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................125 APPENDIX A- CORRELATIONS ...........................................................................133 APPENDIX B-REGRESSION ..................................................................................136 APPENDIX C-KOLMOGOROV-SMIRNOV ..........................................................143 APPENDIX D-SKEWNESS AND KURTOSIS FOR MATH ..................................145 APPENDIX E-HISTORGRAMS FOR MATH .........................................................147 APPENDIX F-SKEWNESS AND KURTOSIS FOR READING ............................153 APPENDIX G-HISTOGRAMS FOR READING .....................................................155 APPENDIX H-CROSS TABULATIONS .................................................................161 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. OPI Performance Level Cut Scores………………………………….…………....67 2. Correlations OSTP/EXPLORE Math…………………..………………………....74 3. Correlations OSTP/EXPLORE Reading………………………………………....74 4. Relationship OSTP/EXPLORE Math and Reading……………………………...77 5. Regression Analysis Summary Math and Reading……………………………....80 6. Prediction Formulas for Math and Reading……………………………………...81 7. OPI Math Scores Predicting EXPLORE Math Scores…………………………...82 8. OSTP Math Performance Levels Prediction EXPLORE Score Ranges…………83 9. OPI Reading Scores Predicting EXPLORE Reading Scores………………….....85 10. OSTP Reading Performance Levels Predicting EXPLORE Score Ranges………86 11. Skewness and Kurtosis for OSTP Math and Reading……………………………90 12. Mean and Standard Deviation of Sample and State Population……………….....91 13. Score Distribution by Percent in each Standard Deviation from the Mean………92 14. Cross Tabulation Analyses for Grades 3 and 7 Math Performance Levels………97 15. Cross Tabulation Analyses for Grades 3 and 7 Reading Performance Levels.....101 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Correlation Between Poverty and Academic Achievement………………………41 2. Correlation Between Per-Pupil Expenditure and Academic Achievement……….41 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This study examined a part of Oklahoma’s system of academic accountability for the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, using third- seventh grade math and reading scores from the Oklahoma State Testing Program (OSTP) and their relationship to the EXPLORE (grade 8) test. According to ACT (2008), EXPLORE is a part of ACT’s Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) designed to help students increase their academic readiness for college. EXPLORE measures student achievement in English, mathematics, reading, and science. NCLB, a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), first enacted in 1965 and last reauthorized in 1994, required annual testing beginning in the 2005-06 school year in third-eighth grade in reading and mathematics and by 2007-08 in science at least once in elementary, middle, and high school. These tests had to be aligned with each state’s academic standards. A sample of fourth and eighth graders in each state had to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress