Differences in Reading by the Economic Status of Texas Grade 4 Boys and Girls in Special Education: A Multiyear Statewide Investigation

In this investigation, the degree to which the economic status (i.e., Not Economically Disadvantaged, Economically Disadvantaged) of Texas Grade 4 boys and girls in special education was related to their reading performance was addressed. Archival data from the Texas Education Agency Public Education Information Management System were analyzed for 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018 school years on the Texas state-mandated reading assessment for Grade 4 students. Inferential statistical analyses, conducted separately for boys and girls in special education, revealed that boys and girls in poverty had statistically significantly lower reading test scores than boys and girls who were not in poverty. Results in all four school years were consistent with the existing research literature in that poverty negatively affects reading performance. Implications for policy and practice were provided, as well as recommendations for future research.

Policy and principal turnover: The impact of the Texas special education cap

Accountability policies in education play a significant role for the principals tasked with facilitating the implementation of these reforms at the school-level. While these policies are most often intended to improve student outcomes, this is not always the case. In some instances, these policies can prove detrimental to schools, yet principals are still responsible for compliance. In Texas, a federal investigation found the Texas Education Agency (TEA) was restricting access to special education services by incentivizing districts to enroll fewer than 8.5% of students, utilizing these numbers as a measure of district performance. The implementation of the “8.5% cap” in 2004 resulted in a sharp decline in special education enrollment. Employing a sample of all principals in Texas before and after the 2004 law, this paper examines how the 8.5% cap impacted school leader attrition during its implementation. Prior to the implementation of the cap in 2004, we find little association between the proportion of students receiving services and principal turnover. After its implementation however, we find that principals in schools enrolling more than 8.5% of students in special education had a .39 higher odds ratio of switching districts and a .14 higher odds ratio of exiting the profession. We conclude by highlighting the scarcity of school labor market research that accounts for state-level education policies and note that policy may be more associated with principal turnover than student characteristics themselves.

Predicting Reading Performance by Texas Student Demographics Characteristics: A Statewide Analysis

Analyzed in this research study was the degree to which demographic characteristics (i.e., economic status, ethnicity/race, English Language Learner status) of Grade 3 students in Texas schools was related to their reading achievement as assessed by the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Reading test. Archival data from the Texas Education Agency, Public Education Information Management System, were analyzed using a causal-comparative research design. Specifically examined was each of the variables listed above for 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 school years separately for boys and girls, followed by comparing these variables across the four school years. Statistically significant results were present in all four school years for boys and girls. In three of the four years analyzed regarding boys' performance, being Poor, Black, or Hispanic was indicative of not meeting the Meets Grade Level standard. In three of the four years investigated regarding girls' performance, being White or Asian was indicative of meeting the Meets Grade Level standard. Implications for policy and practice, as well as recommendations for future research, are provided.

Using Adolescent Perceptions of Misconduct to Help Educational Leaders Identify and Respond to Sexual Misconduct

Purpose. In the current study, we present data describing adolescents’ perceptions and knowledge of educator sexual misconduct. Prior research has not investigated how adolescents understand these situations, and this information can help school leaders, educators, and researchers both understand how these situations begin and develop programs aimed at identifying cases of misconduct in order to reduce future occurrences. Research Design. The study took place in a Texas city designated as an “Other City Center” District Type by Texas Education Agency. The study’s 1,203 participants were secondary students from the district. Findings. Findings indicate that almost 2% of those surveyed openly admitted to currently being consensually sexually involved with a teacher. Those in a relationship were equally likely to be male or female, were older, and were engaged in risky online activities, including using the internet to connect with strangers, sending or receiving sexually suggestive pictures and videos, and searching for their teacher on social media. Implications. There are numerous implications for policy and preparation at various levels, from state and national legislation to school and school district policy to teacher- and principal-preparation programs.

