Learn-Achieve-Succeed: New technologies for enhancing student performance

Tegrity Campus 2.0 is the first student achievement system that impacts learning across the entire institution, improving retention and student satisfaction. Tegrity makes class time available all the time by automatically capturing, storing and indexing every class on campus for replay by every student. With Tegrity, students quickly recall key moments or replay entire classes online, with digital notes, on their iPods and cell phones. [See PDF for complete abstract]

Quality Data is Key to Improving Education

The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) has been focused since 2005 on advocating for states to build robust state longitudinal data systems (SLDS). While states have made great progress in their data infrastructure, and should continue to emphasize this work, t data systems alone will not improve outcomes. It is time for both DQC and states to focus on building capacity to use the information that these systems are producing at every level – from classrooms to state houses. To impact system performance and student achievement, the ingrained culture must be replaced with one that focuses on data use for continuous improvement. The effective use of data to inform decisions, provide transparency, improve the measurement of outcomes, and fuel continuous improvement will not come to fruition unless there is a system wide focus on building capacity around the collection, analysis, dissemination, and use of this data, including through research.

An Innovative Approach to Impacting Student Academic Achievement and Attitudes: Pilot Study of the HEADS UP Virtual Molecular Biology Lab

Introduction: The Virtual Molecular Biology Lab is an innovative, computer-based educational program designed to teach advanced high school biology students how to create a transgenic mouse model in a simulated laboratory setting. It was created in an effort to combat the current decrease in adolescent enthusiasm for and academic achievement in science and science careers, especially in Hispanic students. Because studies have found that hands-on learning, particularly computer-based instruction, is effective in enhancing science achievement, the Virtual Lab is a potential tool for increasing the number of Hispanic students that choose to enter science fields. [See PDF for complete abstract]

An innovative approach to impacting student academic achievement and attitudes: Pilot study of the HEADS UP Virtual Molecular Biology Lab

Objective. To evaluate the HEADS UP Virtual Molecular Biology Lab, a computer-based simulated laboratory designed to teach advanced high school biology students how to create a mouse model. ^ Design. A randomized clinical control design of forty-four students from two science magnet high schools in Mercedes, Texas was utilized to assess knowledge and skills of molecular laboratory procedures, attitudes towards science and computers as a learning tool, and usability of the program. ^ Measurements. Data was collected using five paper-and-pencil formatted questionnaires and an internal "lab notebook." ^ Results. The Virtual Lab was found to significantly increase student knowledge over time (p<0.005) and with each use (p<0.001) as well as positively increase attitudes towards computers (p<0.001) and skills (p<0.005). No significant differences were seen in science attitude scores.^ Conclusion. These results provide evidence that the HEADS UP Virtual Molecular Biology Lab is a potentially effective educational tool for high school molecular biology education.^

Returning Texas Senate Bill 530 back to 1100 Congress Avenue: The need for effective surveillance reporting of student fitness levels to Texas house representatives

Every Texas student is required to complete the FITNESSGRAM fitness assessment under legislation outlined in Senate Bill 530. This study described cardiovascular, body mass index (BMI), and overall fitness levels of students (grades 3–12) in the state of Texas during the 2009–2010 school year, and provides examples of how to effectively present results to Texas House Representatives using three unique health communication strategies. Given the Texas legislature mandates FITNESSGRAM collection yet did not require reporting according to their election district, the data were aggregated to 150 Texas House Representative Districts by sex and grade category to facilitate effective fitness data dissemination. Fitness data were also analyzed with results from the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) to provide insight into potential relationships between fitness and academic achievement. ^ The majority of students in Texas need improvement on at least 1 fitness assessment. In general, female students have superior fitness in elementary and middle school but the fitness edge is erased by high school. Female cardiovascular fitness deteriorates faster from elementary to high school compared to male students. Female BMI deteriorates and male BMI improves from elementary to high school. Cardiovascular fitness and overall fitness decreases from elementary to high school for both male and female students. ^ Student fitness was significantly and strongly independently correlated with academic achievement. Further analysis showed that House Representatives with TAKS scores in the top quartile consistently showed superior fitness. Small significant partial correlations remain between fitness and TAKS assessment after controlling for socioeconomic status. In general, correlations were stronger between female BMI and TAKS assessment compared to male students. Cardiovascular fitness was significantly correlated with TAKS assessment for both genders. This paper supports student fitness as a confounder in the relationship between socioeconomic status and academic achievement. Plus, student fitness has a strong correlation with academic that deserves further exploration. ^ Senate Bill 530 fails to organize and implement a health communication strategy that effectively disseminates the health data collected to stakeholders of interest. The lack of a vital health communication strategy results in an incomplete student health surveillance system. This paper outlines three unique strategies tailored to legislators. It is important to disseminate health information using a variety of methods tailored to your targeted audience. The use of interactive mapping technology presented (GIS) uses new technology that has the potential to effectively reach a large audience.^

The association between academic achievement and health status among eighth -grade Hispanic students in Houston

This cross-sectional study examines the association between health and academic achievement among Hispanic eighth-grade students in the Houston Independent School District. As part of the district's 3 year Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative to enhance comprehensive educational programs, a brief anonymous questionnaire was administered in the classroom to 359 students in two schools during a one-month period in the early part of the 2001 school year. ^ The primary study questions are: Among this sample of Hispanic adolescents, is there a significant association between academic achievement and health status? and in this same population, is there a significant association between health risk behavior and health status? The specific aims of this research are: (1) to describe the association between academic achievement and health status; (2) to describe the association between health risk behaviors and health status; and (3) to describe the relative contribution of health risk behaviors and academic achievement to adolescent health status among this sample of Hispanic adolescents. ^ The survey instrument was a 32-item questionnaire that incorporated: several academic achievement questions measuring usual grades, school-related performance, attendance, student and perceived parental satisfaction with academic achievement, and educational aspirations; two health and quality of life scales measuring adolescent self-reported health; and specific measures of health risk behavior, e.g., frequency of tobacco cigarette smoking, alcohol and other drug use, aggression, and suicidal ideation and behavior that were incorporated from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Questions pertaining to sexual behavior and pregnancy were omitted to comply with school district guidelines. ^ Analysis revealed that strong associations between academic achievement and health status and between health risk behaviors and health status were observed after controlling for the covariates. Eight factors were found to be significantly associated with poor health status: usual grades (low), academic performance (low), academic achievement beliefs (low), classroom and homework performance satisfaction (low), ever drinking alcohol (6 or more times), suicidality (ever thought about, planned for, or sought medical help after attempting suicide), gender (female), and age (15 years and older). (Abstract shortened by UMI.) ^