John P. Poggio

The Impact of Language Characteristics in Mathematics Test Items on the Performance of English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities.

The impact of language characteristics in mathematics test items on student performance was evaluated for students with disabilities (SWD) and English language learners (ELL) as well as a large general student sample. Relationships were examined for test items and students at 4th, 7th, and 10th grades. The individual test item was the unit of analysis. Student performance was represented by item difficulty, or the probability of answering the item correctly. Regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between item linguistic characteristics as independent variables with item difficulty as the dependent variable. Language characteristics had moderate effects on item difficulty at 4th grade, dropping to small-to-medium effects at 10th grade. ELL and SWD groups were not disproportionately affected by language characteristics in these test items. Difficult mathematics vocabulary had a consistent effect on performance for all students at all grades. Ambiguous or multiple-meaning words increased item difficulty at 4th grade.

Physical activity and academic achievement across the curriculum (A + PAAC): rationale and design of a 3-year, cluster-randomized trial

BackgroundImproving academic achievement and reducing the rates of obesity in elementary school students are both of considerable interest. Increased physical activity during academic instruction time during school offers a potential intervention to address both issues. A program titled “Physical Activity Across the Curriculum” (PAAC) was developed in which classroom teachers in 22 elementary schools were trained to deliver academic instruction using physical activity with a primary aim of preventing increased BMI. A secondary analysis of data assessed the impact of PAAC on academic achievement using the Weschler Individual Achievement Test-II and significant improvements were shown for reading, math and spelling in students who participated in PAAC. Based on the results from PAAC, an adequately powered trial will be conducted to assess differences in academic achievement between intervention and control schools called, “Academic Achievement and Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (A + PAAC).”Methods/designSeventeen elementary schools were cluster randomized to A + PAAC or control for a 3-year trial. Classroom teachers were trained to deliver academic instruction through moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with a target of 100+ minutes of A + PAAC activities per week. The primary outcome measure is academic achievement measured by the Weschler Individual Achievement Test-III, which was administered at baseline (Fall 2011) and will be repeated in the spring of each year by assessors blinded to condition. Potential mediators of any association between A + PAAC and academic achievement will be examined on the same schedule and include changes in cognitive function, cardiovascular fitness, daily physical activity, BMI, and attention-to-task. An extensive process analysis will be conducted to document the fidelity of the intervention. School and student recruitment/randomization, teacher training, and baseline testing for A + PAAC have been completed. Nine schools were randomized to the intervention and 8 to control. A random sample of students in each school, stratified by gender and grade (A + PAAC = 370, Control = 317), was selected for outcome assessments from those who provided parental consent/child assent. Baseline data by intervention group are presented.DiscussionIf successful, the A + PAAC approach could be easily and inexpensively scaled and disseminated across elementary schools to improve both educational quality and health. Funding source: R01- DK85317. Trial registration: US NIH Clinical Trials, http://NCT01699295.

The effects of isolation on sexual and social behavior in the rat.

Five groups of male Long-Evans rats were weaned and assigned randomly to one of the five treatment groups listed below: (1) Total isolates (raised in individual cages), (2) Contact isolates (M) (males separated from each other by screen), (3) Contact isolates (F) (male separated from female by screen), (4) Cohabitants (M) (two males per cage) and (5) Cohabitants (F) (male and female together). When tested as adults in pair encounters with stimulus males and females, groups 1–3 spent significantly less time grooming the perianal region of the stimulus animal when compared to groups 4 and 5. In addition to this finding, was the fact that in male sexual behavior, groups 1–3 showed significantly lower frequencies of intromission when compared to groups 4 and 5 when all were paired with a receptive female. It was concluded that postweaning isolation has effects on adult social and sexual behavior. A possible explanation of the findings is presented.

The Relationship of Selected Consultant/Teacher Characteristics to Consultation Outcomes.

Abstract This study examined the relationship of teacher life position, teacher dogmatism, perceived consultant facilitativeness, years of teacher teaching experience and number of consultations per year to the consultation outcomes of teacher satisfaction, teacher strength, and problem resolution. A number of significant findings resulted, with the consultants perceived facilitativeness being the main predictor of the desirable consultation outcomes. These results are consistent with some earlier findings. Some results that are inconsistent with other studies also are discussed.

