EDUC 880 Prospectus: Part 5 – Final Submission Assignment Instructions

EDUC 880

Prospectus: Part 5 – Final Submission Assignment Instructions

Overview

This assignment is linked to the development of your capstone project.

Instructions

The candidate will submit a fully developed prospectus aligned with the course textbook and the Capstone Handbook, especially the Applied Research Report Examplewithin the textbook). The final prospectus must be at least 14 pages (including only the Introduction and Procedures sections) and address all instructor feedback on the previous section submissions. The candidate will revise and improve upon every section of his/her prospectus. The final submission must include at least 4 additional unique sources/citations, which are also properly listed on a reference page at the end of the submission (total of 20 sources minimum), using proper APA format.

,

,

EDU 880

Recommendations for Solving Low Rates of College Readiness at James Monroe

High School, West Virginia

Michael Whitener

School of Education, Liberty University

In partial fulfillment of EDUC 880

Author Note:

Michael Whitener

I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Michael Whitener

Email: [email protected]

Chapter 1: Introduction

Overview

The purpose of this study was to provide recommendations for solving low rates of college readiness at James Monroe High School, West Virginia. The problem was that 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate (Vogel & Heidrich, 2020). This chapter of the report presents the Organizational Profile, an Introduction to the Problem, the Significance of the Research, the Purpose Statement, the Central Research Question, and the Definitions for this research.

to express personal histories, build meaningful connections to the outside world, and

Organizational Profile

The education site for this study was James Monroe High School in West Virginia. Its mission is to educate its student population with a rigorous, multifaceted curriculum that empowers students to express personal histories, build meaningful connections to the outside world, and become lifelong learners (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). Its vision is to motivate every student to achieve academic and personal success through a dynamic academic program, personalized relationships, and meaningful connections to the outside world. The school is located in Monroe County and serves students from various backgrounds (white, black, low-income). It has 524 students from the 9th to 12th grade, ranking it the 76th in West Virginia and 10416th nationally (High-Schools.com, n.d). James Monroe is a public school, and the administration has focused on increasing the teacher-to-student ratio to improve college readiness.

Introduction to the problem

The problem at the school was that 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college at James Monroe High School compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate (Vogel & Heidrich, 2020). College readiness indicators at the school include placement tests and GPA, among others. States can establish school specific-standards to measure college readiness rates (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). The long-term effect is that the inequality gaps between minority and majority groups will be maintained because educational attainment affects employment, income, and health outcomes.

Significance of the Study

Solving low college readiness gaps at James Monroe High School will promote public confidence in the school. Secondly, it will promote the relationship between the neighboring communities and James Monroe High School. Lastly, the study will help the school administration develop school-specific parameters to measure college readiness (Leeds & Mokher, 2019).

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this applied study was to provide recommendations for solving low college readiness gaps at James Monroe High School in West Virginia. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data. These methods included semi-structured interviews and observation. Participants were students, teachers, and community members.

Central Research Question

How can low college readiness rates among students from diverse backgrounds at James Monroe High School be reduced?

Definitions

1. College readiness – Possession of skills, behaviors, and knowledge required from high school students before enrollment in their first year of college (Durham et al., 2015)

2. College readiness indicators- Parameters used to determine whether high school students are ready for college. Indicators may include high school GPA and course taking (Durham et al., 2015)

3. Underserved communities- Populations traditionally faced barriers to accessing employment, equal political representation, etc. Examples include the elderly, illiterate, low-income families, and people living with disabilities (Durham et al., 2015)

References

Durham, R. E., Bell-Ellwanger, J., Connolly, F., Robinson, K. H., Olson, L. S., & Rone, T. (2015). University–District Partnership Research to understand college readiness among Baltimore City Students. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), 20(1-2), 120–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10824669.2014.987278

James Monroe high school. High Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://high-schools.com/directory/wv/cities/lindside/james-monroe-high-school/540096000768/

Leeds, D. M., & Mokher, C. G. (2019). Improving indicators of college readiness: Methods for optimally placing students into multiple levels of postsecondary coursework. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 42(1), 87–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373719885648

Vogel, D., & Heidrich, L. (2020). Make Connections–ask questions. Sprachsensible Schulen im Internationals Network for Public Schools in New York. Bremen: Universität, Fachbereich 12. Arbeitsbereich Interkulturelle Bildung

,

1

Recommendations for Solving Low Rates of College Readiness at James Monroe

High School, West Virginia

Michael Whitener

School of Education, Liberty University

In partial fulfillment of EDUC 880

Author Note:

Michael Whitener

I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Michael Whitener

Email: [email protected]

Chapter 1: Introduction

Overview

The purpose of this study was to provide Recommendations for Solving Low Rates of College Readiness at James Monroe High School, West Virginia. The problem was that 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate (Vogel & Heidrich, 2020). This chapter of the report presents the Organizational Profile, an Introduction to the Problem, the Significance of the Research, the Purpose Statement, the Central Research Question, and the Definitions for this research.

