The effect of student choice and interest on student success: A quantitative study of the outcomes of specialized school experiences in Texas

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to add to the body of work around specialized campuses in the state of Texas. These campuses are becoming increasingly popular across the nation and there is little data to support whether they or traditional campuses are more successful when it comes to student outcomes. This research aims to determine if specialized school models positively impact student achievement by providing quantitative data to further the discussion about the effectiveness of these campuses. In order to accomplish this task, the researcher considered specialized campuses to be those that are Early College High Schools, STEM campuses, Leadership Academies, and any others that have a specialized focus different from a traditional campus. Data was collected from a five-year period from the 2014-2015 school year to the 2018- 2019 school year to avoid the anomalies of the COVID Pandemic of 2020. A group of specialized schools that serve grades 9-12 was selected and a comparable set of traditional schools was selected for comparison. Success was determined by an analysis of data provided by the Texas Education Agency and included, Average Daily Attendance, 4-year Longitudinal Graduation Rate, End of Course STAAR scores, national testing results, and Texas's College, Career, Military Readiness (CCMR) measure. This data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and a t-test to determine the difference in the means of the two data sets. The results of the study showed that specialized campuses outperform traditional campuses in six of seven standardized tests and the CCMR measure. This is important data for district and school administration as it relates to future planning and meeting the needs of all students within their scope of influence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)