Graduation as a function of attendance and discipline of students in the Student Success Initiative of Texas in one south Texas urban school district

Authors

Maria Luisa Trevino-Guerra, University of Texas-Pan American

Date of Award

12-2013

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Miguel de los Santos

Second Advisor

Dr. Ralph Carlson

Third Advisor

Dr. Shirley Mills

Abstract

This study examined the trends and patterns across time of grade placement committee students on the dependent variable, graduation. Longitudinal data for independent variables, attendance and discipline was collected for 173 students from 2005 to 2013. The independent variables of attendance and discipline were examined to determine whether or not high school completion is dependent on these two measures.

The Grade 5 students of 2005-2006 in one south Texas large urban school district who were retained in the fifth grade or advanced to the next higher grade by the grade placement committee in accordance with the Student Success Initiative (SSI) of Texas were the focus of this study.

Exploratory and confirmatory data/statistical analysis was used side-by-side in the present study. Confirmatory statistical/data analysis included a multiple linear regression and logistic regression analysis, followed with a trend analysis over the eight data points for both attendance and discipline. The null hypotheses for the present study were tested with multivariate and univariate F-distributions with a working alpha level of .025 and reporting alpha level of .05.

The logistic regression analyses revealed that overall independent variables, attendance and discipline are strong predictors of the criterion variable graduation for grades fifth through twelfth. Attendance in the eleventh grade and discipline in the tenth grade were found to be the best predictors, respectively when analyzed alone. However, both eighth grade attendance and eighth grade discipline were the stronger factors in predicting graduation, the outcome variable, when analyzed together.

A recommendation for practice is that the findings of the present study provide the local education agencies, especially school administrators data to consider when working with potential fifth grade GPC students, SSI sixth grade students, potential eighth grade GPC students, or SSI ninth grade students. Knowing that both poor attendance, that is, number of days present, and discipline, that is, a high number of discipline referrals, are strong and high-yield predictors of not graduating from high school, may/should prompt local education agencies and school administrators to put into practice early and immediate interventions to reverse negative attendance trends and discipline issues of Hispanic students in Texas Schools

Comments

Copyright 2013 Maria Luisa Trevino-Guerra. All Rights Reserved.

https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/graduation-as-function-attendance-discipline/docview/1501945482/se-2

Granting Institution

University of Texas-Pan American