| Political leaders often view high-stakes testing as one where they believe students ought to be able to pass a test that measures particular skills (Popham, 2003). According to the Dallas Morning News (May 12, 2007), over 40,000 Texas seniors did not graduate from high school in 2007 because they failed one or more of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests needed for graduation.;This dissertation explored five years of data from high school passing rates of the cohorts of students who failed the mathematics state mandated TAKS test from the previous year. Using the state of Texas AEIS data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), high school mathematics TAKS re-test data were explored in depth for every 9th grade through 12 th grade public high school in Texas excluding alternative high schools rated by the Alternative Education Accountability system, juvenile justice high schools, and campuses that were not rated (TEA1, 2007).;This study used an analysis of the secondary AEIS data provided by the state of Texas and more specifically the data associated with the passing rates of the groups of students who failed the mathematics TAKS test the previous year. Three key areas were explored. First, the TAKS passing rates of mathematics re-test students were explored to determine if over time there were statistically significant differences between the types of districts. Second, the TAKS passing rates of the mathematics re-test students were explored to determine if over time there were statistically significant differences between demographic groups. Demographic groups were explored by gender and by ethnicity. Finally, over time were there positive correlations regarding the passing rates of the TAKS mathematics re-test group based on school size, AEIS rating, dropout rates, socio-economic status, and district wealth?... |
