Charles's+module+4+submission

   ** Increasing Social Studies CRCT Scores Beyond State Levels  **    Charles A. Price  A0006  charles.price@waldenu.edu   EDUC-7103-1/EDUC-8843-1 Leading and Managing Educational Technology  Dr. Rita Conrad  Walden University January 14, 2011

 ** Executive Summary  **  On this page you will provide a brief summary of this proposal in no more than one page. This is similar to the Abstracts you have written for other projects. Think of this as your 60 second commercial. You have one page in which to convince someone of the value of your intervention. It is suggested you restate the problem, solution, cost, and benefits. Creativity in your summary will be appreciated.

 ** Increasing Social Studies CRCT Scores Beyond State Levels  **  ** Pointe  ****  South Middle School  ** <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">** Problem Summary  ** <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"> Beginning in1985, Georgia‘s classroom instruction curriculum was derived from the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC). In 2000, Georgia began administering the ** criterion-referenced competency tests (CRCT) in  ** the content areas of reading, english/language arts and mathematics  **and in 2002 science and social studies was added.**  In 2004, a change to Georgia Professional Standards was implemented (Waverly, 2009). The change from QCC to GPS was done because an audit concluded the QCC provided inadequate academic rigor. (“Curriculum Frequently Asked Questions”, 2010 ) <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"> According to the CRCT content description for social studies, the differences between the GPS and the former curriculum is GPS is a conceptual curriculum, requiring instruction be integrated and should not be viewed as discrete or taught in isolation (Georgia Department of Education, 2009). Mastery of the social studies content requires a solid understanding of critical thinking skills such as analysis, interpretation, and identification. As students, for example, become more comfortable with identifying bias and viewpoint, interpreting graphs, and analyzing open-ended questions their content mastery in social studies will support success in the other content. Information about GPS is located at __[|http://www.georgiastandards.org]__. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"> While  Point South Middle School scores are making small gains toward narrowing the gap with the state in reading, english/language arts and mathematics, they are lagging behind the state scores in the social studies component of the  CRCT. When comparing the content results on the CRCT in reading, english/language arts and mathematics , the results provide empirical evidence of continual downward spiral in social studies. Students meeting and exceeding the state standard in reading, english/language arts and mathematics  since the results have been aligned with GPS in 2006 have been approximately 5% lower. The percentage of students meeting and exceeding in each of the grade levels in social studies is approximately 25% below the percentage of students across the state. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">** Background of Organization  ** Pointe South Middle School opened as Pointe South Junior High School in 1978, with a student population of 375, and a staff of seventeen. Since its inception in 1978 the school enrollment has risen from the aforementioned 375 to as high as 1238. The school is located in Jonesboro, GA. There is an almost 50/50 male to female split in the student body. 83% is black, 5% white, 5% Hispanic, and the remaining percentages divided into three other groups. In August of 2011 Pointe South Middle school is set to unveil a new wing of 12 additional classrooms and a new computer lab. Information on the school can be found at []. Information about the direction the district is headed in can be obtained from the Clayton County School district website at []. Additional information about Average Yearly Progress and other educational imitative can be found at the Georgia Department of Education website at the link []. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">** Stakeholders and Decision-Makers. ** The students, community members, and the faculty at Pointe South Middle School will be affected by the recommended plan. The literacy and math coaches along with the Head of Academics will provide instructional guidance. In their roles, Ms. Jay, Mr. Brigham, and Dr. Vickers, bring years of experience in data analysis and curriculum development. Principal Lillard, the president of the Parent- Teacher –Student Association, Assistant Superintendent Smith, Matthew Smith, the Social Studies Coordinator, and the members of the Leadership Team provide expert guidance and fiscal accountability. ** Performance Gap: Cause Analysis ** <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">** Actual Current Performance  ** <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> For the 2009-2010 school year, the percentage of all students meeting or exceeding the standard for the state in social studies was 64% for 6th grade and 71% for 7th grade. Because the test results for the previous two years were invalid due to question design, no comparison results are available. For the 2009-2010 school year, the percentage of all students meeting or exceeding the standard at Pointe South Middle School was 39% for 6th grade and 48% for 7th grade. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> For the 2010 school year, the percentage of all students meeting or exceeding the standard for the state in social studies was 70% for 8th grade. This is a 7% increase from 2009 and an 11% increase from 2008. For the 2009-2010 school year, the percentage of all 8th grade students meeting or exceeding the history, geography, civics, and economy standards on the social studies CRCT at Pointe South Middle School was 49%. For the 2009-2010 school year, the percentage of all 8th grade students meeting or exceeding the standard at Pointe South Middle School was 48% in 8th grade. There was no movement in either previous year. