03/12/2026
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Sarah C. After “Leveraging Improvement Science to Strengthen Student Academic Agency and Equity in Mathematics amid a Schoolwide Assessment and Grading Change."

Candidate: Sarah C. After
Degree: Doctoral- Ed.D. Leadership in Schooling
Defense Date: March 25, 2026
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: Via Zoom
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Leveraging Improvement Science to Strengthen Student Academic Agency and Equity in Mathematics amid a Schoolwide Assessment and Grading Change

Dissertation Committee

  • Chair: Christina Whittlesey, Ph.D., Adjunct Faculty, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Marjeta Bejdo, Ed.D, Adjunct Faculty, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract
Sixth-grade students at Mountain Middle School (MMS), a public International Baccalaureate middle school in the U.S. Rocky Mountains, lacked a clear understanding of expectations for high-quality mathematical work and were uncertain how to improve their performance. This lack of clarity coincided with low mathematics self-efficacy and opportunity disparities, particularly for students with disabilities, female students, and Hispanic students. Grounded in research on self-efficacy and self-regulated learning (Bandura, 1997; Zimmerman & Kitsantas, 2002) and formative, equity-oriented assessment (Earl, 2013; Feldman, 2018), this study examined whether implementing a problem-solving routine and exemplar use could strengthen students’ written mathematical communication and self-efficacy. The research questions asked: (1) How, if at all, does sixth-grade students’ practice with Polya’s four-step problem-solving method, paired with coursework exemplars, impact written mathematical problem-solving skills and self-efficacy? (2) What factors influence students’ self-efficacy during the written problem-solving process? Using an improvement science methodology, a mixed-methods Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle with pre-post design was implemented across five 6th-grade mathematics classes following a recent transition to a criterion-referenced grading system. After the five-week intervention, students’ Mathematical Communication Task scores increased by an average of 2.27 points on an 8-point scale, a 28.4% gain, exceeding the 15% aim. Mathematics Self-Efficacy Questionnaire scores increased by 2%, but did not reach the 10% aim. Qualitative findings from student focus groups and coursework identified three themes: exemplars strengthened clarity and confidence; real-world tasks increased engagement; and peer comparison weakened self-efficacy. The single-cycle, single-setting design limited generalizability; however, findings offered actionable guidance for MMS educators designing equitable assessment routines and classroom conditions to strengthen academic agency and mathematical communication.

Keywords: assessment-as-learning; criterion-referenced grading; exemplars; improvement science; International Baccalaureate (IB); mathematics self-efficacy; Middle Years Programme (MYP)