Organizational Profile

The education site for this study was James Monroe High School in West Virginia. Its mission is to educate its student population with a rigorous, multifaceted curriculum that empowers students to express personal histories, build meaningful connections to the outside world, and become lifelong learners. Its vision is to motivate every student to achieve academic and personal success through a dynamic academic program, personalized relationships, and meaningful connections to the outside world. The school is in Monroe County and serves students from various backgrounds (white, black, low-income). It has 524 students from the 9th to 12th grade, ranking it the 76th in West Virginia and 10416th nationally (James Monroe high school, n.d).

Introduction to the problem

The problem at the school was that 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate (Vogel & Heidrich, 2020). College readiness indicators at the school include placement tests and GPA, among others. States can establish school-specific standards to measure college readiness rates (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). The total minority enrollment is 3%, and in terms of National Rankings, it is ranked at 9379 according to how well they prepare its students for college, graduation, and performance. College readiness can be compared to the rate at which students enroll at college and in each grade. Students' enrollment rate by grade in Monroe high school decreases as they proceed to the next grades. The slight decline was reported to be taking rigorous courses in high school such as mathematics as their advanced courses, which decreases from 3% to 1% and likewise to science courses.

Unequal distribution of college readiness among students raises questions about teaching approaches and discrimination at West Virginia schools. It appears that some students from majority groups have advantages over their peers from low-income families. Consequently, James Monroe High school must find ways of balancing different students’ needs which appears to be the major cause of the current performance gaps. Boyce et al., (2020) analyzed the effects of educational attainment and income of performance of students in urban schools. Their results showed that students’ performance was affected by ethnicity and racial groupings. Black students and those whose parents had low academic attainment performed dismally. Based on their findings, low performance could also be prompted by family issues. As more diagnosis is undertaken in the school setting, understanding children’s experiences with their families through quantitative survey will be crucial.

Significance of the Study

Solving low college readiness gaps at James Monroe High School will promote public confidence in the school. College readiness impacts students’ academic success as they proceed to post-secondary education as shown in a longitudinal study to determine how students’ readiness to take college classes upon entry affects postsecondary performance and completion rates (Jackson & Kurlaender, 2013). The researchers found that college readiness was an important predictor of postsecondary completion (Jackson & Kurlaender, 2013). College-ready students are more likely to complete their college education than those who are unprepared for college. When students from a secondary perform well in college, the school receives a higher public trust from parents and surrounding communities. However, when students from a school are unable to complete college studies, the school loses public trust. Therefore, finding solutions to low college readiness rates at the school will make it more effective.

Secondly, it will promote the relationship between the neighboring communities and James Monroe High School. High college readiness among high school students can help eliminate income gaps between ethnicities in degree completion (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). All students have the potential of performing excellently at college when they are well-equipped for the challenge. As they move to the job markets, the students from the school will have an equal chance to get employed. Lastly, the study will help the school administration develop school-specific parameters to measure college readiness (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). College readiness can be measured using many variables, some of which favor learners while others work to their disadvantage. The research will help the school identify the specific challenges underperformers experience and integrate them into college readiness evaluations to enhance college readiness.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this applied study was to provide recommendations for solving the problem of low college readiness gaps at James Monroe High School in West Virginia. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data. These methods included semi-structured interviews, a quantitative survey, and observations. Participants were students, teachers, and community members. The researcher interviewed seven teachers from James Monroe High School during the interview which was done using a face-to-face approach. Most interview questions focused on school programs, performance indicators at the school, application of data analytics, and school-community relationships. The second approach, a quantitative survey, involved developing objective questions to gain insightful information from participants on a given research topic. Fifteen participants participated in the quantitative survey, five teachers and ten students. The quantitative survey questions also focused on the school environment and how students’ background affected their performance. The quantitative survey forms were sent to participants through emails. The observation method involved collecting information at the school by looking at the student-teacher interactions, student-to-student interactions, and other aspects such as timetabling. The researcher will sit in five of the classrooms at the school and observe the events that will take place.

