Factors motivating black male students to pass the Virginia Literacy Passport Test after failing several administrations and being labeled "ungraded"

Abstract

This study contains four case study reports. Each case has an introduction, a detailed story of a student's scholastic trials while trying to pass Virginia's Literacy Passport Test (LPT), a behavioral record, and a summary which includes graphic illustrations of grades and attendance. Three interview instruments were developed to gather data from the students, their parents, and the teachers who had helped with LPT remediation. Using these data, along with transcripts and test results, case study databases were constructed. Contact forms, document forms, and case-level matrices helped provide a formal organization of the data. Multiple sources of evidence and triangulation of data assured reasonable construct validity. Conclusions were drawn from a cross-case analysis of the data. The primary conclusion was that the consequences of the "ungraded" Status given to high school students who hadn’t completed LPT requirements (no sports, non-graded label, and tracking) acted to motivate them by creating extrinsic and intrinsic pressures. However, it was discovered that once the LPT requirements were met academic achievement dropped. Because the anticipated result of the consequences of failing the LPT seems to be working, it was recommended that similar consequences be added for middle school students. Furthermore, it was recommended that meaningful consequences (maintaining a driver's license) beyond those associated with the LPT be aligned with achievement in order to keep students motivated through graduation. Improving parental involvement in the academic endeavors of at-risk students and sanctions for derelict parents were also recommended.