Keywords

Algebra 1, Multilevel Modeling, Mathematics Education, Florida Standards Assessments (FSA), Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.), Educational Contexts

Subject Categories

Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Educational Leadership | Science and Mathematics Education

Abstract

This study examined how school-level and district-level contextual factors are associated with Algebra 1 achievement in Florida using a multilevel modeling framework. Drawing on statewide publicly available data from the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA), the analysis included schools nested within districts to account for the hierarchical structure of educational data. School-level predictors included absenteeism, economic disadvantage, English language learner status, student mobility, and the proportion of students with disabilities, while district-level variables included poverty and crime rates. Results from the null model indicated that a meaningful proportion of variance in Algebra 1 achievement was attributable to differences among districts, supporting the use of multilevel modeling. Subsequent models showed that higher levels of absenteeism, economic disadvantage, English language learner status, and students with disabilities were negatively related to achievement, while mobility demonstrated less consistent patterns across models. At the district level, crime rate was linked to differences in achievement, though it showed a weaker and less stable relationship. A cross-level interaction revealed that district poverty moderated the relationship between English language learner status and Algebra 1 achievement, suggesting that school-level effects vary depending on broader contextual conditions. These findings highlight the importance of considering both school-level and district-level factors when examining mathematics achievement and suggest that Algebra 1 outcomes may reflect differences in opportunity structures in addition to instructional factors. The study contributes to mathematics education research by demonstrating the application of multilevel modeling to large-scale assessment data and by emphasizing the role of contextual variables in shaping achievement within a high-stakes accountability environment.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Safi, Farshid

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Department

School of Teacher Education

Format

PDF

Document Type

Dissertation

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