Date
3-2010
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Chair
Carol A. Mowen
Primary Subject Area
Education, Language and Literature; Education, Mathematics
Keywords
Block, Classtime, Doubling, English, Math, Scheduling
Recommended Citation
Ney, Richard J., "A Study of Doubling Class Time for Low Achieving High School English and Math Students and the Impact on State Tests Required Under NCLB" (2010). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 334.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/334
Abstract
The re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2002, commonly known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), increased the accountability of public schools throughout the United States, holding them individually responsible for the education levels attained by their students as measured by high stakes tests developed and administered at the state level. Administrators responded by developing programs targeted at increasing students' test scores. One program considered by administrators is the doubling of class time in math and English for students that are at risk of not succeeding. This study analyzes the viability of such a program as adopted in an urban Northern New Jersey high school. In 2004-2005 the school increased math and English class time from 42 minutes to 88 minutes for low achieving students. This ex post facto study analyzes the impact of the school doubling class time based upon the results of the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) required under NCLB for all first time 11th graders. Analysis of variance and effect size are used to determine the success of the program. The period of time covered in the analyses are school years 2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007. The first year is the base year. By the third year, all students in the target population had received the benefit of the double periods of math and English during their entire time in high school. Test scores for the non-low achievers that did not receive the treatment are also analyzed over the same time period to ensure consistency of the test. The study resulted in no significant difference in the means of low achieving English students. However, after one year the means of low achieving math students improved. In the second and third years they declined.