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">** Desired Performance. ** <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Pointe South would like a 10% Annual Measurable Objective each year for the next three years in each grade level. Students exceeding a score of 850 on the social studies test should increase by 5% each year. 7th and 8th grade results should have approximately 70% of all students meeting or exceeding the history, geography, civics, and economy standards on the social studies CRCT At the end of three years, the percentage of students meeting and exceeding the history, geography, civics, and economy standards on the social studies CRCT should be 53% for 6th grade, 61% for 7th grade, and 61% for 8th grade. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">** Performance Gap. ** The percentage difference of all students at Pointe South Middle School passing and exceeding when compared to the state is 25% in 6th grade, 23% in 7th grade, and 22% in 8th grade. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">** Cause Analysis. **  <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Students face the daunting task of understanding the various disciplines of social studies. There is a growing feeling of malaise toward the content which is evident by the lack of participation in social studies fairs, non-existent discussion of social studies in the national core curriculum agenda, and making social studies as the only core content students do not have to pass on the CRCT. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> It is a systemic problem. For example, results from a recent geography survey indicated adults struggled to get half the geography questions correct. Organizations such as 4-H, American Federation of Teachers, Asia Society, Association of American Geographers, National Geographic and the National Basketball Association are concerned about the results. (“Young Americans shaky on geographic smarts,”2006). Their belief is the lack of geographic knowledge is the reason Americans has a global ignorance of cultural conflicts, environmental issues, and financial ramifications. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Social studies classes at Pointe South Middle school meet for 225 instructional hours per week. In comparison, english/language arts and math classes meet for 450 hours and an additional 90 minutes is allotted through separate connection classes for both math and English/language arts. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Despite this challenge, social studies educators at Pointe South Middle School have done a remarkable job assisting students in discovering events in history, exploring life-altering impact of geographical tragedies, and examine political upheaval in countries throughout the world. Michael Yell states (2009) social studies excellence occurs when every student, k-12, has equal access to deep, engaging, thoughtful social studies instruction on a daily basis. Social studies is a 24/7 365 day experience. Classrooms should be filled with students engaged in activities such as discussing how public policy issues affect their neighborhood. Students should be involved in authentic activities which have a direct connection to their lives. For example, the numerous natural disasters were opportunities to explore previous government responses to other strategies and what changes have occurred. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">** Organizational History and Background  ** <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">** Goals. ** <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Pointe South Middle School would prefer the scores to be compatible with the 6th grade statistics for the entire state. At this time the scores for social studies do not count towards Average Yearly Progress. Schools which do not make AYP face consequences such as removal of the principal, replacement of the entire staff, or on-site state representative. School officials would like to a eliminate the indifference most stakeholders demonstrate towards social studies, increase the instructional time without sacrificing gains in other core content, provide a balanced curriculum, and ensure interdisciplinary commitment. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">** History. ** <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"> Jonesboro, GA in the last 15 years has become a very transient city. In 2000, the school hit a rough period. In 2006, Dean Lillard came aboard and brought in his approach to creating a community school. After seven years the school made AYP and repeated this event two years later. 2010 will be a pivotal year because the expectations are higher than ever because of the recent success. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">** Mission  ****  and Vision. **   ** The Pointe South Middle School mission statement ** as provided on the web site is “to prepare students to enter high school at or above grade level in all content areas while exhibiting good character and citizenship.” The vision is to foster a strong school culture and to strengthen community bonds. At Pointe South Middle School the end goal is to help students develop strategies to overcome their academic and social challenges. Failure cannot and will not be an option. <span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">** Three Intervention Strategies   ** The intervention strategies implemented will focus on curriculum, students, and educators. Students will participate in the Advancement Via Individual Determination program, educators will utilize effective collaborative planning, and incorporate flexible scheduling. Each strategy connects all stakeholders in supportive roles to provide an engaging and rigorous learning environment. · ** Low end intervention. **  The intervention for this level is aimed at promoting a family environment. Celebrations, such as Parent University, Transition Festival and Academic Night will be planned and provide a festive environment in which all stakeholders can stay informed in a relaxed setting. Teachers will work with small groups of students and re-deliver content in several informal settings outside the classroom. Also, a proactive measure to address academic short comings, such as teachers visiting feeder elementary schools, will be utilized. · ** Middle