Abstract
In recent years, the Mississippi Department of Education has made several changes in curriculum and policy to improve students’ literacy rates on standardized test scores. As a result of these changes, teachers have been offered more professional development training to educate them on best literacy practices to implement in the classroom. This study aims to identify best practices that teachers use in third-grade classrooms to improve students’ standardized test scores on the Third Grade Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) for English Language Arts (ELA). Upon obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, the student researcher obtained approval from administrators to conduct research in the Lowndes County School District. The student researcher compiled Third Grade MAAP ELA test scores data over three consecutive academic years (2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019), surveyed those third-grade teachers on best practices used for ELA instruction, and compared the teacher survey results and test scores to determine what correlation exists, if any, to improve standardized ELA test scores.
Recommended Citation
Ferguson, Caroline Greer.
"The Impact of Using Best Practices to Improve English Language Arts Standardized Test Scores in Rural Central Mississippi Schools."
Merge, vol. 7,
Iss.
1
2023
.
Available at:
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/merge/vol7/iss1/1
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons