Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-2002

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Human Resource Development

Major Professor

Vickie Johnson Stout

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to document the development of a system-wide end-of-course test for Automated Accounting/Spreadsheets in Knox County, Tennessee. The high school end-of-course test is a 90-minute, written assessment that evaluates the desired course objectives. The Automated Accounting/Spreadsheets end-of-course test was developed by a team of local business education teachers who have the responsibility of teaching this course within their respective high schools. The major findings of the study were as follows: (a) system-wide end-of-course testing in the Automated Accounting/Spreadsheets course targets providing teachers, students, and the public with timely, valid, and reliable information regarding student mastery of the curriculum; (b) the federal, state, and local guidelines, procedures, and timelines direct the collaborative efforts of the Test Development Team responsible for the design and creation of an evaluation tool congruent with national and state standards; ( c) the Tennessee standards and competencies addressed in the teaching of the Automated Accounting/Spreadsheets course included seven standards with a range of 2 to 7 sub-standards each for Automated Accounting and six standards with a range of 1 to 7 sub-standards each for Spreadsheet Applications. One standard appears redundantly in both the Automated Accounting and in the Spreadsheet Applications portions of the composite course; standard seven of Automated Accounting and standard six of Spreadsheet Applications pertains to student demonstration of organizational and professional leadership skills; ( d) six major procedural steps comprise competency test development, namely, (Step 1) Determine Competency Test Objectives; (Step 2) Choose Format of the Test Questions; (Step 3) Devise Test and Item Specifications; (Step 4) Write the Test Questions; (Step 5) Review, Evaluate, and Amend the Test Questions; and (Step 6) Conduct Pilot Testing Sessions; (e) the 10 local school system teacher practitioners/subject matter experts responsible for Knox County's Automated Accounting/Spreadsheets course competency test development were chosen because of their knowledge in teaching this course within their respective high schools. A by-product of this study is the aforementioned six procedural steps that make-up competency test development. The six steps represent a systems approach reflective of the input, process, output, feedback, and control processes that are conducive to replication.

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