Data Model

 Research the student performance of high school students graduating in 2025. Focus on Summers county, Monroe County, Greenbrier County, Mercer County, and Pocahontas County in the State of West Virginia. Analyze the need for remedial classes for college freshmen in 2025. 

Research Focus

 

I'm starting to research the academic performance of high school students graduating in 2025 from Summers, Monroe, Greenbrier, Mercer, and Pocahontas counties in West Virginia. My primary goal is to understand the potential need for remedial classes for these students when they enter college.

 

Initial Data Gathering StrategyData 

 

To begin, I'm focusing on gathering data from official sources, specifically the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC). I'll start by locating their main websites and any available data portals or report libraries. My initial searches will be broad to identify these key repositories, and then I'll refine them to find specific data points like assessment results, graduation rates, and SAT/ACT scores for the specified counties, as well as statewide data on college remedial course enrollment.

 

Next Steps

 

My immediate next step is to conduct broad searches to identify the official websites and data sources for the WVDE and WV HEPC. Once I have access to these resources, I will proceed to locate relevant data reports, gather county-level data for the specified areas, find information on college remediation rates, and look for any studies connecting high school performance to college remediation needs. I will also investigate any initiatives aimed at improving college readiness in the state.

 

Identifying Key Data Sources

 

I've successfully identified the primary official sources for education data in West Virginia: the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) for K-12 information and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) for higher education data. I've also found their respective data portals, including the WVDE's 'ZoomWV Data Dashboard' and the HEPC's 'Data and Publication Center,' which appear to be central to my research.

 

Initial Data Insights

 

I've located recent statewide assessment results for 2024, which show slight gains in English Language Arts and Math proficiency, though still below pre-COVID-19 levels. I also found information on the 2023 college-going rate for West Virginia, which saw a slight increase. For standardized tests, I have access to the 2024 SAT report for West Virginia, including participation and mean scores, and some state-level ACT data. Regarding remedial education, I've found reports indicating that a significant percentage of college-bound students in West Virginia have historically required remedial courses, particularly in some southern counties, and that corequisite remediation models have shown positive results.

 

Next Research Actions

 

My next step is to delve deeper into these identified data sources. I will browse the WVDE's ZoomWV Data Dashboard to extract specific assessment and graduation rates for Summers, Monroe, Greenbrier, Mercer, and Pocahontas counties. Concurrently, I will explore the WV HEPC's Data and Publication Center to find college-going rates and remedial course enrollment data for these same counties. I will also examine the 2024 SAT report for any county-level breakdowns. Finally, I plan to conduct targeted searches for any specific college readiness initiatives within the five counties of interest.