Research
Differences in Academic Performance by School District Size for Students in Special Education: A Multiyear, Statewide Investigation
In this empirical statewide, multiyear analysis, the extent to which the academic performance of students enrolled in special education was influenced by school district student enrollment was determined. Five years of Texas statewide data on the Texas Assessment Knowledge & Skills Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Writing exams were analyzed as a function of three school district sizes: (a) small-size (up to 1,599 students); (b) moderate-size (1,600 to 9,999 students); and (c) large-size (10,000 or more students). Inferential statistical procedures revealed that students in special education who were enrolled in large-size school districts had statistically significantly higher passing rates on all five exams than did students in special education who were enrolled in either moderate-size or small-size school districts for all 5 years. Effect sizes were small.
Differences in College Readiness Rates in Two School Years for Students in Special Education
Examined in this study were the college readiness rates (i.e., reading, mathematics, and both subjects) of students who received special education services in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years. Data from the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 Texas Academic Progress Reports were obtained and analyzed. Students who received special education services had a statistically significantly higher reading college readiness rate in the 2013-2014 school year than in the 2012-2013 school year. Mathematics college readiness rates were statistically significantly lower in the 2013-2014 school year than the 2012-2013 school year. The college readiness rates for both subjects approached statistical significance and college readiness rates were lower in the 2013-2014 school year. Of importance were the very, very low college readiness rates of students who were enrolled in special education. Implications of these findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Differences in Disciplinary Consequence for Texas Middle School Boys as a Function of Ethnicity/Raceand Economic Status
Examined in this study was the degree to which differences were present in Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) placements for Grade 7 and 8 boys in Texas as a function of their ethnicity/race and economic status. Texas statewide middle school discipline data were obtained from the Texas Education Agency Public Education Information Management System on all boys in the 2010-2011 school year. Inferential statistical procedures revealed the presence of statistically significant differences in JJAEP placements forboys in both Grades 7 and 8 as a function of their economic status and ethnicity/race. In both Grade 7 and Grade 8, Black boys had statistically significantly higher percentage of JJAEP placements than their White counterparts, 3 to 4 times higher. For Hispanic boys in Grades 7 and 8, they had a JJAEP placement rate that was 2 to 3 times higher than the JJAEP placement rate of White boys.
Differences in Dropout Rates by Ethnicity/Race of Middle School Students: A Multi-Year Analysis
Examined in this study were dropout rates for Black, Hispanic, and White middle schools students during the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years. Texas middle school dropout rates were downloaded from the Texas Academic Performance Reports for two school years. Inferential statistical analyses were conducted separately for each ethnic/racial group to determine whether changes had occurred in their dropout rates between the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years. Black and White students did not have a statistically significant difference in their dropout rates between those two school years. Hispanic students, however, had a statistically significantly higher dropout rate in the 2013-2014 school year than in the 2012-2013 school year. Implications of these results are discussed, as well as recommendations for future research.
Differences in Academic Performance by Grade Span Configuration for Students in Poverty
In this investigation, the degree to which passing rates on the STAAR Reading and Mathematics assessments of Grade 5 and 6 students in poverty in the state of Texas differed as a function of grade span configuration was examined. Data were obtained from the Texas Education Agency for all Grade 5 and 6 students in poverty who were enrolled in single/double grade level (i.e., Grades 4-5, 5 only, or Grades 5-6) or in multi-grade level (i.e., PreK-6) grade span configurations for the 2012-2013 through the 2014-2015 school years. Inferential analyses revealed the presence of statistically significant differences in reading and mathematics passing rates between the two grade span configurations. Grade 5 and Grade 6 students in poverty had statistically significantly higher reading and mathematics passing rates in multi-grade level schools than in single/double grade level schools. Implications for policy and practice are provided.
