Correlate the vision of a school, the curriculum, and student needs in order to ensure the success of all students. Your vision should reiterate what you believe to be the best for the students.
Scenario:
You are the new principal of Wolf Junior High in your school district. Wolf JH consists of approximately 500 students in grades 7-8. Students are randomly assigned to grade-level, subject-specific classroom teachers. The school is diverse socioeconomically with several students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. The ethnic composition of the school is relatively diverse consisting primarily of African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Caucasian students.
There are three ladies teaching 8th-grade math as their secondary teaching area at the school, each doing their own thing when it comes to teaching math. Ms. Smith, a young African-American lady who is certified to teach science and math, has been teaching for a total of 5 years and has taught math for the past 3 years. Ms. Walter, a Caucasian lady in her 40s who is certified to teach Spanish and math, has taught Spanish for 12 years but has taught math for the past 3 years. Ms. Rutger, an older Caucasian lady and the sister of the school board president, has been teaching PE for 24 years and has been assigned to teach math for the past 3 years. Each teacher was allowed to use their preferred teaching method and to select their own textbook three years ago. All three use different textbooks.
Ms. Rutger’s approach to teaching math would be broadly defined as the traditional method. The traditional math teacher adheres to a top-down approach in which knowledge originates from the teacher and is disseminated to the students. The teacher is recognized by the students (and often by the teacher herself) as the authority on the subject matter. Traditional math teachers tend to thrive on structure and order, resulting in quiet, calm learning environments. There is research that indicates certain behavioral issues are minimized in a traditional classroom resulting in effective, direct instruction.
Ms. Smith and Ms. Walter’s approach to teaching math would be more broadly defined as the standards-based method. The standards-based math teacher adheres to a literal interpretation of well-written standards. The teacher facilitates the learning in a constructivist environment in which students develop, explore, conjecture and test their conjectures within the confines of the standard. The teacher believes there is research that a majority of children learn more and deeper mathematics and are better problem solvers when in the standards-based classroom.
During a meeting with the math department you suggest that the three 8th-grade math teachers should be using the same teaching method and the same textbook. Ms. Rutger, being quite vocal, feels strongly that her approach is the better of the two because of the ethnic composition and sociological background of the students. She further believes and proposes that the students should be grouped among the three teachers according to the students’ ethnicity. She suggests that Ms. Smith who is African-American teach the majority of the African-American students and that she, Ms. Rutger, would primarily teach the Caucasian and Asian students. Ms. Walter, who speaks fluent Spanish, would teach the majority of the Hispanic students. She also proposes that students be grouped within each teacher’s class by their ability with the high-ability students in a group by themselves and the lower-ability students in a group by themselves because she believes, based on a “gut” feeling, that the students will perform better if they are segregated into groups within the classroom. To support her argument she provides a copy of an article she located in the ASU library (see the Ross article entitled “Math and Reading Instruction in Tracked First-Grade Classes”) to each member of the department. She mentions that she has discussed this with her brother, the school board president, and that it will probably be discussed at the next board meeting. She further states that math is math and teachers should be allowed to teach using the style in which they are most comfortable.
Ms. Walter does not agree with Ms. Rutger’s proposal and shares an article that she has read (see the Thompson article about standards based math). She states that research indicates students in traditional programs may have better procedural skills, but definitely lack in problem-solving creativity. She proposes that all three teachers should be using the standards-based approach to teaching.
The next day you visit with the superintendent about your desire to have a unified approach to teaching math. The superintendent directs you to prepare a detailed written paper that argues your case for a specific teaching method – standards-based or traditional – based on your analysis of the 8th grade test scores before the next board meeting.
You have less than 20 days before the next board meeting. You have access to the latest student standardized math scores and personal data for the students taught by the 3 teachers (use the file named Research Project Data). In order to protect confidentially, student names have been replaced by numbers. You try to anticipate any question that might be raised about student performance. (Answer the questions listed below.) You decide to review the school’s current vision statement to see how the teaching methods align with it but are dismayed to find that no vision statement exists.
