Comparative Analysis of Rural to Urban Middle Schools' Results on the STAAR Reading Exam
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D)
Department
Educational Administration
Date of Award
Spring 2019
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if a selected set of school-related variables predicted whether middle schools on opposite ends of the school size spectrum—rural and major urban—were able to meet or exceed the average passing rate on the 8th grade State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading exams. The Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) was the main source of these data. Large, urban, traditional middle schools were compared to rural middle schools that were located within the same educational service centers. The 80 middle schools identified for the study were randomly selected from the Northeast Region of the state—40 middle schools were selected from districts classified by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as major urban and 40 middle schools were selected from districts classified by TEA as rural. The selected variables (average teacher experience, teacher‒student ratio, average teacher salary, percent of African American student enrollment, percent of Hispanic student enrollment, percent of White student enrollment, percent of disciplinary placements, attendance rates, percent of at-risk students, and percent of students on free or reduced lunch) selected for the study were those commonly known to educators as having the potential to impact student achievement in schools. The researcher used discriminant analysis to investigate which variable or variables in middle schools predict whether they meet or exceed the state’s average passing rate on the 8th-grade STAAR reading test. Evaluation of enrollment characteristics indicated major contrasts within and between rural and urban middle schools. In comparison to urban middle schools, more rural middle schools in the study met the state’s academic achievement standards on the 8th-grade STAAR reading exam.
Advisor
Ray Thompson
Subject Categories
Education
Recommended Citation
Myers, Laura Elaine, "Comparative Analysis of Rural to Urban Middle Schools' Results on the STAAR Reading Exam" (2019). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 385.
https://digitalcommons.tamuc.edu/etd/385
