ERIC EJ1062244: Using Middle School Test Scores to Predict Success in Ninth Grade Biology

2013·0.56 MB·English

by  ERIC

Lorrie D. McDowell
Using Middle School Test Scores to
Predict Success in Ninth Grade Biology
Abstract needs to be improved. In 2011, only 68% solve abstract problems or hypothetical
Success in ninth grade is essential to a of public high school students in Georgia tasks around age eleven, neuroscience
student’s success throughout high school. passed the biology End- of-Course Test and brain development studies show that
Many high schools retain the traditional (EOCT), and only 76% passed the physi- the formal operational stage is being
science course sequence of teaching bi- cal science EOCT (Georgia Department reached much later (Bessent, 2008; Rita
ology fi rst to ninth graders who may or of Education). & Martin-Dunlop, 2011; Shayer, 2008).
may not be cognitively ready for today’s According to the National Science With this information, it makes sense
biology content. A few school districts Teachers Association (NSTA), 72% of that ninth grade students may not be
in Georgia are offering a fl exible sci- states teach biology to ninth grade students cognitively ready for the critical thinking
ence course sequence in the ninth grade, (Petrinjak, 2012) with physical science/ and problem solving needed for the biol-
using test scores or other data to deter- physics, chemistry, and science electives ogy curriculum. The level of emotional
mine the course in which a student will taught in subsequent grades. This tradi- maturity at this age can also be a deter-
be most likely to be successful. This tion is based on the National Education rent to the self-motivation needed in the
study used regression analysis to deter- Association’s 1893 report from The Com- more complex curriculum (Lipschitz-
mine whether seventh grade life science mittee of Ten (Vasquez, 2006), that rec- Elhawi & Itzhaky, 2008; Waller, 2007).
Criterion-Referenced Competency Test ommended natural science be taught While placing emphasis on curriculum
(CRCT) scores are an effective predic- before physics and chemistry in secondary and delivery methods, many school dis-
tor of success in ninth grade biology as school. Others disagree with this inter- tricts, e.g., Florida, Illinois, and New Jer-
measured by the biology End-of-Course pretation of the report, arguing that the sey, have begun to rearrange the course
Test (EOCT). The analysis indicated a different course names do not specify sequences. General science courses are
strong positive correlation between life biology (Sheppard & Robbins, 2007). The now being taught at the ninth grade level
science CRCT scores and biology EOCT Committee named natural science as the and only honors or high achieving stu-
scores. The regression equation provides beginning course with zoology, botany, dents take biology. These general courses
a method to predict students’ estimated and physiology suggested as subsequent will provide background knowledge and
biology EOCT score and academic suc- electives. Nonetheless, the sequence with prepare students for the more advanced
cess in that course. This gives educators biology fi rst has been the foundation concepts of biology, physical science/
the ability to guide students to the course of secondary science course sequences physics, and chemistry.
of science study at which they are likely throughout the years. Many school districts in Georgia have
to be most successful. The recent trend of performance-based opted to change the sequence of second-
curriculum standards and the upcom- ary science courses, one reason being the
Introduction
ing Next Generation Science Standards low percentage of students passing the
Student achievement in science is an
require students to use critical thinking biology EOCT. In Georgia, there are no
issue that plagues our educational system.
skills and apply knowledge to problem- guidelines given by the state Department
The National Science Foundation (2010)
solve. This is especially true in today’s of Education (DOE) as to the correct se-
reported that high school students in the
biology, based mainly on cellular con- quence of secondary science courses. The
United States have fallen behind other ec-
cepts. No longer do students memorize Georgia DOE stipulates that four science
onomically advanced countries in science
the classifi cation of plants and animals courses, including biology and physical
achievement. Although math scores have
by rote (Lederman, 2008). Cellular and science, are required for graduation and
increased in the past decade, the National
molecular concepts are diffi cult to relate both include a state implemented End-of-
Science Foundation also reports that sci-
and internalize. Egocentric adolescent Course Test (EOCT). Georgia does man-
ence scores have not. In high schools spe-
students have a hard time understanding date that middle school physical science be
cifi cally, student achievement in science
and then applying concepts that are not taught in the eighth grade. One avenue
a part of their immediate lives (Waller, of thinking is that students will perform
2007). better taking high school physical science
Keywords: academic achievement, high
Most ninth grade students are between in ninth grade because of the back-to-back
school biology, criterion-referenced
the ages of 14 and 15 years. Although courses. Other districts choose to teach
competency test (CRCT), end-of-course test
(EOCT), predicting student success, science Piaget theorized that humans move to the environmental science or other electives
course sequence. formal operational stage where they can in the ninth grade that are not EOCT
SUMMER 2013 VOL. 22, NO. 1 33
courses and biology in either tenth or Competency Test and the student’s suc- county population is approximately 32,500
eleventh, believing that students will be cess in ninth grade biology as measured with an average income of $24,500. The
more successful in an EOCT course at a by the Georgia End-of-Course Test, in- school district consists of seven county
later developmental stage. dicating that the CRCT score is an effec- public schools with 385 teachers, and
There are school systems in Georgia tive predictor of the student’s success in 5,330 students. The participants were
that teach biology only to honors or high ninth grade biology. selected from all ninth grade students
achieving students and non-EOCT courses Piaget’s theory of cognitive develop- enrolled in biology in the 2011 to 2012
to others. The school system that was ment holds that humans’ cognitive abili- school year, taking the biology EOCT in
studied uses scores from middle school ties develop in predetermined stages. Brain May 2012. The demographic breakdown
Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests development theory (Gurian, 2006; of the schools mirrors the local commu-
(CRCT) to determine in which science Steinberg, 2012) states that areas of nity with 74% of the students enrolled
course each student is most likely to be the brain develop at different times and being African-American, 18% white, 6%
successful. This information is utilized to in specifi c sequences, and those areas Hispanic, 1% Asian, and 1% multi-racial.