The following are tasks for you to perform:
Task 1: Create a Vision Committee consisting of school staff members and community members to review the literature about vision statements and to write a vision statement for the school.
a. Who should serve on the Vision Committee? Explain who would serve on your committee and why they would be asked to serve. These individuals should be actual people in your district/community. Write a brief description of each team member including age range, economic level, and explain why they were selected to serve on the committee. Do not use their actual name! [ELCC 4.2 - Candidates demonstrate the ability to capitalize on the diversity (Cultural, ethnic, racial, economic, and special interest groups) of the school community to improve school programs and meet the diverse needs of all students.]
b. What does the literature say about a school vision? Use at least 5 references.
c. Based upon your review of literature what would be your new vision statement? [ELCC 1.1- Candidates base development of the vision on relevant knowledge and theories including, but not limited to an understanding of learning goals in a pluralistic society, the diversity of learners and learners’ needs, schools as interactive social and cultural systems, and social and organizational change.]
d. Explain how you would communicate the vision to staff, parents, students, and community members through the use of symbols, ceremonies, stories, and other activities. [ELCC 1.2 Candidates demonstrate the ability to communicate the vision to staff, parents, students, and community members through the use of symbols, ceremonies, stories, and other activities.]
Task 2: Using descriptive statistics describe the 8th grades class in regards to number of students by gender and socioeconomic status reported by each ethnic subgroup (African-American, Caucasian, Asian, and Hispanic). You will need tables to display this data. You will also need to summarize the contents of your tables. [ELCC 6.1 Candidates demonstrate the ability to analyze and describe the cultural diversity in a school community.]
Task 3: Answer these questions: (You will need to choose a test to compare the means ie. t-test, ANOVA, etc.) Please answer these questions in paragraph form. Do not bullet your responses. You will not get credit for this section unless you identify the test used to compare the means.
- Do all students taught by the traditional method used by Ms. Rutger do significantly better than all students taught by the standards-based method used my Ms. Smith and Walter?
- Do Caucasian students taught by the traditional method used by Ms. Rutger do significantly better than all Caucasian students taught by the standards-based method used my Mss. Smith and Walter combined?
- Do Asian students taught by the traditional method used by Ms. Rutger do significantly better than all Asian students taught by the standards-based method used my Mss. Smith and Walter combined?
- Do African-American students taught by the traditional method used by Ms. Rutger do significantly better than all African-American students taught by the standards-based method used my Mss. Smith and Walter combined?
- Do Hispanic students taught by the traditional method used by Ms. Rutger do significantly better than all Hispanic students taught by the standards-based method used my Mss. Smith and Walter combined?
- Do female students taught by the traditional method used by Ms. Rutger do significantly better than all female students taught by the standards-based method used my Mss. Smith and Walter combined?
- Do male students taught by the traditional method used by Ms. Rutger do significantly better than all male students taught by the standards-based method used my Mss. Smith and Walter combined?
- Do low SES, socio-economic status, (free) students taught by the traditional method used by Ms. Rutger do significantly better than all low SES (free) students taught by the standards-based method used my Mss. Smith and Walter combined?
- Do higher SES (paid) students taught by the traditional method used by Ms. Rutger do significantly better than all higher SES (paid) students taught by the standards-based method used my Mss. Smith and Walter combined?
- Do African-American students taught by Ms. Smith perform significantly better than all African-American students taught by Ms. Walter and Rutger individually?
- Do Hispanic students taught by Ms. Walter perform significantly better than all Hispanic students taught by Mss. Smith and Rutger individually?
- Do Caucasian students taught by Ms. Rutger perform significantly better than all Caucasian students taught by Mss. Smith and Walter individually?
- Do Asian students taught by Ms. Rutger perform significantly better than Asian students taught by Mss. Smith and Walter individually?
