Date of Award

8-29-2011

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Gail Hughes

Abstract

A mixed-method study was conducted to examine the impact of two locally developed programs, SMART and THRIVE, on student attitudes toward and achievement in Algebra I. SMART is a summer program for students (grades seven through nine) who enrolled in Algebra I the upcoming school year. THRIVE, the follow-up component of SMART, is a Saturday program for students who are concurrently enrolled in Algebra I. Archival data from achievement tests, surveys, and records of students who completed Algebra I during the 2008-2009 school year were collected and analyzed to answer the research questions. The researcher also collected results from two focus group discussions to further enhance the study. Results of an attitude survey administered twice (pretest and posttest) to SMART 2008 participants (N = 216) revealed statistical significance for two of the six mathematics scales tested, self-concept (p = .003) and motivation (p t-test revealed the differences were highly significant and strongly effective for all three groups. Finally, the researcher utilized a logistic regression to determine the greatest predictor of proficiency in Algebra I. Possible predictor variables included gender, SES, participation in SMART, participation in THRIVE, participation in SMART/THRIVE, or Algebra I taken before the 9th grade. Multivariate matched sampling was used to choose a closely matched comparison group of students who did not participate in SMART or THRIVE. Results revealed that students who participated in SMART/THRIVE were five and one-half times more likely to score proficient or advanced in Algebra I than students in the control group. Findings from this research highlighted the need for mathematics educators to not only incorporate new strategies for improving students' achievement in mathematics but also to seek ways of improving students' attitudes toward mathematics.

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