Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Patrick Chambers
Committee Member
Joan Mignerey
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
academic achievement, district comparison, educational technology, examination scores, high school graduation tests, high school proficiency examinations, instructional software, mathematics, mathematics achievement, mathematics remediation, Nevada High School Proficiency Examination, NHSPE, nonproficient seniors, parent communication, PLATO, Program Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations, remediation programs, secondary education, senior students, student achievement, student performance, test score improvement, time-on-task, urban high schools, vertical alignment
Abstract
This applied dissertation describes the use of the Program Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations (PLATO) software to improve student scores on the mathematics high school exit examination in an urban comprehensive high school with a student population of approximately 2,400. Data were collected and analyzed for the same students’ mathematics exit examination scores from their junior year prior to using the PLATO lab and their senior year after using the PLATO lab. A correlation was performed and reported for the time spent in the PLATO laboratory for each student and the increase in his or her mathematics examination score. Student achievement on the mathematics exit examination for the site was compared with student achievement across the district.
Planned solution strategies included the following: improved communication with freshmen students and their parents regarding the Nevada High School Proficiency Examination (NHSPE) in Mathematics, vertical alignment between feeder middle school and high school mathematics teachers, the introduction of a new mathematics remediation course, and the use of the PLATO learning laboratory for all seniors who did not pass the NHSPE in mathematics during their junior year. After working on the PLATO courseware and practice examination, 66% of the population of nonproficient seniors became proficient as measured by the NHSPE in Mathematics. Each student who had an examination score from a previous examination administration date realized an increase in his or her examination score after spending time in the PLATO laboratory. The mean increase was 17 points. Additionally, 54 of the 59 participants had an increase in their fourth-quarter course grades and the mean increase was 15%. There was a correlation of .799 between time-on-task in the PLATO laboratory and the increase in NHSPE in Mathematics test scores for the participants.