Explain, based upon the analysis of the data and review of the readings, which method of math instruction you would recommend for your junior high school when considering factors such as socioeconomic background, ethnicity, and/or gender. [ELCC 2.2- Candidates demonstrate the ability to make recommendations regarding the design, implementation, and evaluation of a curriculum that fully accommodates learners’ diverse needs.]
Based on the analysis of the data, should students be grouped by ethnicity for instructional purposes? By gender? By socioeconomic background? What ethical and/or legal questions might be raised by Ms. Rutger’s suggestion to group students by ethnicity and/or ability? [ELCC 5.3 - Candidates make and explain decisions based upon ethical and legal principles.]
Write a summary brief (similar to a closing argument in a court case) explaining why you feel your recommendation(s) should be followed. [ELCC 6.3 - Candidates advocate for policies and programs that promote equitable learning opportunities and success for all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, ethnicity, gender, disability, or other individual characteristics.]
Task 4: Explain how much it will cost the district to purchase a new set of textbooks to implement the method of instruction for those students who are switching to your recommended method? Go to a textbook publisher website and select a text, calculate the cost of enough textbooks so every student has one plus 20 extras, include shipping & handling and taxes, if applicable. [ELCC 3.1 - Candidates develop plans of action for focusing on effective organization and management of fiscal, human, and material resources, giving priority to student learning, safety, curriculum, and instruction.]
There is no minimum or maximum length specified. The paper should be of sufficient detail to address questions that might be asked by the superintendent, board members, or staff. The paper should follow APA format as much as possible. No abstract is required.
Please remember, research papers are not opinions. You must have sources or data to support what you say.
Also, the rubric does not specify using tables for data. But, it is much easier and has a more professional appearance if you use tables.
ELCC Standards
ELCC 1.1(b)- Candidates base development of the vision on relevant knowledge and theories including, but not limited to an understanding of learning goals in a pluralistic society, the diversity of learners and learners’ needs, schools as interactive social and cultural systems, and social and organizational change.
ELCC 1.2(c) - Candidates demonstrate the ability to communicate the vision to staff, parents, students, and community members through the use of symbols, ceremonies, stories, and other activities.
ELCC 2.2(b) - Candidates demonstrate the ability to make recommendations regarding the design, implementation, and evaluation of a curriculum that fully accommodates learners’ diverse needs.
ELCC 3.1(b) - Candidates develop plans of action for focusing on effective organization and management of fiscal, human, and material resources, giving priority to student learning, safety, curriculum, and instruction.
ELCC 4.2(d) - Candidates demonstrate the ability to capitalize on the diversity (Cultural, ethnic, racial, economic, and special interest groups) of the school community to improve school programs and meet the diverse needs of all students.
ELCC 5.3(a) - Candidates make and explain decisions based upon ethical and legal principles.
ELCC 6.1(f) - Candidates demonstrate the ability to analyze and describe the cultural diversity in a school community.
ELCC 6.3(c) - Candidates advocate for policies and programs that promote equitable learning opportunities and success for all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, ethnicity, gender, disability, or other individual characteristics.