Qualitative or Quantitative Differences?: Latent Class Analysis of Mathematical Ability for Special Education Students

The current article investigates whether the mathematics achievement of students in special education can be used to identify those who share common cognitive skills that may not be in concordance with their disability labels. Latent class analysis of a comprehensive test of mathematics taken by fourth-grade students with various disabilities reveals that a model with 2 latent classes is adequate to characterize the latent structure of the data. A parallel relationship of response profiles across the 2 classes suggests differences in the levels of mathematical ability (quantitative), rather than differences in the type of mathematical ability (qualitative), between the 2 latent classes in terms of generic mathematical proficiency. Cross-validation on a separate data set with careful matching of content areas within the math test verified this conclusion. Although a significant relationship exists between the identified latent classes and various disabilities, the analysis also found common mathematical problem-solving behaviors across disability categories. Implications for intervention and limitations of the current study are discussed.

Improving Assessment Validity for Students With Disabilities in Large-Scale Assessment Programs

A test designed with built-in modifications and covering the same grade-level mathematics content provided more precise measurement of mathematics achievement for lower performing students with disabilities. Fourth-grade students with disabilities took a test based on modified state curricular standards for their mandated statewide mathematics assessment. To link the modified test with the general test, a block of items was administered to students with and without disabilities who took the general mathematics assessment. Item difficulty and student mathematics ability parameters were estimated using item response theory (IRT) methodology. Results support the conclusion that a modified test, based on the same curricular objectives but providing a more targeted measurement of expected outcomes for lower achieving students, could be developed for this special population.

Physical activity and academic achievement across the curriculum: Results from a 3-year cluster-randomized trial

We compared changes in academic achievement across 3years between children in elementary schools receiving the Academic Achievement and Physical Activity Across the Curriculum intervention (A+PAAC), in which classroom teachers were trained to deliver academic lessons using moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to a non-intervention control. Elementary schools in eastern Kansas (n=17) were cluster randomized to A+PAAC (N=9, target ≥100min/week) or control (N=8). Academic achievement (math, reading, spelling) was assessed using the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Third Edition (WIAT-III) in a sample of children (A+PAAC=316, Control=268) in grades 2 and 3 at baseline (Fall 2011) and repeated each spring across 3years. On average 55min/week of A+PACC lessons were delivered each week across the intervention. Baseline WIAT-III scores (math, reading, spelling) were significantly higher in students in A+PAAC compared with control schools and improved in both groups across 3years. However, linear mixed modeling, accounting for baseline between group differences in WIAT-III scores, ethnicity, family income, and cardiovascular fitness, found no significant impact of A+PAAC on any of the academic achievement outcomes as determined by non-significant group by time interactions. A+PAAC neither diminished or improved academic achievement across 3-years in elementary school children compared with controls. Our target of 100min/week of active lessons was not achieved; however, students attending A+PAAC schools received an additional 55min/week of MVPA which may be associated with both physical and mental health benefits, without a reduction in time devoted to academic instruction.

End-of-course and long-term retention outcomes for mastery and nonmastery learning paradigms

Using both end-of-course achievement outcomes and long-term cognitive retention as criteria, the present study provides comparative data on the effectiveness of a mastery and nonmastery approach to instruction. Differential effects across taxonomic levels were assessed for both criteria. The results indicated that mastery students performed significantly higher than non-mastery students for end-of-course outcomes at the highest taxonomic level and equally well for knowledge, comprehension, and application level outcomes. Retention differences were found for knowledge level outcomes only, with mastery students demonstrating significantly greater retention performance. The feasibility and desirability of implementing a learning for mastery paradigm in a single course at the college level are discussed relative to the magnitude of the present results.

Effects of Reducing the Cognitive Load of Mathematics Test Items on Student Performance

This study explores a new item-writing framework for improving the validity of math assessment items. The authors transfer insights from Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), traditionally used in instructional design, to educational measurement. Fifteen, multiple-choice math assessment items were modified using researchbased strategies for reducing extraneous cognitive load. An experimental design with 222 middle-school students tested the effects of the reduced cognitive load items on student performance and anxiety. Significant findings confirm the main research hypothesis that reducing the cognitive load of math assessment items improves student performance. Three load-reducing item modifications are identified as particularly effective for reducing item difficulty: signalling important information, aesthetic item organization, and removing extraneous content. Load reduction was not shown to impact student anxiety. Implications for classroom assessment and future research are discussed.

Effects of Item Characteristics on Psychometric Properties of Forced Choice Scales

Two studies examined the effects of indeterminate frequency modifiers, item length, and statement direction on response to forced choice scale items. A pilot study established relative intensities of nine adverbial modifiers. Study 1 (N = 320) showed no effect on item variances due to the treatments. Differences were found between mean responses of short and long items as well as between positively and negatively stated items. Study 2 (N = 110) investigated effects on scale reliability and validity related to different intensity levels of modifiers. It is concluded that differential responses to items may not reflect differences in the behavior referenced by the items but rather observed differences in individual responses may be due to the mechanical, grammatical or delimitive characteristics of the items.