Date of Award

2019

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Jody Goins

Second Advisor

Joshua Boone

Third Advisor

Andrew Courtner

Abstract

In 2009, President Barack Obama and legislators passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which financed the Race to the Top Fund. To receive funding from the Race to the Top, Tennessee educators and legislators implemented the Tennessee Diploma Project in 2009. The Tennessee Diploma Project increased graduation requirements for students in terms of coursework and assessments. Tennessee educators and legislators anticipated the increased graduation requirements would increase students’ achievement and ACT scores (college readiness skills). In mathematics, the graduation requirement increased from three high school math courses to four high school math courses: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and an upper-level math course. The purpose of this study was to investigate if a relationship existed between students’ ACT math subscores and the fourth mathematics class they completed in high school in Tennessee. In a sample of 674 students who graduated from a rural high school in Tennessee, the researcher conducted a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a Welch-Test ANOVA to analyze data from students’ transcripts. The researcher determined a statistically significant relationship existed between students’ ACT math subscores and the fourth mathematics class they completed in high school. The researcher acknowledged some students could have higher ACT math subscores than other students due to completing a particular fourth mathematics course in Tennessee high schools. The researcher encouraged educators to adjust their mathematics curriculum to maximize students’ performance and improve students’ college and career readiness skills.

Keywords

Mathematics, ACT assessment, High schools, Quantitative research, Tennessee

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