| The Delaware Student Testing System (DSTP) is the state of Delaware's high stakes accountability system. This series of tests in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies affects every Delaware public school student, at every grade level, in some way or another. Surprisingly, there is little research that focuses on students' perceptions of and reactions to the DSTP.; This study examined four research questions: (1) What factual understanding do tenth grade students in a Delaware comprehensive vocational high school have of the DSTP, (2) What do these students perceive as a change in their teachers' instruction or classroom requirements as a result of the DSTP, (3) What do these students perceive as a change in their in-school behavior as a result of the DSTP and what impact, if any, do students perceive these changes having on their academic performance, and (4) How do these students perceive the efficacy of the DSTP in achieving its educational goals?; Data were collected through the use of a researcher developed survey that contained 44 items covering the four research questions. Demographic data from school's student management system was matched to surveys to allow for disaggregation by free and reduced lunch status, special education status, gender, and ethnicity.; A primary finding was that at the vocational high school in New Castle County, Delaware where the study took place, different groups of students had different perceptions of the DSTP. On some survey items in particular, special education students and minority students were more inclined to perceive that they had changed their school related behavior as a result of the DSTP. In general, majority students and regular education students were not included to perceive that they had changed their school related behavior as a result of the DSTP.; A second notable finding was that students have some misconceptions about factual knowledge related to the DSTP. While students appeared to understand those portions of the test that would directly impact them in tenth grade, they were less likely to correctly identify aspects of the test that would affect them later in high school or after they had graduated. |
