ELFN 6773 Research Paper Statistics Paper requirement for SPC degree PDF

Preview

Summary

Elementary statistics course - requirement for SPC degree...

Description

1

Research and Statistics Case Analysis`

Mandy Letort and Donna Taylor Arkansas State Univeristy ELFN 6773 Introduction to Statistics and Research Dr. Timberly Baker August 6, 2021

2 Research and Statistics Case Analysis` I am Dr. Mandy Taylor. I am submitting this report today as a proposal for the school board to accept a school wide Vision Statement, as well my desire to unite the 8th Grade Math classes under one unified method for teaching and learning. At present, there are three 8th grade Math classes and each teacher has a different textbook. While students in each class are finding success, there are those that are falling behind. Some of the students have a sibling or other family member in another classroom. As the school Principal, I am very aware that it falls on me to have a strong vision and purpose for the school. It is also my responsibility to share that vision with my teachers and the students who are there to learn and grow. Agreement on the objective, or vision, within an organization provides a means by which members can work together toward a common set of goals (Gurley et al., 2015). When the culture of the school is positive, powerful work and learning can take place. There are elements that must be in place to build a strong vision for a school and keep it a positive place for learning (Bono, 2020). Some of those elements include honesty, teacher leadership, parent involvement, and a school building and environment that embodies joy and pride. The school’s vision is the foundation for where the school wants to go and what they want to achieve. The most effective approach to creating ownership of the school’s vision statement is to engage others, who are mostly likely to be affected by its implementation, in the planning and creation of the vision (Rogus, 1990). As such, a school’s vision statement should help to encourage the elements of honesty, leadership, parent involvement, and a positive school environment (Allen et. al., 2018). This will create a culture that embodies the shared goals

3 conveyed in the vision. It ensures that all stakeholders are consistently committing to the ideals of the school’s vision statement and holding each other accountable. I formed a committee with myself and several teachers as well as a few parents and community members involved with the school with working with me as to write a vision statement for the school. to evaluate the data and design a new vision. Choosing a planning committee that is data based driven and goal oriented is the first step towards building a new visualization of what is needed to create a new image for the school to adhere to and be successful (Gurley et. al., 2015). The committee decided to meet weekly for a month after the school year ended to discuss and elect a vision statement that could be well communicated before the new school year. We agreed and elected our proposed vison statement at the last meeting. The following members of the school and community were selected to be a part of the school vision committee: Myself, Dr. Mandy Taylor. As the principal of a school that has approximately 500 students, with a diverse socioeconomic status, and various cultural backgrounds, it is important to be an example and positively lead the students, teachers, parents, and committee members toward new goals and higher expectations that are based on the best interest of the students. Goals and expectations that encourage students and give them the ability to be productive leaders of our future. Mr. Lance Owens is a math teacher for Wolf Junior High. Mr. Owens has been teaching for 10 years. He is a middle-aged Caucasian man. He has a great relationship with his students and their parents. He has a reputation for conducting a very hands approach on and allowing students to have real life experiences through his teaching of math. He is a very dedicated

4 teacher and displays extreme leadership in all aspects of the school environment. Mr. Owens will be a good asset to our community leadership committee because of his leadership abilities and his excellent relationship with our student and parents. Ms. Tara Sanders is a math teacher for Wolf Junior High. Ms. Sanders has been teaching math for 3 years. She is young African American that uses standard-based method. She has fresh and new ideas on approach and delivery of the math content and objectives. She is respected in the math department for creating new means of reaching our students cognitive ability and pushing those boundaries that help students engage and excel the boundaries of their capability. Ms. Sanders will be a good asset to our community leadership committee because of her creativeness and dedication to the desire to see our student excel to their highest potential. Ms. Kathy Cody is a math teacher for Wolf Junior High. She is an older Asian woman and has been teaching for 15 years. She uses the traditional method of teaching in her classroom. She is very interested in the standard based method and integrates its style from time to time in her lesson plans. This is obviously out of her comfort zone and she struggles with the dynamics of the class during this time. She feels there are good aspects of both methods and is always inquiring on ways to make a connection as the teacher and lead a class using different methods. She is very outspoken about the benefits of the traditional classroom method. She also feels teacher are life- long learners and is feels it is important to research data and keep up with the change of today’s students. Ms. Cody has a reputation for going over and beyond to help a struggling student. Ms. Cody will be a good asset to our community leadership committee because her willingness to adapt to the changing times and her desire to help students succeed. Mr. James Jones is a local store owner. He grew up in the community and is well respected. Mr. James was raised by a single mother. His mother instilled in him the importance

