The Lived Experience of Students Taking an Accountability Test

158 Pages·2017·1.24 MB·English

University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative
Exchange
Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School
8-2010
Listening to students: Te Lived Experience of
Students Taking an Accountability Test
Laura Rutherford Crisp
To the Graduate Council:
I am submiting herewith a dissertation writen by Laura Rutherford Crisp entitled "Listening to
students: Te Lived Experience of Students Taking an Accountability Test." I have examined the fnal
electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial
fulfllment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Educational
Psychology and Research.
Katherine Greenberg, Major Professor
We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance:
Howard Pollio, Gary Skolits, Ralph Brocket
Accepted for the Council:
Dixie L. Tompson
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
(Original signatures are on fle with ofcial student records.)
To the Graduate Council:
I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Laura Rutherford Crisp entitled
―Listening to Students: The Lived Experience of Students Taking an Accountability Test.‖ I
have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and
recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Educational Psychology and Research.

Katherine Greenberg, Major Professor

We have read this dissertation
And recommend its acceptance:

Howard Pollio_____________

Gary Skolits_______________

Ralph G. Brockett___________

Accepted for the Council:

Carolyn R. Hodges____________
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School

(Original signatures are on file with official student records.)
LISTENING TO STUDENTS:
THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF STUDENTS
TAKING AN ACCOUNTABILITY TEST

A Dissertation
Presented for the
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Laura Rutherford Crisp
December 2010
Dedication

This dissertation is dedicated to my son. His experience has opened my eyes to
how important it is to listen to those who are most affected by educational reform:
educators and students.
―..the educational function does not rest upon our ability to control, or our will to
instruct, but upon our human nature and the nature of experience.‖
Dennison, 1969
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Acknowledgements

My sincere thanks go out to the students at the recreation center who were willing
to interview with me, as well as the head honcho, who is such a positive force at the
center.
I also want to thank Kathy Greenberg who convinced me to get my Ph.D. by telling
me that all I have to do is write a dissertation. Your supportive advice and kind but
tenacious editing of my paper after such a long hiatus was much appreciated.
My gratitude extends to the rest of my valuable committee: Dr. Howard Pollio, Dr.
Ralph Brockett, and Dr. Gary Skolits for all your advice, support and constructive
feedback of my research.
I would also like to thank all of the research team members of the Applied
Educational Psychology research team at the University of Tennessee for their help and
insight in analyzing and interpreting the data for this project.
Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and friends who continued to
believe I would finish my dissertation even when I myself did not. I especially want to
thank my parents for all of their support during these last few months. I appreciate Ethan
calling it my ―desertation‖, as it always made me smile. Finally, I want to thank everyone
who continued to ask the annoying yet much needed question over these last three
years, ―When are you going to finish your dissertation?‖
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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the lived experience of students taking
a high stakes test. The phenomenological method developed by Howard Pollio (Pollio,
Graves, and Arfken, 2005, Thomas and Pollio, 2002, Pollio, Henley, and Thompson,
1997) at the University of Tennessee was utilized to explore the perceptions of the
experience of fourth and fifth grade students who took the Tennessee Comprehensive
Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement Test, an end of the year criterion-referenced,
standardized achievement test given to students in Tennessee.
Nine students from two schools in East Tennessee were interviewed about their
experience of taking the test. Based on the student‘s own words, a Ground and three
themes were identified: (Ground) the test as different from other tests; It just felt like
another test, but like more important/ weird; (Theme 1) reactions to the actual test: It was
kind of hard and kind of easy; (Theme 2) strategies that help you on the test: Yeah, you
have to really try hard; and (Theme 3): The purpose of the test: It decides, well, I don’t
know, but it seems…..
This study shows that asking children about their experience can enlighten our
understanding of standardized testing practices that impact test scores schools rely on so
heavily to prove their efficacy as an institution. If we are to support our teachers and our
schools in this era of high stakes, we should acknowledge the voices of our students who
are taking them, and adjust our policy and practices accordingly. Considerations for
practice and recommendations are also included.
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Table of Contents

Dedication .............................................................................................. ii
Acknowledgements ............................................................................. iii
Abstract.................................................................................................iv
Table of Contents ..................................................................................v
List of Figures .....................................................................................vii
Chapter I.................................................................................................1
Background ...........................................................................................1
Statement of Problem .....................................................................5
Purpose of the Study ................................................................... 14
Research Question....................................................................... 15
Delimitations ................................................................................. 15
Limitations .................................................................................... 16
Significance of study ................................................................... 16
Organization of the dissertation ................................................. 17
Chapter 2 ............................................................................................ 19
Introduction ........................................................................................ 19
The History of Accountability in Schools .................................. 20
No Child Left Behind .................................................................... 32
Tennessee’s Accountability Testing Program .......................... 34
Teachers’ Beliefs about Effects of Tests on Their Students ... 37
The Pressure of High Stakes Testing 38
Changes to Curriculum 40
Concerns for Those Most At-Risk 42
Childrens’ Response to Tests..................................................... 43
Conclusions .................................................................................. 49
Chapter III............................................................................................ 51
Introduction ........................................................................................ 51
Why Phenomenology? ................................................................ 51
The Phenomenological Research Method 54
Bracketing Interviews .................................................................. 58
Identifying the Participants ......................................................... 60
Interviews ...................................................................................... 62
Interpretation of the Data............................................................. 64
Chapter IV ........................................................................................... 67
Findings .............................................................................................. 67
The Ground ................................................................................... 69
Theme I .......................................................................................... 75
Hard 76
Easy 81
Theme II ......................................................................................... 82
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Theme III ........................................................................................ 84
Summary of Findings ........................................................................ 86
Chapter V ............................................................................................ 88
Summary and Conclusions .............................................................. 88
Summary of Findings .................................................................. 89
A Culture of High Stakes Exams 89
Discussion .................................................................................... 91
The Ground of the Experience: It was like, just another test 91
Theme I: It was kind of hard and kind of easy. 96
Theme II: Yeah, you have to really try hard 99
Theme III: It decides…well I don’t know but it seems… 101
Considerations for Practice ...................................................... 102
Recommendations for Future Research ................................. 104
Personal Reflection on Interviewing Children ........................ 107
Conclusions ................................................................................ 110
REFERENCES .................................................................................. 112
References ........................................................................................ 113
Appendix A: Bracketing Interview ................................................. 131
Appendix B: Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval Letter .. 136
Appendix C: Parental Informed Consent Letter ........................... 137
Appendix D: Participant Assent Form ........................................... 138
Appendix E: Research Team Pledge of Confidentiality .............. 139
Appendix F: Potential Themes Presented to Committee ............ 140
Different ............................................................................................ 140
Stress ................................................................................................ 140
Degree of Difficulty .......................................................................... 141
Hard and Easy ............................................................................ 141
Confusing .................................................................................... 143
Self-Awareness/Motivation ............................................................. 145
Vita ..................................................................................................... 147

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List of Figures

Figure 1: Structure of the Experience of Students Taking a High Stakes Test ..67

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