Central Research Question

How can the problem of low college readiness gaps at James Monroe High School in West Virginia be solved?

Definitions

1. College readiness – Possession of skills, behaviors, and knowledge required from high school students before enrollment in their first year of college (Durham et al., 2015)

2. College readiness indicators- Parameters used to determine whether high school students are ready for college. Indicators may include high school GPA and course taking (Durham et al., 2015)

3. Underserved communities- Populations traditionally faced barriers to accessing employment, equal political representation, etc. Examples include the elderly, illiterate, low-income families, and people living with disabilities (Durham et al., 2015)

References

Boyce, S., Bazargan, M., Caldwell, C. H., Zimmerman, M. A., & Assari, S. (2020). Parental educational attainment and social environment of urban public schools in the U.S.: Blacks’ diminished returns. Children, 7(5), 44. https://doi.org/10.3390/children7050044

Durham, R. E., Bell-Ellwanger, J., Connolly, F., Robinson, K. H., Olson, L. S., & Rone, T. (2015). University–District Partnership Research to understand college readiness among Baltimore City Students. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), 20(1-2), 120–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10824669.2014.987278

Jackson, J., & Kurlaender, M. (2013). College readiness and college completion at Broad Access Four-year institutions. American Behavioral Scientist, 58(8), 947–971. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764213515229

Leeds, D. M., & Mokher, C. G. (2019). Improving indicators of college readiness: Methods for optimally placing students into multiple levels of postsecondary coursework. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 42(1), 87–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373719885648

Vogel, D., & Heidrich, L. (2020). Make Connections–ask questions. Sprachsensible Schulen im Internationals Network for Public Schools in New York. Bremen: Universität, Fachbereich 12. Arbeitsbereich Interkulturelle Bildung

,

1

Recommendations for Solving Low Rates of College Readiness at James Monroe

High School, West Virginia

Michael Whitener

School of Education, Liberty University

In partial fulfillment of EDUC 880

Author Note:

Michael Whitener

I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Michael Whitener

Email: [email protected]

Chapter 3: Procedures

Overview

The purpose of this study was to provide recommendations for solving low rates of college readiness at James Monroe High School, West Virginia. The problem was that 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate (Vogel & Heidrich, 2020). This chapter of the research presents interview procedures, quantitative survey procedures, and observation procedures.

Interview Procedures

The first approach used to collect information during this study was semi-structured interviews. The interviews were written first before being presented to the participants. Interviews are helpful when gathering information that can help address research questions or offer more insights on a particular topic. All questions presented in the interviews were developed from numerous literature sources on college readiness. The interview involved seven participants, who were all teachers at James Monroe High School in West Virginia. Convenience sampling was used to select the participants. The seven teachers comprised the school principal, two teachers from the examination department, and four teachers who taught students from 9th to 12th Grade.

The interviews were conducted face-to-face in one of the school's unused halls for teaching and learning. The participants were required to communicate when they felt ready for the interview. An interview session with each participant took between fifteen to twenty-five minutes. Each session with participants was recorded before being transcribed, for coding, to identify common themes related to college readiness at the school. Through coding, the researcher read responses from the participants and identified themes that cut across. The codes and themes table will be used to provide evidence of how they were identified. In responding to the question, how can low college readiness rates among students from diverse backgrounds at James Monroe High School be reduced, data was collected qualitatively using ten semi-structured questions.

Interview Questions

1. What parameters/indicators are used to determine whether a student is college-ready or not?

The question aimed at identifying whether the participants were aware of the factors that determined college readiness among the students at JMHS. (Leeds & Mokher, 2019) showed that using placement tests to assign students to developmental courses results in frequent misplacement.

2. How are college readiness metrics incorporated into the curriculum at the high school level?

The question was intended to help the researcher determine whether the JMHS curriculum was designed to help the learners prepare for college education. (Castellano et al., 2016) studied the effects of Programs of Study (POS) on preparing students for college and careers. Using a structural data analysis method, they found that enrollment in POS increased the graduation rate among the learners and led to high retention (Castellano et al., 2016).

3. What are the possible causes of low college readiness for students from low-income and underserved communities?

The purpose of the question was to understand learner or school-specific dynamics contributing to poor college preparedness for high school students JMHS. They noted that relying on metrics like test scores can lead to poor preparedness and misplaced (Leeds & Mokher, 2019).

