Faculty Mentor(s)

Dr. Kelly Brown

Dr. Scott Buchanan

Project Type

EdD Colloquium - ONU

Scholarship Domain(s)

Scholarship of Discovery, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Presentation Type

Presentation

Abstract

State learning standards with increased rigor have required higher levels of achievement from students on standardized tests, high-school grades, and national percentile ranks which are used for collegiate acceptance and course placement. As a result, preparation of students for standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT have become increasingly more challenging. The current quantitative, quasi-experimental study examined the relationship between the tangible math curricula used for instruction and students’ readiness for collegiate coursework. From sample sizes of 128 and 169 high-school students in two consecutive school years, there were several statistically significant relationship differences. Analysis of test results indicated that the Prentice Hall commercially-produced math curricula had statistically significant positive effects on fall semester math grades and students’ national percentile rank. Analysis also showed the All Things Algebra math curricula had a statistically significant positive effect on spring semester math grades. There was no statistically significant relationship between math curricula and math subsection scores of the ACT or SAT standardized tests. It is recommended that future research consider the changes made by teachers to instructional material, using a single standardized test, grouping students by course level, and inclusion of confounding variables such as a change of instructors or length of course enrollment.

Permission Type

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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An Investigation of the Relationship Between Math Curricula and Students' College Readiness

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State learning standards with increased rigor have required higher levels of achievement from students on standardized tests, high-school grades, and national percentile ranks which are used for collegiate acceptance and course placement. As a result, preparation of students for standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT have become increasingly more challenging. The current quantitative, quasi-experimental study examined the relationship between the tangible math curricula used for instruction and students’ readiness for collegiate coursework. From sample sizes of 128 and 169 high-school students in two consecutive school years, there were several statistically significant relationship differences. Analysis of test results indicated that the Prentice Hall commercially-produced math curricula had statistically significant positive effects on fall semester math grades and students’ national percentile rank. Analysis also showed the All Things Algebra math curricula had a statistically significant positive effect on spring semester math grades. There was no statistically significant relationship between math curricula and math subsection scores of the ACT or SAT standardized tests. It is recommended that future research consider the changes made by teachers to instructional material, using a single standardized test, grouping students by course level, and inclusion of confounding variables such as a change of instructors or length of course enrollment.