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Doctoral Dissertations
Date of Award
8-2019
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
School Psychology
Major Professor
Merilee McCurdy
Committee Members
Christopher Skinner, Gary Skolits, Marion Coleman-Lopatic
Abstract
Although writing is deemed a critical skill for students to develop, only one-quarter of American students meet minimum grade-level expectations for written expression on national assessments (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2012). It is important to have high quality writing assessment screeners to identify students who are having difficulty acquiring writing skills. While many educators use curriculum-based measurement for identification, specific modifications to written expression administration have not been examined. The purpose of the proposed study was to investigate choice as an alteration on traditional administration procedures. Students in grades three through five (n = 196) were exposed to both Choice and No Choice conditions. In the former, students selected from two prompts, while in the latter, a prompt was chosen for students. Data were analyzed to determine whether choice improved writing production and quality across gender and grade. Additionally, students completed a social validity scale to determine student perception of choice of writing task. Results indicated statistically significant performance gains related to Total Words Written and Correct Writing Sequences, with students producing an average of 2.8 more words and 3 more Correct Writing Sequences when given a choice of writing topic. Males and females did not significantly differ in their response to choice of topic (i.e., performance gains for males and females with regard to Total Words Written and Correct Writing Sequences were not significantly different). However, females outperformed their male counterparts to a statistically significant level in choice and no choice conditions across both production and quality variables. Results indicated significant performance increases (Total Words Written and Correct Writing Sequences) for third and fifth grade students when given a choice, while choice had a negative impact on both writing production and quality for fourth grade students. Of the 196 participants, 92.9% indicated a preference for having a choice of writing topic. Applied implications of the current study, limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.
Recommended Citation
VanMaaren, Victoria Gail, "Examining the Impact of Student Choice on Student Performance on Curriculum-Based Measurement of Written Expression. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2019.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/6779