The effect of two-year transition algebra instruction on student performance in the eleventh grade Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) exam

This study examined the effectiveness of the Octorara Area School District's high school mathematics programs on the Pennsylvania eleventh grade mathematics assessment. A longitudinal cohort design was employed to take advantage of the students prior test performance in both fifth and eighth grades. Comparisons between the traditional mathematics program and the transition program in this study were performed with both descriptive and inferential statistics. Additionally, prediction formulas were generated and validated between cohorts.;The study found that participation in the transition mathematics course was highly correlated with poor eleventh grade test performance but the analysis of covariance did not find a significant relationship between mathematics group participation and future performance. The prediction equations generated in the study were found to accurately predict passing or failing scores in greater than 79% of all cases. The primary recommendation of the study is the abandonment of transition mathematics instruction in favor of more traditional methods.