Differences in the Reading Performance of Texas Grade 4 Students as a Function of Their Economic Status: A Multiyear, Statewide Analysis

In this study, the degree to which differences were present in the reading performance of Grade 4 Texas students as a function of their economic status (i.e., Not Poor, Moderately Poor, and Very Poor) was analyzed. Data obtained from the Texas Education Agency Public Education Information Management System for all Grade 4 students in Texas who took the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness Reading exam, were analyzed for the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 school years. In all three years examined, statistically significant differences were established in not only overall reading performance, but also in all three Reading Reporting categories. A clear stair-step effect was present. The higher the degree of poverty, the lower student STAAR Reading test scores were. Finally, the higher the degree of poverty, the lower the percentages of students who met the passing standard on the STAAR Reading exam. Future research and implications for policy and practice are suggested.

The Texas special education cap: Exploration into the statewide delay and denial of support to students with disabilities

State accountability systems have been a primary school reform initiative in the U.S. for the past twenty years, but often produce unintended negative consequences. In 2004, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) implemented the Performance Based Monitoring and Analysis System (PBMAS) which included an accountability indicator focused on the percentage of students found eligible for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the nation’s special education law. From 2004 through 2016, the percentage of students found eligible for special education in Texas declined significantly, while the national rate held constant. Eventually, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) investigated TEA and the statewide implementation of IDEA. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (a) to evaluate the potential impact of the the PBMAS indicator on manipulation of special education identification practices; and (b) to describe how the indicator may have influenced school and district personnel. We highlight several concerning trends in state and district data and, through an analysis of publicly available reports from the ED, show how district and school personnel knowingly and unknowingly acted in ways that delayed and denied special education to potentially eligible students. We conclude with recommendations for TEA and implications for future research and policy.

Expanding the Use of Educational Data for Social Justice: Lessons From the Texas Cap on Special Education and Implications for Practitioner–Scholar Preparation

Educational data offer a powerful tool for supporting equity. In this article, the authors call for a shift toward greater use of data in educator preparation programs. The authors motivate their proposal by highlighting findings from the Department of Education report released January 2018, which found that the Texas Education Agency systematically denied students special education services. The article outlines three basic metrics that stakeholders can use to identify potential noncompliance with the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. The authors describe other ways data can be used to promote equity and close with recommendations for educator preparation policy and practice.

Impact Of School Reform On Dropout Rates And Test Scores In An Urban High School

The primary focus of the study was to explore the effect of School Within a School reform on two components in the Adequate Yearly Progress Report by which Texas schools are measured - dropout rates and scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test. The demographics of the particular study sample included 11th grade students considered economically disadvantaged, English language learners, and regular, as well as special education students, attending an urban Texas high school. Data were acquired from the Texas Education Agency and hypotheses were tested with a non-parametric test of statistical significance, chi-square. Results indicated that the reform made a positive impact on dropout rates and on math and English Language Arts scores.

A Comparative Analysis Of Audit Service Supply Using Desk And Working Paper Reviews

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The Texas Education Agency (TEA) performs extensive reviews of audit working papers for selected Texas school district audits to evaluate the quality of audit services rendered by independent accountants. These reviews are referred to as Quality Control Reviews (QCRs). The TEA also conducts desk reviews of all audited financial statements issued by Texas independent school districts. During the desk review process, the TEA performs a limited check of the accuracy of financial statement amounts, completeness of financial disclosures, and existence of proper audit output. Prior research suggests that desk reviews and quality control reviews both measure audit quality (Colbert and O&rsquo;Keefe 1995; Copley et al. 1994; Deis and Giroux 1992, 1996; Giroux et al. 1995; O&rsquo;Keefe and Westort 1992; O&rsquo;Keefe et al. 1994). The purpose of the paper is to determine if desk reviews capture the same audit quality information as quality control reviews. If so, regulators should focus resources on desk reviews since they are more timely and economical than QCRs. The results of the study, however, indicate that desk reviews and quality control reviews do not measure the same constructs. The findings suggest that desk reviews measure the industry specific knowledge of the auditor, which is only one aspect of audit quality. Moreover, it was observed that some audits passing the desk review were graded low in quality by the working paper review. This finding suggests that low audit quality may be more prevalent than generally suspected and that steps to improve audit quality and auditor credibility are warranted.<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></strong></span></span></p>