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Few empirical studies explore how socioeconomic status (SES) disadvantaged students perform academically in a 100% online school. This causal-comparative ex post facto quantitative study examined how SES-disadvantaged students at an online charter school performed academically when compared with both SES-disadvantaged and non-SES-disadvantaged students enrolled in a traditional public school. Choice theory and how it applies to education was foundational to the study. Using archival data from 2011–2012 for math and reading on state-standardized testing, research questions compared of SES-disadvantaged students scores to non-SES disadvantaged students within two schools in one school district. The test scores analysis was by independent t-tests. The results for SES-disadvantaged students indicate significantly lower performance by online students (n = 43) compared with their counterparts at a traditional elementary school (n = 43); t = 2.33 and p = 0.022 for math and t = 3.57 and p = <0.001 for reading. Among the non-SES-disadvantaged students, results also indicate lower performance at the online charter school (n = 20) than at the traditional public school (n = 20); t = 3.22 and p = 0.003 for math and t = 2.95 and p = .005 for reading. No significant differences emerged between SES-disadvantaged students and non-SES disadvantaged students enrolled in the online school for math (n = 63; t = 1.65 and p = 0.105) or for reading (t = 0.89 and p = 0.378 for reading). Comparing SES-disadvantaged students and non-SES-disadvantaged students enrolled at the traditional elementary school on math scores indicated a significantly lower difference (n = 63; t = 2.58 and p = 0.012), but not on reading scores ( n = 63, t = 0.74 and p = 0.461).
Advisor: | Graham, Donna |
Commitee: | Ahmed, Betty, Bryan, John |
School: | Grand Canyon University |
Department: | Doctoral Studies |
School Location: | United States -- Arizona |
Source: | DAI-A 79/05(E), Dissertation Abstracts International |
Source Type: | DISSERTATION |
Subjects: | Mathematics education, Educational tests & measurements, Educational leadership, Elementary education, Reading instruction, Educational technology |
Keywords: | Academic achievement, Assessment, Charter schools, K -12, Online |
Publication Number: | 10742560 |
ISBN: | 978-0-355-57107-3 |