Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Date of this Version
Spring 5-20-2016
Citation
Quandt, J. M. (2016). Perceptions of the Eighth Grade State Writing Assessment at a Nationally Recognized Middle School. Lincoln, NE.
Abstract
This study seeks to understand how one at-risk middle school in Nebraska is consistently beating eighth grade Nebraska State Writing Assessment (NESA-W) averages. The school has significant populations of Hispanic, special education, and low-income students. The study answers the following two research questions. What strategies does the at-risk school utilize to enable its students to exceed the Nebraska average on the NESA-W? What attitudes do the school’s writing teachers, administrators, students, and their parents hold about the NESA-W? Students and their parents answered a multiple-choice survey; teachers and administrators answered a longer, open-ended survey. The researcher used a combination of her own experience teaching at the school and the surveys’ emergent themes and subthemes to identify three prescriptive (district required) successful NESA-W preparation strategies: district writing, middle school concept, and professional learning communities. The researcher also identified four discretionary strategies (teacher directed) using only the teacher and administrator surveys: staff individual characteristics, preparation time, curriculum, and the five-paragraph essay. The study determined that teachers and administrators at the at-risk school have a positive attitude about the NESA-W and generally do not find the test to be problematic. Students and their parents feel that the test is worthwhile and that success is attainable.
Advisor: John Raible
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Gifted Education Commons, Special Education and Teaching Commons
Comments
A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts, Major: Teaching, Learning, & Teacher Education, Under the Supervision of Professor John Raible. Lincoln, Nebraska: May 2016
Copyright © 2016 Jillian Quandt