Personalized learning environments requiring the elicitation of a student's knowledge state have inspired researchers to propose distinct models to understand that knowledge state. Recently, the spotlight has shone on comparisons between traditional, interpretable models such as Bayesian Knowledge Tracing (BKT) and complex, opaque neural network…

Testing item-level fit is important in scale development to guide item revision/deletion. Many item-level fit indices have been proposed in literature, yet none of them were directly applicable to an important family of models, namely, the higher order item response theory (HO-IRT) models. In this study, chi-square-based fit indices (i.e., Yen's…

Evidence of student growth is a primary outcome of interest for educational accountability systems. When three or more years of student test data are available, questions around how students grow and what their predicted growth is can be answered. Given that test scores contain measurement error, this error should be considered in growth and…

A growing body of research suggests that accounting for student specific variability in educational data can improve modeling accuracy and may have implications for individualizing instruction. The Additive Factors Model (AFM), a logistic regression model used to fit educational data and discover/refine skill models of learning, contains a…

This article presents the design and implementation of a study and research path for teacher education (SRP-TE) based on the Anthropological Theory of the Didactic. The goal is to analyze this teacher education proposal for inclusive statistics education aiming to overcome constraints derived from the phenomenon of the transparency of data…

Recent methods have sought to improve precision in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by utilizing data from large observational datasets for covariate adjustment. For example, consider an RCT aimed at evaluating a new algebra curriculum, in which a few dozen schools are randomly assigned to treatment (new curriculum) or control (standard…

This study examined whether instructional humor (IH) was not just another type of seductive detail when covariates such as humor pre-disposition, prior-knowledge, and working memory capacity were controlled. Participants were students (N = 228) from universities who were randomly assigned two stimuli conditions in the classic experimental design.…

Self-determination theory has been applied in various educational contexts. Language learning researchers have used factor analysis and structural equation modeling to investigate measures designed for this theory, but Rasch analysis has not been conducted. The Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) and the Language…

Data science surrounds us in contexts as diverse as climate change, air pollution, route-finding, genomics, market manipulation, and movie recommendations. To open the "data-science-black-box" for lower secondary school students, we developed a data science teaching unit focusing on the analysis of environmental data, which we embedded…

This dissertation is comprised of three essays, each examining a different topic in labor economics. In Chapter 1, I examine the productivity and selection effects of K-12 teacher tenure by leveraging variation from New Jersey's TEACHNJ Act. This law extended the pre-tenure period from three to four years and allowed districts to dismiss…

Measurement errors attributable to cultural issues are complex and challenging for educational assessments. We need assessment tests sensitive to the cultural heterogeneity of populations, and psychometric methods appropriate to address fairness and equity concerns. Built on the research of culturally responsive assessment, this dissertation…

Data science and informatics tools are developing at a blistering rate, but their users often lack the educational background or resources to efficiently apply the methods to their research. Training resources and vignettes that accompany these tools often deprecate because their maintenance is not prioritized by funding, giving teams little time…

The present study deals with the mediation of statistics anxiety and motivation in the relationship comprising academic dishonesty, personality traits, and previous academic achievements in three different learning environments (Face to Face -- F2F, Planned Online Environment -- POE, and Emergency Remote Teaching -- ERT). Self-determination theory…

Building on the need for developing educational responses to the impact of data practices in our everyday lives, a new curriculum called Nayah-Irú was designed and implemented in the context of five alternative schools in Uruguay. Nayah-Irú aimed at fostering Critical Data Literacy (CDL) using speculative civic literacies, helping youth and…

This report provides an overview of kindergarten readiness of six Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) kindergarten cohorts from the 2016-17 to the 2021-22 school year. This report is accompanied by the Annual Digest of City Schools Kindergarten Statistics, 2022 Edition (Baltimore Education Research Consortium [BERC], 2022), which provides…