Date

6-2015

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

Steven McDonald

Keywords

Advanced Placement Exams, Cognitive Abilities Test

Disciplines

Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching

Abstract

Advanced Placement (AP) is a College Board program that offers a college-level curriculum to high school students. AP has expanded dramatically in recent years, and with noted program benefits accruing to successful participants, the issue of equity has become a concern. When identified early, students who have potential to be successful in AP courses could obtain the preparation necessary to excel academically in courses that have an impact on college admissions and outcomes. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if a relationship exists between 6th grade CogAT composite, verbal, and quantitative battery scores and 12th grade AP English Literature and 12th grade AP Calculus exam pass-fail scores. The setting for the study was a rural northeast Georgia school district. Utilizing archived data, a special kind of Pearson correlation, a point biserial correlation, and a logistics regression analysis were conducted. All null hypotheses were rejected indicating that a statistically significant positive relationship exists between 6th grade CogAT composite, verbal, and quantitative battery scores and 12th grade AP English Literature and 12th grade AP Calculus exam scores. Moreover, the relationship is a predictive one. Based on study results, more informed curriculum decisions could be made for students beginning in the middle school years. Recommendations for further study include consideration of additional variables that might influence AP exam success such as gender, socioeconomic factors, giftedness, and motivation.

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