Remedial English:Teacher input student output

Deborah DavisCandidate for Doctorate of Education (Ed.D)Liberty UniversityEDUC 919-390-Winter 2016-LUOProfessional Writing and ResearchLiterature Review Presentation (1-14-15B)

December 30, 2015

Remedial English: Teacher input student output• About half of American college freshmen will require remedial English

(Howell, 2011; McCormick, Hafner, & Saint Germain, 2013) • The difference between “low-skill” and “high-skill” remedial student success

in math is related to completion of requirement at first attempt (Bahr, 2012)• At the secondary level, students educated by teachers with higher levels of

degree completion were less likely to require remediation (Howell, 2011)• Students taught remediation by full-time teachers with advanced degrees

showed greater success in subsequent coursework (Moss, Kelcey, & Showers, 2014).

Remedial English: Teacher input student output

• Historical context• Social context• Theoretical context• Problem statement• Purpose statement• Significance of the study• Research questions• References

Historical context – early years• Early American colleges expectations (Arendale, 2011).

– Latin, Greek, and high mathematics. – Preparatory schools or tutors were the norm

• High school as preparation for life, or college (Sana & Fenesi, 2013)• Vassar preparatory department of mid-1800s and University of

Wisconsin Department of Preparatory studies 1849 (Arendale, 2011) • University of Minnesota “General College” of 1932 (Glessner, 2015)

Historical context – mid-20th century• World War II and the GI Bill (Stanley, 2003)

• Huge increase in matriculation from 1935-1945 (Bannier, 2006)

• Community college and remediation flexibility (Bahr, 2013)

• Developmental education and the learning enrichment program 1970s to present (Arendale, 2011)

Social context• Students who begin college with remedial English are less likely to

succeed than those who begin with freshman English (Hendrickson, 2012).

• Calarco (2014) details how parents imbue children with their own problem solving abilities as dictated by class socialization yet teachers tend to view all children through middle class morays.

• Schnee (2014) found the development of learning communities for students of like-abilities resulted in greater achievement regardless of attitude upon entry.

Theoretical context• Constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978)

• Cognitive learning theory (Moghaddam & Araghi, 2013)

• Transformation theory (Harris, Lorey-Moore, & Farrow, 2008)

Problem statement - basis• Students who begin college with remedial English are less likely to

succeed than those who begin with freshman English (Hendrickson, 2012)

• There is a direct relationship between the qualifications of the instructor and the success of the student (Kidron & Lidsay, 2014).

• Ability grouping directly impacts success rates among remedial math students (Bahr, 2012).

Problem statement

• The problem is that in a time of fiscal constraint, remedial programs are frequently reduced in staff, particularly senior staff with higher degrees and students are grouped heterogeneously providing no differentiation amongst skill levels.

Purpose statement

• The purpose of this quantitative study is to determine the relationship between teacher education (independent variable) and completion affects (dependent variable) on varied entry level students (as measured by the covariant placement tests) in remedial English at a small four-year university in rural Appalachia.

Definitions• Placement – Students are placed into remedial English by

ACT/SAT/Compass scores. They are placed heterogeneously into basic writing courses.

• Grouping – for purposes of this study, however, the student placements will be allocated by the following groups: – High (H) - Within 10% of the placement cutoff score – Medium (M) – Between 10 and 25% of the placement cutoff score– Low (L) – Below 25% of the placement cutoff score

• Teachers will be groups by degree achievement – Bachelor/Master

Significance of the study• While students who require remedial English may start the program at

varied ability levels indicated in placement exams, the impact of the instructor’s education level on those students ability to increase skill levels and progress from remedial to college coursework can be measured by the placement and exit exams and warrants study.

• Null Hypothesis – There is no significant correlation on the successful completion (criterion) of students placed in remedial English by ACT Compass ® test scores (covariant) regardless of level of placement (H/M/L) when evaluated against the level of teacher education (predictor).

Research question 1• Is there a statistically significant correlation between the degree of

the instructor and the exit scores (COMPASS) for three groups of students based on entrance scores (COMPASS/ACT/SAT) after one semester of remedial English at a small four-year university in the foothills of Appalachia?

Research question 2• Is there a statistically significant correlation between the degree of

the instructor and the exit scores (COMPASS) for three groups of students based on entrance scores (COMPASS/ACT/SAT) after multiple attempts at remedial English at a small four year university in the foothills of Appalachia?

ReferencesArendale, D. R. (2011). Then and now: The early years of

developmental education. Research & Teaching in Developmental Education, 27(2), 58-76.

Bahr, P. (2012). Deconstructing remediation in community colleges: Exploring associations between course-taking patterns, course outcomes, and attrition from the remedial math and remedial writing sequences. Research in Higher Education, 53(6), 661-693. doi:10.1007/s11162-011-9243-2

Bahr, P. (2013). The aftermath of remedial math: Investigating the low rate of certificate completion among remedial math students. Research in Higher Education, 54(2), 171-200. doi:10.1007/s11162-012-9281-4

Bannier, B. (2006). The impact of the GI bill on developmental education. Learning Assistance Review (TLAR), 11(1).

References (continued)Glessner, K. (2015). Only the best need apply? Journal of College

Admission(226), 30-33. Harris, S., Lowery-Moore, H., & Farrow, V. (2008). Extending transfer

of learning theory to transformative learning theory: A model for promoting teacher leadership. Theory Into Practice, 47(4), 318-326. doi:10.1080/00405840802329318

Hendrickson, K. A. (2012). Student resistance to schooling: Disconnections with education in rural Appalachia. High School Journal, 95(4), 37-49.

Kidron, Y., & Lindsay, J. (2014). Stated briefly: What does the research say about increased learning time and student outcomes? REL 2015-061 (ED547261). Retrieved from Alexandria, VA:

McCormick, J., Hafner, A. L., & Germain, M. S. (2013). From high school to college: Teachers and students assess the impact of an expository reading and writing course on college readiness. Journal of Educational Research & Practice, 3(1), 30-49. doi:10.5590/JERAP.2013.03.1.03

Moghaddam, A. N., & Araghi, S. M. (2013). Brain-based aspects of cognitive learning approaches in second language learning. English Language Teaching, 6(5), 55-61.

Moss, B. G., Kelcey, B., & Showers, N. (2014). Does classroom composition matter? College classrooms as moderators of developmental education effectiveness. Community College Review, 42(3), 201-220.

References (continued)

Plank, S. B., & Jordan, W. J. (2001). Effects of information, guidance, and actions on postsecondary destinations: A study of talent loss. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 947-979.

Sana, F., & Fenesi, B. (2013). Grade 12 versus grade 13: Benefits of an extra year of high school. Journal Of Educational Research, 106(5), 384-392. doi:10.1080/00220671.2012.736433

Stanley, M. (2003). College education and the midcentury GI bills. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118(2), 671-708.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: the Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univeristy Press.

References (continued)