A multi-level analysis of upper elementary students’ performance on the STAAR reading exam: comparing growth trajectories of rural and non-rural school districts

ABSTRACT

We examined student reading achievement in rural and non-rural school districts in Texas. Our research questions probed the improvement in student performance over time, differences in the number of students achieving at different performance levels, and the impact of district-level characteristics on reading achievement. Through quantitative analyses of district-level aggregated data, we compared student growth trajectories over three years. We employed growth hierarchical linear modelling to explore to what extent time, school location, and their interaction impacted student outcomes, as measured by the state reading test. We found that both rural and non-rural students improved in all three performance levels. Location differences were only found in the higher performance levels. We further added 11 district-level factors that might influence student reading performance into the model. The percentages of at-risk and economically disadvantaged students, student mobility rate, and teacher turnover rate had a statistically significant negative impact for all reading levels.

KEYWORDS:

• Reading
• literacy
• rural education
• hierarchal linear modelling
• Texas

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Notes on contributors

Shifang Tang

Dr. Shifang Tang is an Assistant Research Scientist in the Center for Research & Development in Dual Language & Literacy Acquisition at Texas A&M University. Her research interests include assessment and evaluation for English learners in bilingual settings, as well as examining the instructional quality and best practices for teaching these students. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5351-4684

Zhuoying Wang

Dr. Zhuoying Wang is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Center for Research & Development in Dual Language & Literacy Acquisition at Texas A&M University. Her research interests include language development and evaluation for English learners in ESL and bilingual settings, as well as examining their self-regulated learning motivation and strategies. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4039-6850

Kara L. Sutton-Jones

Dr. Kara L. Sutton-Jones is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Center for Research & Development in Dual Language & Literacy Acquisition at Texas A&M University. Her research interests include dual language/bilingual education; education policy, especially as it impacts English learners; teacher preparation/development; and educational technology. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8071-748X