Research Plan This action research plan is a quantitative study. An Integrated Learning System, Study Island, will be used to identify the math deficiencies of incoming 6th grade math students. Teachers will conduct a 4 to 6 week intervention using various strategies including co-teaching to address the deficiencies. A Study Island post test will be used to determine the effectiveness of the interventions. Study Island will also be used through the school year to practice for Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests. Scores for the class from the 5th and 6th grade OCCT will be compared to determine the effectiveness of interventions and Study Island Practice on student achievement. Context and Participants Setting. This study will be conducted in a middle school located in a small town of about 4000 people. The school system is the largest employer followed by an electric co-op. Oil related companies also contribute to the employment base. The town is located 25 miles from a large city and many residents commute to work. It is only middle school in the district, and is comprised of 450 students in grades 6, through 8. Participants. Students entering the 6th grade that scored below proficient level on their 5th grade Math OCCT will be targeted for participation in this research plan. The student population is 92% Caucasian and 57% free and reduced lunch. About 40% of the parents have an education beyond high school. The NFAY population averages around 14%, meaning that 14 out of every 100 students were not enrolled for a full academic year. These students either left the school district or entered the district or both during the school year. Participant selection. The students used in this study will be a convenience sample... ... middle of paper ... ...ffectiveness of intervention strategies will be determined by comparing the number of standard topics passed prior to intervention and the number passed on the post test. For the purpose of this study, 70% correct on individual standard topics will be considered a passing score. The number of students scoring unsatisfactory, limited knowledge, proficient, and advanced on 5th and 6th grade OCCT will be displayed in a bar graph to determine if an increase occurred. If an increase is found, z scores will be used to determine significance at a 0.05 level. Project Timeline August 4 Receive reports from Study Island 5th grade math August 11 Teacher collaboration begins October 3 Students take post test December 12 Students take benchmark Test February 20 Students take benchmark Test April 20 Students take Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test June Receive OCCT reports
Numbers can be deceiving and at the same time provide a close analysis of the data which can yield valuable information. As identified in the chart above Thornton Fractional South High School is performing below average as compared to the Illinois State averages for both the ACT and PSAE. However, when broken down by demographics there is another story that becomes abundantly clear. Some of our students are performing well on the state tests while others are fairing very poorly. The White demographic in our building is performing significantly better than either the Black...
In the society of today, there are various educators who believe in assessment as proper method to measure the performance of a child in school as well as the overall achievement of a specific school system. The assessment may be presented in the form of verbal, written, or multiple choice, and it usually pertains to certain academic subjects in the school curriculum. Recently, many educators began to issue standardized tests to measure the intelligence of a common student body. (Rudner, 1989) These standardized tests were initially created to reveal the success in institutional school programs, and exhibit the abilities of students today. The standardized tests can reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a student as well as the admission into certain programs. The test results also assist various schools in determining the proper curriculum, evaluate a specific school system, or a particular school related program.
America’s children have found increasing difficulty with school. The curriculum in schools is claiming to be harder in higher levels, but the lack of focus and direction in the younger grades has made for decreased grade levels and lower mastery in several basic areas such as math, writing, and reading skills. Standardized test scores are at an all time low, as increasing amounts of children progress through the educational system having not at...
Barr, C., Doyle, M., Clifford, J., De Leo,T., Dubeau, C. (2003). "There is More to Math: A Framework for Learning and Math Instruction” Waterloo Catholic District School Board
Program Evaluation and Research Branch, Los Angeles Unified School District . Planning, Assessment, and Research Division Publication, No. 111. 21 May 2002.
Student outlines how they would evaluate the effectiveness of both of the interventions, specifically describing the markers of success they would use to determine effectiveness?
In the 1980’s a report called “A Nation At Risk” stated that American children had fallen behind in such subjects as math and science. Thus came the advent of education’s increased focus on literacy and numeracy, accountability and academic standards. These high standards, according to Dumas (2000), are the most significant trend in schools today.
Artifact 1: Artifact 1, under Tab C: Curricular Content Knowledge, the Instructional Plan Module, completed during ELSE 6193 Laboratory Experience was completed. For the Instructional Module, candidates were to create and teach two lesson plans for both elementary and secondary instructional settings. The lessons plans were to address one or more of the goals and objectives that were written in each student’s Individual Education Program (IEP). The candidates were to describe in detail the adaptations and modification that were needed for the target students to be able to fully participate in each lesson. Additionally, each lesson plan was to incorporate some type of technology.
Unlike end of term tests, standardised tests such as NAPLAN are designed to compare proficiency with other students and include prescribed procedures for administering, scoring and interpreting results (Booker et al., 2010). The data gained from standardised tests can be used as evidence to compare mathematical achievement at a state, school or class level but could also be used to diagnose students’ strengths and weaknesses to refine teaching programs (Reys et al., 2012).
Cook, Bryan G., and Melvyn I. Semmel. American Educational Research Association. Chicago: ERIC, 1997. 3. Web.
Although our research project continues—it is far from finished—there were several considerations which brought us to the decision to write this book. First, in none of our publications had we spelled out the theoretical framework within which we have operated. It is consequently, with the relationships of our findings to each other, as well as to broader psychological issues, have not been discussed in a manner satisfactory to us. Second, is about we had a fair amount of unpublished data which we felt could only be evaluated within the context of all we have done. Third, is about we became increasingly aware that our work had important implications for psychological practices and procedures in the public schools. This awareness was due not only to our interpretation of our formal findings, or to the fact that we spent a great deal of time in the school setting, but also to the response of various school personnel who felt that our studies could be of great relevance in the development of testing procedures which would be more meaningful than those currently employed in our schools. The final factor entering into the decision to write this book was our inability, for reasons beyond our control, to remain together as a research team. We have worked intimately together for several years, all of us participating in the over-all
The purpose of Chapter two is to review literature related to the major variables within the study. Two literature reviews were conducted. The first literature review examined the retention rates and low standardized test scores on Students taking Middle School Math. This follows the purpose of the conceptual framework, the Keller’s ARCS model(1987). Here, there will be literature related to inform the study that is related to the research design, intervention design, and measurement instruments. Lastly there will be a section on the Conceptual Framework.
Furthermore, the researchers took time to observe children in the program settings to observe possible achievement. Test scores were gathered from the children’s standardized scholastic tests and report cards. The researchers also gathered copies of attendance records, behavior records, and participation in extracurricular activities. Some observations were made during classes to observe the control group students’ progress within classes. The teachers provided the researchers with copies of the student’s tests, quizzes, and other exercises to help determine achievement levels.
John W. Gardner said, “Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.” Education today is very ineffective. It is in an in between phase of the ways of old and a time of complete reform. The main issue is that people often lose sight of why the education system should even be reformed. It shouldn’t be reformed because “that’s what everyone else is doing.” It needs to be reformed to bridge the gap for the students who have a different learning style. It should be reformed to expand knowledge for students. Education reform can have good and bad effects. Because the education system is very complex, educators are being faced with changes and they must decide what is best for students.