SCORING RUBRIC
Exemplary Acceptable Needs Improvement
4.2 Vision committee composition Candidate clearly demonstrates the ability to capitalize on the diversity (Cultural, ethnic, racial, economic, and special interest groups) of the school community to improve school programs and meet the diverse needs of all students by choosing at least 4 committee members to serve on the Vision Committee and explaining why they were selected by giving their gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other factors contributing to their selection. (20 points) Candidate demonstrates the ability to capitalize on the diversity (Cultural, ethnic, racial, economic, and special interest groups) of the school community to improve school programs and meet the diverse needs of all students by choosing at least 4 committee members to serve on the Vision Committee and explaining why they were chosen by giving their gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other factors contributing to their selection. (15 points) Candidate fails to demonstrate the ability to capitalize on the diversity (Cultural, ethnic, racial, economic, and special interest groups) of the school community to improve school programs and meet the diverse needs of all students by choosing less than 4 other committee members and/or why they were chosen by giving their gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other factors contributing to their selection. (10 points)
1.1 Revised vision Candidate clearly bases development of the vision on relevant knowledge and theories regarding meeting the needs of a diverse student group. Cites at least five current works on vision creation. (15 pts) Candidate bases development of the vision on relevant knowledge and theories regarding meeting the needs of a diverse student group. Cites at least 4 current works on vision creation. (10 pts) Candidate does not base development of the vision on relevant knowledge and theories regarding meeting the needs of a diverse student group. Cites fewer than 4 works on vision creation. (5 pts)
2.2 Recommendations and addressing "guiding questions" Candidate demonstrates the ability to make recommendations regarding the design, implementation, and evaluation of a curriculum that fully accommodates learners’ diverse needs by explaining, based upon the analysis of the data and review of literature, how they would organize the math instruction for their middle school when considering factors such as socioeconomic background, ethnicity, and gender. Candidate correctly addresses all the guiding questions of the assignment. (25 pts) Candidate demonstrates the ability to make recommendations regarding the design, implementation, and evaluation of a curriculum that fully accommodates learners’ diverse needs by explaining, based upon the analysis of the data and review of literature, how they would organize the math instruction for their middle school when considering factors such as socioeconomic background, ethnicity, and gender. Candidate addresses at least 80% of the guiding questions of the assignment accurately. (20 pts) Candidate failed to demonstrate the ability to make recommendations regarding the design, implementation, and evaluation of a curriculum that fully accommodates learners’ diverse needs by explaining, based upon the analysis of the data and review of literature, how they would organize the math instruction for their middle school when considering factors such as socioeconomic background, ethnicity, and gender. Candidate addresses less than 80% of the guiding questions of the assignment accurately. (10 pts)
3.1 Financial costs Candidate develops a plan of action for focusing on effective organization and management of fiscal resources, giving priority to student learning, by accurately determining the cost of modifying the curriculum, and by giving plausible reasons for why costs should or should not be factors in decision-making. (20 pts) Candidate develops a plan of action for focusing on effective organization and management of fiscal resources, giving priority to student learning, but does not accurately determine the cost of modifying the curriculum, or give adequate reasons for why costs should or should not be factors in decision-making. (15 pts) Candidate fails to develop a plan of action for focusing on effective organization and management of fiscal resources, does not accurately determine the cost of modifying the curriculum, and does not adequately explain why cost should or should not be a factor in decision-making. (10 pts)
5.3 Addressing ethical and legal concerns Candidate makes and explains decisions based upon ethical and legal principles, addressing all of Ms. Rutger's suggestions. (25 pts) Candidate makes and explains decisions based upon ethical and legal principles, addressing most (75% or more) of Ms. Rutger's suggestions. (20 pts) Candidate fails to make and/or explain decisions based upon ethical and legal principles, addressing less than 75% of Ms. Rutger's suggestions. (10 pts)
6.3 Advocating for adoption of recommendation(s) Candidate advocates for policies and programs that promote equitable learning opportunities and success for all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, ethnicity, gender, disability, or other individual characteristics by presenting a "closing argument" that summarizes the committee's findings and why the board should adopt the committee's recommendation(s). (20 pts) Candidate advocates for policies and programs that promote equitable learning opportunities and success for all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, ethnicity, gender, disability, or other individual characteristics by presenting a "closing argument" that generally summarizes the committee's findings and why the board should adopt the committee's recommendation(s). (15 pts) Candidate fails to advocate for policies and programs that promote equitable learning opportunities and success for all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, ethnicity, gender, disability, or other individual characteristics by presenting a "closing argument" that inadequately summarizes the committee's findings and inadequately argues why the board should adopt the committee's recommendation(s).