4. What current problem in your school or educational setting would you like to see solved?

The question was intended to help determine whether the teachers at the school recognized low college readiness rates as a problem. The information could help to delve deeper into what the school was doing to mitigate the challenge after it was identified (Leeds & Mokher, 2019).

5. What do you believe is the best way to solve this problem?

The question was asked to the participants to understand further how much they knew about each intervention. Morin (2021) mentions collaboration between teachers and parents and allowing parents to visit JMHS as some solutions that can help improve students' performance.

6. What role will data play in solving the problem?

Data is crucial in schools. JMHS teachers can compare their school performance with state and federal averages. Moreover, students' performance can be compared across the year to identify common patterns. The question aimed to identify whether the school used data to improve teaching and learning (Leeds & Mokher, 2019).

7. What do you know about assessments and test scores and their influence on college readiness?

Teachers and government officials can use school assessments to make education reforms (Tillema et al., 2011). Also, these items are used to determine JMHS students' ability in various subjects and streamline instructions to address their weaknesses.

8. When you think of performance gaps, what comes to mind first and why?

The question was crucial in understanding the reasons for the gaps in college readiness between JMHS students from low-income and underserved communities and those from wealthy families (Castellano et al., 2016)

9. How do you relate with the parents of students who perform poorly?

Using this question, the researcher would understand the relationship between parents and teachers at James Monroe High School (Morin, 2021).

10. What external support does the school need to solve this problem?

The question would help the researcher understand whether the local, state, and federal governments had also contributed to low college readiness at the school (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). External support would help the school provide more learning resources for students and offer financial support for those from vulnerable communities.

Quantitative Survey Procedures

The second method that was used to collect data was quantitative surveys. The survey involved ten participants, five teachers, three continuing students, and two alumni. Each participant took the survey at their convenient time, with data being collected through the phone. Participants were notified seven days before the researcher conducted the first survey, and participation was voluntary. The ten participants were selected through purposeful sampling, and the data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Five questions were included in the survey form.

Survey Questions

Instructions: Choose one response only for each question

1. The school administration regularly organizes meetings with parents.

5	4	3	2	1
Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree

The question was intended to help the researcher determine whether there was parent-teacher collaboration at James Monroe High school. This would further help determine whether collaboration was an issue at the school.

2. The school regularly uses data in designing teaching plans and strategies.

5	4	3	2	1
Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree

The question aimed at identifying the role of data analytics at James Monroe High School. The information would also be used for comparison with data from the interviews.

3. Students have equal access to the learning resources at the school.

5	4	3	2	1
Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree

Learning resources determine students' success. This survey question would help the researcher determine whether there were forms of discrimination at James Monroe School.

4. Which languages are you capable of speaking fluently?

A. English

B. Spanish

C. Other

D. Prefer not to say

The question would help the researcher determine whether students speaking different languages were at James Monroe High School. Additionally, it would help dig deeper into the student/teacher language affected college readiness.

5. Are there differences between students from underserved and low-income families and those from wealthy backgrounds?

A. Yes

B. No

C. I don't know

The researcher would further understand if the school treats students discriminatively using the question.

Observation

The researcher's third method of collecting data from the school was observation. The observation was random. The researcher observed how students worked in groups, teaching methods, punishments, and how the teachers and students related. Moreover, the researcher observed the school curriculum and other school activities organized at the school. The number of parent visits to the school was also noted during the data collection.

Summary

The purpose of this study was to provide Recommendations for Solving Low Rates of College Readiness at James Monroe High School, West Virginia. The problem was that 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate. This report chapter presented interview procedures, quantitative survey procedures, and observation procedures.

References

Castellano, M. E., Richardson, G. B., Sundell, K., & Stone, J. R. (2016). Preparing students for college and career in the United States: The effects of career-themed programs of study on High School Performance. Vocations and Learning, 10(1), 47–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-016-9162-7

Leeds, D. M., & Mokher, C. G. (2019). Improving indicators of college readiness: Methods for optimally placing students into multiple levels of postsecondary coursework. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 42(1), 87–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373719885648

Mori

Collepals.com Plagiarism Free Papers

Are you looking for custom essay writing service or even dissertation writing services? Just request for our write my paper service, and we'll match you with the best essay writer in your subject! With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.

Get ZERO PLAGIARISM, HUMAN WRITTEN ESSAYS

Why Hire Collepals.com writers to do your paper?

Quality- We are experienced and have access to ample research materials.

We write plagiarism Free Content

Confidential- We never share or sell your personal information to third parties.

Support-Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.