assign students to the science class deemed control distinctive aspects of cognition. The school is a Title I school, meaning
most appropriate. The Georgia CRCT is According to Bessent (2008), adolescent the school receives federal funds for public
designed to measure how well students students at the age of 15 have not yet schools with high numbers or percentages
learn and complete the knowledge and developed cognitively to Piaget’s formal of poor or disadvantaged children. All
skills set forth in the Georgia Performance operational stage and have not devel- students receive free breakfast and lunch,
Standards (Georgia DOE). Students are oped emotionally past being egocentric, an indicator of the low socioeconomic
tested at the end of each school term in rebellious, risk-takers. level of the majority of the students.
reading/language arts, math, social studies,
Method
and science. Since physical science is Research Design
taught in eighth grade, scores from the Participants Non-experimental quantitative research
seventh grade test, which includes life The study took place in a ninth grade methods were used to determine whether
science, are used to predict success in academy in a public school district in seventh grade Criterion-Referenced
ninth grade biology. Southwest Georgia. It is the only ninth Compe tency Test scores can be used as
grade in the school system. Participants a predictor of biology End-of-Course
Purpose of the Study
were selected from all ninth grade students Test scores. A bivariate linear regression
The purpose of this study is to examine
completing the biology End-of-Course analysis was conducted to evaluate the
the extent to which the life science score
Test in May 2012. Student test scores prediction of biology EOCT scores from
from a student’s seventh grade Criterion-
were compared after the test was taken, life science CRCT scores. Linear regres-
Referenced Competency Test is an effec-
with no direct contact with students. There sion analysis not only shows whether
tive indicator of the student’s success in a
were 233 students who took the Spring an independent variable (CRCT scores)
ninth grade biology course as measured
2012 biology EOCT. Of those students, can predict a dependent variable (EOCT
by the biology End-of-Course Test. If
200 took the Georgia CRCT IN 2010 scores) but also shows how well the inde-
there is a signifi cant relationship, the life
when in the seventh grade. This test in- pendent variable predicts the dependent.
science CRCT score can be seen as an
cludes life science. Both scores from all The CRCT and the EOCT are both
accurate predictor of a student’s success
200 students were considered. All students standardized achievement test mandated
in ninth grade biology and can possibly
whose scores were used were taught by the state of Georgia. The CRCT, that
be used to assign students to specifi c sci-
by one of two biology teachers. These includes a life science portion, is taken
ence classes.
teachers have very similar educational at the end of the seventh grade year, after
Research Questions backgrounds, earning undergraduate and students have completed life science.
Is there a signifi cant relationship be- graduate degrees from the same institu- The biology EOCT is taken at the end
tween a student’s score on the life science tions. The graduate degrees were earned of the biology course, which is, in this
portion of the seventh grade Georgia in the same program at the same time. study, at the end of the ninth grade. The
Criterion-Referenced Competency Test Although they differ somewhat in teaching test is designed to measure student aca-
and the student’s success in ninth grade styles, they develop lesson plans together demic achievement in the course and is
biology as measured by the Georgia and administer common formative and set up according to the Georgia Perfor-
End-of-Course Test? summative assessments throughout the mance Standards curriculum. Content
school year. validity is established by the Georgia
Hypothesis Department of Education. All items are
It is predicted that there will be a sig- Setting written specifi cally for Georgia, are re-
nifi cant relationship between a student’s The site for the study was a rural school viewed by panels of Georgia educators,
score on the life science portion of the sev- district in the United States in the geo- are fi eld tested prior to administration,
enth grade Georgia Criterion-Referenced graphic area of Southwest Georgia. The and are reviewed again in light of fi eld
34 SCIENCE EDUCATOR
test data. This process ensures that all Figure 1
items align to the curriculum, are free of
bias, and give students the best opportu-
nity to demonstrate ability. Because this
is a standardized test administered by the
Georgia Department of Education, it is
considered highly valid for this particu-
lar interpretation and for this particular
group. The reliability coeffi cients for the
Spring 2012 biology EOCT and the 2010
CRCT were both .90.
