Date of Award

Spring 2009

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership

First Advisor

David Gullatt

Abstract

This study examined differences in the academic achievement between students who participated in the Louisiana Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (LA GEAR UP) Summer/Academic Year Learning Projects and students who did not participate in the program. The sample consisted of 111 students who attended schools participating in the LA GEAR UP program and who attended at least 4 LA GEAR UP summer learning camps and a comparison group of 111 students attending the same schools but who did not attend a summer learning camp. Participating students were individually matched with non-participants on 7 variables, including 6th-grade Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) composite scores as a baseline academic measure. The dependent variables included grade point average for grades 10, 11, and 12 and student scores on all components of the Louisiana Graduate Exit Exam (GEE). The data were analyzed using a one-way Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and a one-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with the 6th-grade ITBS composite score as covariate. Statistical analyses revealed a positive and significant difference in favor of participants for combined GPA for grades 10, 11, and 12, as well as for GPA in grades 10, 11, and 12 individually. The analyses of the Graduate Exit Exam scores indicated no significant difference between groups for (a) the combined scores on the Graduate Exit Exam; (b) the mathematics test, and (c) the science test. The analyses found a significant difference in favor of participants for the English/language arts and social studies tests.

Download

Share

COinS