end intervention. **   · Three interventions used will be the software programs Study Island, Turning point and BrainPop. Study Island has components which provide opportunities for parents to assist students in content mastery. Teachers can match what students are working on in Study Island to what they are doing in class. BrainPop has lesson plans, quizzes, and short videos which extremely engaging. The interactive component of TurningPoint provides feedback and provides a teacher with opportunities to access whole class content mastery and individual understanding at the same time. · ** High end intervention. **   · Students will take field trips to the areas they are studying. Budget cuts have made virtual museums a great option, but whenever possible students should see their world in action. For example, a visit to Washington D.C. or a state capital is the best way to see democracy in action. The exposure and extensive use of 21st century tools such as wiki's, podcast, and Skype will be implemented in the classrooms. Guest speakers and volunteers will provide the real world connect to enhance the learning experience. AVID will be the focal point of helping students prepare to be master students. ·    · **  Justification for Intervention Strategy   ** The strengths of the low-cost interventions are the active participation of stakeholders in taking ownership in the learning process, the creation of respectful learning communities, and the implementation of checkpoints to gauge development in growth as a responsible global citizen. The interventions provide opportunities to ask questions and provide answers to the performance gap beyond the numbers. These actions humanize the learning experience and can have a profound impact on individualizing corrective solutions. The limitations of the low-cost strategy are time constraints and the potential for a lack of support. The potential of a one- time event should not be ignored. Taking into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the low-cost intervention, this choice is not recommended for Pointe South Middle School because the positive long term impact may not fully be recognized until high school. However, the interventions are a step in the right direction for helping the students become life -long learners. The strength of the medium-cost interventions is the inclusion of interactive technology. The specific options address multiple learning styles, differentiated instruction, and tiered assignments. The weakness of the medium-cost strategy is the potential for ineffective integration of the tools into the classrooms. Early results may not provide substantial quantitative data and this may cause some individuals to question their effectiveness. Taking into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the medium-cost intervention, the long term impact has great potential. However, early trepidation could be an anchor to the student eventual success. The strength of the high-cost interventions is they address challenges and provides solutions from elementary through college. AVID Elementary is a foundational program for elementary sites (grades 4-6), designed as an embedded sequential academic skills program. At the high school and middle level, AVID students are enrolled in their school's toughest classes. Additional information about the program can be found on the website.( []). Similarly, technology is becoming a part of students’ lives at a very early age. Web 2.0 tools provide the opportunity to make authentic connections to real world scenarios. Historical people are kind of boring when you just read about them in a textbook, but students can do better when they create something themselves using tools such as MySpace to create profiles about important people in history. Additional great ideas for the inclusion of technology in the classroom can be found on the web site. (Bernard, 2009) Ultimately, the high-cost interventions were the selection. This selection is most likely to resolve the problem due to the fact multiple resources are equipped to address the academic deficit. Furthermore, the technology tools provide additional support to supplement instruction. These two components and a human infrastructure ready and able to provide assistance in narrowing the performance gap is the most appropriate choice. The leadership team believes there is enough talent on the campus to ensure academic growth. Their focus is the continual shared commitment between the school and the community. One of the many positive attributes of AVID is the partnership it establishes with local universities and colleges. The program requires a commitment from all stakeholders. In return, the students who enter the program are successful. AVID graduates persist in college at an 89% rate. (AVID, 2010) The students at Pointe South Middle School will have the support of college students as guides and mentors to assist them in their academic pursuits. With budget constraints, it is difficult for schools to take field trips. One option to consider is taking virtual field trips. By incorporating the ever-expanding technology tools, students can interact with the social studi es content in a manner most likely to help them retain the information. Virtual field trips can offer students more opportunities because you can take them to places they wouldn't normally be able to go to otherwise - like inside a volcano or ocean floor! In addition, virtual field trips may even boost students' reading comprehension skills and will expose them to different cultures and environments. (Virtual field trips, 2011) As concluded in the report, // Toward A New Golden Age In American Education: How the Internet, the Law and Today’s Students are Revolutionizing Expectations: //There is no dispute over the need for America’s students to have the knowledge and competence to compete in an increasingly technology-driven world economy. This need demands new models of education facilitated by educational technology. Educators are challenged to bring the world to our students. Technology provides a unique experience to help young learners move beyond the words on a sheet of paper and ignite a lifelong spark which may never be extinguished. ** The Manager’s Many Roles ** J. Donaldson, S. Smaldino, & R. Pearson (2007) states effective management can be seen as complementary combinations of six management and leadership functions. Avoiding overt references to what I will do is paramount to my role. Ultimately I am accountable, but the delegation of responsibilities and task completion will be on the shoulders of everyone. Final decisions will be my task, but my ear will always available for suggestions or comments. The strategies were my choice, but successful collaboration and joint accountability will provide the impetus for student growth. First, I will chair a committee composed of one teacher from each of the four core contents and one colleague representing the connection classes. This brain trust will meet and formulate an agenda on how to successful incorporate the intervention strategies into the school’s curriculum. Administration will be provided access to all information, but their influence will be limited to an interested observer. Their feedback will not be ignored. With the group in place, use of a monitoring tool will ensure the implementation of the strategies is moving forward in due diligence. Throughout the entire process, each committee members will be responsible for sharing information and seeking input from their content colleagues. Communication will occur through various channels including emails, school intranet, bi-weekly progress reports, and a monthly video conference update. Members have autonomy regarding the implementation of the interventions in their particular content, but checks and balances will be in place to make certain it is a seamless process on a school wide level. For example, authentic performance tasks must have a contribution from all areas. Next, specific resources for each individual intervention will be coordinated through a joint effort between the school’s bookkeeper and each department. I will sign off on the final decision before it is presented to the principal for his signature or approval. Capital resources such as books which will be used in the AVID program will be acquired through Title 1 requests. Documents will be submitted to the proper individuals at the district level for their approval. Human resources such as guest speakers will be extended invitations and if a fee is charged it will be a Title 1 request. Tutors for the AVID program will be provided through a partnership with the local universities and colleges. On-going training on web 2.0 tools will continue through the PSMS Teaching Academy presentations held at the school and teacher attendance will count towards level one skill development. Field trip requests will follow the similar guidelines with a few tweaks such as extended an offer for greater parental involvement and less need for final approval from the principal. Huddle.com is the web site which will be used to make communication easier and accountability easier for all interested parties. Information related to this intervention strategy will be stored, accessed, and processed on HyperOffice. The software choices have applications which will help in the evaluation of the intervention such as survey generators, rubric creators, and a platform to post comments. ·    · **  The Manager as Change Agent  ** · ** Financial and Budget Information. ** Tentative budget for your intervention strategy, along with supporting documentation; consider technology purchases, personnel training, additional support, and other considerations specific to your proposal. · Supporting documentation for your budget, including links to Web sites where purchases can be made and the costs of implementation. · ** Project Assessment. ** Describe how the project objectives will be evaluated. · Describe the formative evaluation plan you will use. Include your formative evaluation instrument in an Appendix. · Describe the summative evaluation plans you will use. Include your summative evaluation instrument in an Appendix.

<span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"> References AVID (2005). Decades of College Dreams. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from [] AVID (2010). AVID program. Retrieved on January 30, 2011, from [] <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> Bernard, S. ( 2009, June). How to teach with technology. Retrieved January 3, 2011, from []).   Curriculum Frequently Asked Questions. (2010, January 1) Georgia Standards. Retrieved January 6, 2011, from []   Georgia Department of Education. (2009, August 1). Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests. Retrieved January 13, 2011, from []    Huddle (2011). Retrieved January 22, 2011 from []    HyperOffice (2011) Collaboration Made Easier. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from []    Januszewski, A., & Molenda, M. (Eds.). (2008). // Educational technology: A definition with commentary //. New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Taylor & Frances Group. U.S. Department of Education, // Toward A New Golden Age In American Education: How the Internet, the Law and Today’s Students are Revolutionizing Expectations // (Washington, D.C., 2004), 45 Virtual field trip. Simple k12. Retrieved on January 30, 2011, from [] Waverly, J. (2009, June 12) What is the CRCT? ehow. Rertrieved January 13, 2011, from .What is the CRCT? [] Yell,M. (2009, February, 22). President’s blog; The university and the classroom.Retrieved January 3, 2011, from [] <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> Young Americans shaky on geographic smarts. (2006, May 2). Retrieved on January 3, 2011, from [] <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> Retrieved on January 3, 2011 from [] Retrieved on January 3, 2011 from [] <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> Retrieved on January 3, 2011 from __ [|http://www.georgiastandards.org] __. <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> Retrieved on January 3, 2011 from []. <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> Retrieved on January 3, 2011 from []. <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> Retrieved on January 3, 2011 from []. <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> <span style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> Retrieved on January 3, 2011 from []).