| << Chapter < Page | Chapter >> Page > |
Note. a 1 ( Strongly Disagree ), 2 ( Disagree ), 3 ( Neither Agree nor Disagree ), 4 ( Agree ), and 5 ( Strongly Agree ).
Principals’ beliefs about students consist of seven items . Principals agreed (median value of 4) that (a) high stakes testing contributes to students dropping out of school, (b) high stakes testing induces anxiety in students, (c) the pressure of high stakes testing may result in students cheating to improve scores, and (d) principals are concerned about the impact of high stakes testing on minority students (see Table 6). Principals neither agreed nor disagreed (median value of 3) that (a) high stakes testing motivates students to achieve and (b) high stakes testing has changed the nature of student-principal interactions. Principals disagreed (median value of 2) that students’ learning styles are accounted for in high stakes testing.
| Item | 1 a | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Mdn | M | SD | |
| 42 | High stakes testing contributes to the number of students that drop out of school. | 2 | 14 | 26 | 45 | 13 | 4.00 | 3.52 | 0.96 |
| 43 | Students’ learning styles are accounted for in high stakes testing. | 37 | 51 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2.00 | 1.79 | 0.77 |
| 44 | High stakes testing induces anxiety in students. | 3 | 5 | 3 | 51 | 39 | 4.00 | 4.19 | 0.90 |
| 45 | High stakes testing motivates students to achieve. | 8 | 39 | 31 | 21 | 0 | 3.00 | 2.66 | 0.92 |
| 46 | The pressure of high stakes testing may result in students cheating to improve scores. | 1 | 13 | 25 | 53 | 8 | 4.00 | 3.52 | 0.86 |
| 47 | Principals are concerned about the impact of high stakes testing on minority students. | 1 | 5 | 9 | 53 | 33 | 4.00 | 4.13 | 0.80 |
| 48 | High stakes testing has changed the nature of student-principal interactions. | 6 | 25 | 25 | 35 | 10 | 3.00 | 3.17 | 1.09 |
Note. a 1 ( Strongly Disagree ), 2 ( Disagree ), 3 ( Neither Agree nor Disagree ), 4 ( Agree ), and 5 ( Strongly Agree ).
To answer research questions about differences in principals’ responses by educational level, school configuration, gender, and race or ethnicity two ANOVAs and two independent means t tests for were conducted on principals’ total scores (M = 128.00, SD = 18.52) on the instrument. The principals’ total scores on the instrument were symmetric (skewness = 0.20) about the mean, but the scores were peaked (kurtosis = 2.26). Data transformations were attempted, but had no effect on the distribution nor had an effect on the interpretation of the analyses so the results are presented for the untransformed data. Other statistical assumptions for the statistical procedures were met. An analysis of variance revealed that there was no significant difference on the total score by the principal’s educational level, F (2,258) = 0.08, p = .92 or by school configuration; F (2,247) = 0.84, p = .43. In addition, an independent means t test revealed that there was no significant difference by gender, t (259) = -0.50, p = .62. In summary, regardless of the principal’s educational level, school configuration, or gender there was no significant difference on their total score.
Since the race or ethnicity of responding principals was primarily African American and White, an independent means t test was conducted. The independent means t test revealed that there was a significant difference on the total score by race or ethnicity, t (256) = 3.10, p = .0029. African American principals responded (n = 58, M = 134.33, SD = 16.32) more positively than White principals (n = 200, M = 126.13, SD = 18.76) on The Principal’s High Stakes Testing Survey. Further, Cohen’s effect size value ( d = 0.45) suggested a moderate practical significance. African American principals responded 0.45 standard deviations higher than White principals to items on the instrument.
Notification Switch
Would you like to follow the 'Education leadership review, volume 12, number 1 (april 2011)' conversation and receive update notifications?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|