Keywords

Virtual education, student achievement, educational interventions, algebra 1, at risk students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare achievement results of students enrolled in traditional and virtual Algebra 1 courses in the School District of Volusia County, Florida and to identify which educational interventions are utilized by traditional and online teachers to promote student success, especially for at-risk populations. Two research questions guided this study. This study is significant, as school districts expand virtual options for K-12 students to meet legislative mandates and student demand, while also exploring and developing methods to ensure student success. Student scores on the Florida Algebra 1 End of Course Exam (EOC) were compared to determine what difference, if any, existed in the performance of students in traditional face-toface classrooms and virtual settings. Surveys were also distributed to traditional brick-andmortar and virtual teachers to identify which educational interventions were provided to at-risk students and to measure teacher perception of the relative effectiveness of those interventions in each setting. One-sample t-test results indicated a statistically significant difference in the mean scale scores of traditional and virtual students on the Florida Algebra 1 EOC. Survey responses indicated little variation in the interventions provided by teachers to at-risk students in each setting. Low effectiveness ratings for interventions in the Resources category, such as Mentors from the Community, warrant further investigation, as these responses run counter to previous research. Due to this study’s small sample and wide disparity between the number of traditional and virtual students, caution is advised in the interpretation of results.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2013

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Murray, Kenneth

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Education and Human Performance

Department

Teaching, Learning, and Leadership

Degree Program

Educational Leadership; Executive

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0005037

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0005037

Language

English

Release Date

December 2013

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Education, Education -- Dissertations, Academic

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