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Research Plan
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Goal: To study the
relationship between student achievement and classrooms organized as
self-contained or departmentalized and provide information to administrators
and other stakeholders in the position to make scheduling decisions.
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Action Step(s):
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Person(s) Responsible
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Timeline:
Start/End
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Needed Resources
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Evaluation
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Identify two
campuses with similar SES, one using self contained instruction and one using
departmentalized
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Myself
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June/August
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Schedule from two
campuses, administrator assistance
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Are the schools
matched for SES, class size, TEA status?
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Request teacher
participation in answering a survey to collect qualitative data: their
feelings on the two arrangements, their feelings on student engagement, work
load, effectiveness of instruction.
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I will create the
surveys, request permission to send them and that the teachers complete them.
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November
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Electronic or
paper survey
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Analyze the
information collected from the teachers
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Collect
assessment data from each campus:
Benchmarks tests
Curriculum
Assessments
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Myself
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Throughout school
year as test results become available
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Test scores,
objective analysis,
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Analyze and
compile data. Identify patterns
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Publish results
of the research study
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Myself
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May
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Blog to
disseminate findings, interpretation of my quantitative and qualitative data
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Compare the
results of the two instructional arrangements and identify patters
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I am open to feedback. So feel free to share.
This looks like an interesting study. I would think that you would be able to find a good deal of background research on the topic. I do have a question to ask, what grade levels in particular do you plan to focus your study upon or do you intend to study all grade levels at the two schools that agree to participate?
ReplyDeleteI would also suggest considering that you survey your teachers more than once. You may also want to focus on computerized survey tools to help make the teacher survey be as accessible as possible for the teachers to integrate into their busy schedules. I think that may encourage more of the teachers to be willing and able to complete your surveys in a timely manner.
Thank you for the recommendations. Since posting I've had a chance to speak more with my site supervisor who has made similar suggestions. I've narrowed the research, for now, to just fourth grade. I will probably also focus more on the results on just my campus for now. My site supervisor pointed out that we've used both instructional arrangments on our campus and probably have a wealth of data waiting to be looked at.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good plan then! I think your site supervisor had some great insights for you! That sounds very doable and much easier for you.
DeleteLove it!!!! I would love to see what your plan says when its all done. We are departmentalized in both 4th and 5th grade right now. I am a second grade teacher, but hear nothing but good things from them.
ReplyDeleteI love your plan.. Being a middle school math teacher this is our compliant. Whe collecting data see if you can collect data from students who benefited from both departmentalizing and self contained.. The average elementary teacher is strong in reading and social studies. Teachers tend to teach more what they are passionate about. As a result students come to us without the math/science foundation.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought...
When you refer to deparmentalized, are you refering to students being allowed to participate in resource classes and mainstream classes instead of being in a self-contained setting? I am very interested in your findings. I currently work at a campus that is considering doing away with resource classes and moving all of these students into inclusion classes. I believe in providing a true continuum of services as different levels of support will benefit different students, so we never want to eliminate a level of support. However, it may be true that increased opportunities to participate in general education settings may contribute to greater success.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for the late reply. By departmentalized I mean that each teacher or a team will focus on only one or two subjects depending on the exact arrangement. My campus is working toward the same thing in regards to mainstreaming students with special needs. I found that in my special education training and classes that what they teach us is just good instruction. I totally agree that a wide range of students can benefit from these differentiated techniques.
ReplyDelete