Standards-Based Assessment and Achievement in a Toledo School: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Date
2022-04
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Abstract
Student achievement has become critical in measuring school achievement. The problem was
underachievement in a K–12 public charter school in northwest Ohio. The purpose of this study
was to determine whether standards-based assessments (SBAs) improved standardized test
achievement in a K–12 public charter school in northwest Ohio. The theories of formative
assessment and transformational leadership were the theoretical frameworks of this study. The
research questions focused on the effect of SBA as a form of formative assessment on
standardized test achievement. A posttest-only quasi-experimental design with ex post facto data
was used. The study’s target population was students enrolled in Grades 3–10 in a K–12 public
charter school between 2015 and 2019. The sample sizes were n = 185, n = 243, n = 183, and n =
263 for Grade 7 English language arts, high school English language arts, Grade 7 mathematics,
and high school Algebra 1, respectively. Due to a lack of randomization, purposive sampling was
employed. The study data were from Ohio’s state test results. The data collection instrument was
an existing Google Sheets document including state test scores. Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences was used for independent t-test statistical calculations, where d = 0.5, α = 0.05, (1 – β)
= 0.95. Results indicated a statistically significant difference in both English and mathematics
standardized-test scores after SBA implementation. These results suggested SBA should be
implemented to improve student achievement.