COMMUNICATION ARTS GROWTH AMONG MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTSENROLLED IN FOUR CURRICULUAR PATHS

Abstract

This quantitative, quasi-experimental study was conducted in a large, suburbandistrict located southeast of Kansas City, Missouri, involved in a system-wide curricularreorganization aligned with detracking practices. The population included the cohort ofstudents enrolled in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade between the school years 2006 –2007 and 2008 – 2009. From this population, a sample of 1062 students were selectedbased on established criteria: students were enrolled consecutively during the time frameexamined; students were enrolled in one of four identified curricular paths (representativeof middle school curricular offerings); and all demographic and assessment data wereavailable. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there was a difference incommunication arts growth as measured by the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP)among groups of students enrolled in any of four curricular paths. The second purposewas to determine whether a difference in growth on the MAP was affected by ethnicity orgender. The dependent variable was communication arts growth while the independentvariables were curricular path, ethnicity, and gender. The Communication Arts portionof the Missouri state assessment, MAP, was used to measure communication arts growth.The analysis revealed a significant difference between some students enrolled inthe traditional gifted communication arts course and some students enrolled in thestandard grade level course between sixth and seventh grade, indicating some advancedstudents experienced more success in a traditionally tracked setting. Another significantdifference occurred that same year between males and females enrolled in the traditionalgifted course, as males grew more than their female peers did. This group of males alsogrew more than some males in the grade level course. Within the grade level course, one group of males outperformed (according to growth means) another. Considering thecurricular context of these findings, this data suggest that the traditional tracked structureagain proved beneficial for some groups of students, specifically, males enrolled in thegifted curriculum and some males enrolled in the standard, grade level curriculum. Thefindings did not reveal any statistical differences between seventh and eighth grade, theyear courses were re-organized to offer a more rigorous, challenging curriculum to awider, more heterogeneous population.Based on the findings of this study, future research might include a replication ofthe current study with an expanded, longitudinal sampling involving multiple cohortsfrom the district; a replication of the current study in comparable settings to see iffindings are similar; the addition of qualitative methodology to more fully examine theparadigms, attitudes, and culture of the setting and their effect on programming changes;the inclusion of additional independent variables (such as growth in disciplines other thancommunication arts); and the inclusion of additional dependent variables (such associoeconomic status).