Abstracts Category : Other

Conditions that Influence Student Achievement in a Futures Dual Credit Academy

by -5016-1270

Background: The Futures Academy Program provides students the opportunity to earn an associates degree and industry certifications in high-demand career fields concurrently while completing their high school diploma. There is a need for empirical investigations on the effectiveness of this program in improving students academic achievement. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of school environmental conditions on students academic achievement in a Futures Academy Program at the experimental site (School E) versus three other Futures Programs at control sites one (School C1.1, C1.2, & C2.3), and three other high school programs at control sites two (School C2.1, C2.2, & C2.3) in an urban school district in Texas. Method: The study explored if there were significant differences in mean scores on the STAAR/EOC tests (A1, E1, & E2) of students with multiple risk factors based on the High School Program they pursue across the research sites. The study also examined if there were significant difference in students mean STAAR/EOC scores based on the Transformational status of the high school they attend. Finally, the study explored how students STAAR/EOC scores were related to a combination of: type of High School Program, Principal Turnover frequency, % High School Education or Below in community, Public Housing status, Students Gender, and At-Risk Status. An Ex Post Facto research design and linear prediction model was employed. Results: The results of One-Way ANOVA analyses revealed that students from School E had significantly higher mean STAAR/EOC scores than students from the control sites (p = .000). Multiple Linear Regression analyses confirmed that students STAAR/EOC scores are significantly related to the combination of: type of High School Program, Principal Turnover frequency, % High School Education or below in community, Public Housing status, Students Gender, and At-Risk Status [R = .352 (A1), .428 (E1), & .393 (E2), p = .000]. Conclusion: The best predictors of students STAAR/EOC scores were At-Risk status and Attendance at School E. The results of the study verify that the practices at School E positively impacted students achievement. These practices can be tested and reproduced and eventually lead to a positive transformation of urban education in Texas and beyond.Advisors/Committee Members: MacNeil, Angus J. (advisor), Emerson, Michael W. (committee member), Hutchison, Laveria F. (committee member), Campbell, Khalilah (committee member).