ERIC Number: ED556161
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 116
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-3035-5707-1
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
An Examination of Skill Groups, Traditional Groups, and Attendance Patterns in Third-Grade Classrooms: Their Effects on Student Achievement Based on Discovery Assessment Test C Scores
Lofton, Kelly Jean Clothier
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Union University
The purpose of this study was to examine third-grade student achievement in mathematics and reading for students who were in skill groups, as compared to those who were traditionally grouped, with student attendance being taken into consideration as a variable of additional comparison. Skill groups are a type of flexible ability grouping, where students are grouped by their abilities for a specific topic, in contrast to traditionally grouped settings, where students are grouped heterogeneously. This study examined what variables school leaders might need to consider before effectively grouping students. Third-grade students from three elementary schools participated in Discovery Assessment Test C for both mathematics and reading. Of these three schools, one school utilized skill grouping, while the other two schools utilized traditional grouping in their instruction. The findings showed that students who participated in skill groups performed better in mathematics than the students who were placed in traditional groups. In reading, the students who were placed in skill groups performed higher than their peers in traditional groups; however, the results were not statistically significant. Student attendance was analyzed in regard to the reading and math scores. Findings showed that students with better attendance records scored higher on the Discovery Assessment Test C reading portion. Student attendance was not statistically significant in regard to the math portion of Discovery Assessment Test C. This study showed the potential value of grouping practices and of regular school attendance for third-grade students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Grade 3, Mathematics Achievement, Reading Achievement, Grouping (Instructional Purposes), Attendance Patterns, Comparative Analysis, Homogeneous Grouping, Heterogeneous Grouping, Mathematics Tests, Reading Tests, Statistical Analysis, Scores
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Grade 3; Primary Education; Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A