Factors Influencing Student Participation in the Utah Aspire Plus

The Utah Aspire Plus is an annual assessment of reading, English language arts, math, and science administered to Utah public school students in grades 9 and 10. The Utah State Board of Education contracted with the Utah Education Policy Center to study possible causes of the decline in Utah Aspire Plus participation, including causes related to the “perceived and realized value” of the assessment to students, parents, and educators, and to recommend changes that might improve participation. Our analysis suggests that the three most important factors related to the declining rate of participation in the Utah Aspire Plus (UA+) are 1) Rising opt-out rates; 2) Attending an online school; and 3) Chronic absenteeism.

Although our survey and interview samples are small and non-representative (n = 155), opinions gathered suggest several concerns that are likely related to non-participation, including concerns about the validity and utility of the UA+, the impact of the UA+ on instruction, and concerns distinctive to online schools. We recommend several approaches that may bolster participation, including advocating for assessment, emphasizing collective benefits, reconsidering the design of the science section of the UA+, reconsidering the eligibility of online home-school students, and expanding the accessibility of remote online administration for students attending online schools.

 

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