Results
A bivariate linear regression analysis
was conducted to test the null hypothesis
that students’ ninth grade biology End-
of-Course Test scores cannot be pre-
dicted by their seventh grade life science
Criterion-Referenced Competency Test
scores. Figure 1 shows a scatterplot with
regression line that was used to test the
assumptions of bivariate normality, lin-
earity and homoscedasticity. Although
Figure 1: Scatterplot and regression line. Relationship between CRCT scores (M = 823.23, SD = 26.56,
possible outliers exist at the EOCT score
n = 200) and EOCT scores (M = 420.79, SD = 32.95, n = 200). Analysis shows assumptions of
of 523 and the CRCT score at 771, normality, linearity, and homoscedasticity are tenable.
analysis shows that all assumptions are
tenable. The linear regression analysis
also shows that there is a strong positive
relationship between the two variables, Table 1: Summary of regression analysis increase likelihood of student success.
r = .72: a high life science CRCT score As the literature shows, there is debate
Variable B SE B B
indicates a high biology EOCT score. over the most benefi cial course sequence
The regression equation for predicting CRCT .89 .06 .72 for secondary school science. Although
the biology EOCT score is many school systems remain on the tra-
Discussion ditional sequence of biology fi rst, some
Biology EOCT Score = .89 X - 313.47 The analysis of students’ seventh grade researchers believe that this may not
CRCT
life science Criterion-Referenced Com- always be the best for student success
The 95% confi dence interval for the petency Test scores and ninth grade biol- (Lederman, 2008).
slope was .77 to 1.01, therefore the life ogy End-of-Course Test scores showed Studies have shown that many students’
science CRCT score is signifi cantly re- that CRCT scores can be used to predict cognitive development (Bessent, 2008;
lated to the biology EOCT score. There students’ success in biology as measured Rita & Martin-Dunlop, 2011; Shayer,
was signifi cant evidence to reject the by their EOCT scores. The regression 2008) and emotional development (Waller,
null hypothesis and conclude that the life analysis gives a method for predicting 2008) does not reach beyond that of early
science EOCT score (M = 823.23, SD = the estimated EOCT score by way of the adolescence until well into the teens.
26.56, n = 200) was a signifi cantly pre- regression equation. The analysis shows Delaying enrollment in biology, a course
dictor of the EOCT scores (M = 420.79, that there is a strong positive relationship that concentrates on molecular and cellu-
SD = 32.95, n = 200), F(1,198) = 211.92, between the scores. The higher a student lar applications, could be a constructive
p < .01, and t(198) = 14.56. Table 1 scores on the seventh grade life science step in assuring the academic success
provides a summary of the regression CRCT, the higher the student is likely to of those students as most fi fteen year
analysis for the variable predicting fi nal score on the biology EOCT. olds have not developed the determina-
exam scores. Approximately 51% of the These fi ndings show that the use of a tion and resolve needed to be successful
variance in the biology EOCT score was student’s seventh grade CRCT score can when faced with academic diffi culties
accounted for by its linear relationship be a valuable tool to determine into which (Schmidt, Shumow, & Kackar, 2012).
with the student’s life science CRCT science discipline the student should The ability to predict students’ out-
score. be placed when entering ninth grade to comes in biology in the ninth grade is
SUMMER 2013 VOL. 22, NO. 1 35
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can accomplish this goal. Petrinjak, L. (2012). How to sequence sci- Lorrie D. McDowell, Ed.S., Science De-
References ence. (NSTA News Digest). Retrieved partment, Americus-Sumter High School
from http://www.nsat.org North, Americus, Georgia. Correspondence
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M., Fore, B., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. to thank Stacy Mack for her encouragement
(2011). The relationship between ninth- Schmidt, J., Shumow, L., & Kackar, H. and willingness to assist with valuable
grade retention and on-time graduation (2012). Associations of participation information.
36 SCIENCE EDUCATOR