5 of an education. He tries to set a positive example and be an active member of his community so he can help the community thrive and prosper in the future. Mr. James is familiar with the people and the diversity of the community. The community holds him in high regards, and he is very respected for his kindness. He supports the school by encouraging the community kids to stay in school and being a mentor to them. He volunteers to share his story to classes and helps with donations school for events. Mr. James will be a good asset to our community leadership committee because of his leadership abilities and respect of the community. Mr. Derrick Shaw is a police officer in the community. He believes it takes a village to raise a child. Mr. Shaw makes it appoint to get to know the kids in his community. He is an active role model and expresses the importance of striving for education excellence. He seen on a regular occasion helping students and being a mentor to them. Mr. Shaw Is very adamant about the connection between student behavior and student success. His uncompromising attitude and his willingness to listen encourages students to strive to meet the expectations he sets. for them. He is extremely respected by the youth in the community. Mr. Shaw will be a good asset to our community leadership committee because of his ability to relate to the students and his uncompromising attitude towards education. Mrs. Holly Freeman is a parent of 3 students in Wolf Junior High. She is well respected in the community and known to be very outgoing. Ms. Freeman is very involved in her children and their education. She has helped with math night once a month for parents and students, volunteers to tutor struggling students at school and is always available to help with activities at the school. She works well other teachers and parents. Mrs. Freeman wants the best education possible presented to her children. She supports the changing times and the need to foster the growth of the upcoming generation of leaders in our schools today. Mrs. Freeman would

6 strengthen our community leadership committee because of her attitude towards education and the changing times. Mrs. Adriene Moss is a parent of a special educational student at Wolf Junior High. She is very concerned about the methods in which general education and special educational students are taught. She is an accountant and very knowledgeable and supportive of data and statistics. She wants to assure that they are taught and lead to reach their highest potential despite their differences. She is an advocate for education and feels it is the key to promote and build a concrete future for all students. Because of Mrs. Moss’s ability to analyze data and her desire to make it tangible for all students would benefit our community leadership committee. The committee decided in the first meeting that we wanted the school’s vision to be inspiring and catchy. The collaboration among students, teachers, and parents is an important element in proposing and achieving goals that are conceivable, challenging and yet eagerly accepted (Williamson, 1990). An effective school vision statement should be referred to often and used to influence decisions being made through curriculum, instructional strategies, and programs (Turhan, B., & Kırkgöz, Y., 2020) Effective vision statements are concise and provide lofty, yet measurable goals (Gurley et al., 2015). After meeting to review that data and discuss the school’s needs. The committee created the following vision statement: To engage, encourage, and enlighten all students to become proficient in academic skills allowing them to succeed at the next level, preparing them for real world circumstances. The committee also discussed ways to ensure the vision statement is well communicated with members of the immediate school community and throughout the community to ensure the vision statement and its meaning is well understood. Members of the planning committee will be

7 involved in face-to-face communication in groups at staff development before school beings to ensure the vision message is understood (Rogus, 1990). To ensure that all students thoroughly understand the vision statement, it will be discussed in small groups during homeroom time. Students will have the time to ask question and express any concerns they may have. Communicating the vision statement belongs to all members of the school community. Members should believe it, talk about it, and live it (Bono, 2020). Once the vision statement is understood and being shared by those in the school community, information will be communicated to the parents to ensure the vision statement is understood before their children begin school. It will be discussed at school orientation to answer any question individuals might have and given to students and family members in the student handbook, so they can thoroughly review the vision statement. Once it has been thoroughly communicated with members of the school community, the vision statement will be posted on the school website, and the school Facebook page. There will signage with the vision statement on it throughout the school. The vision will be recited by all during the morning and afternoon announcements. Exhibiting how the vision statement is being incorporated into life of the school will help to further encourage buy in from teachers and students. Students will be able to understand the combined dedication of school staff by seeing how they are working together to enhance student success. The second part of my report will discuss my desire to have a unified approach for teaching 8th Grade Mathematics at Wolf Junior High. We currently have three teachers teaching this subject, but all use a different textbook. They also use separate methods and I am concerned this is not in the best interest of our students. Through my talks with parents and guardians of our students, I have learned that some students are confused because their family member is learning

8 a different way and it is hard for them to work together at home to further instill the methods they are learning in school. It is my desire to have all three teachers work together in teaching the students using a combination of both methods and using the same textbook so that Wolf Junior High can reach a higher level of success in mathematics as a whole. I believe this will also allow the teachers to grow as they work together to achieve a specific goal. Below I will show my analysis of the data using descriptive statistics. Ethnic Classifications Ethnic Classification African American Asian Caucasian Hispanic

Frequency Percentage (%) 59 27% 48 22% 52 24% 57 26%

Gender of 8th Grade Students Female (frequency) Students 95

Female (%) 44%

Male (frequency) 121

Male (%) 56%

Full Pay Lunch (frequency) 109

Full Pay Lunch (%) 50.5%

Socio-economic Status of 8th Grade Students

All Students

Free/Reduced Lunch (frequency) 107

Free/Reduced Lunch (%) 49.5%

9 Traditional Math Instruction Ethnic Makeup Frequency Traditional 17 16 22 17

Ethnic Makeup African American Asian Caucasian Hispanic

Percentage Traditional 23% 22% 31% 23%

Percentage All 8% 10% 14% 8%

Traditional Math Instruction Socio-economic Status Makeup

Socio-economic Status

Frequency Traditional

Percentage Traditional

Percentage All

Free/Reduced Lunch Full

35 37

49% 51%

16% 17%

Traditional Math Instruction Gender Makeup

Gender

Frequency Traditional

Percentage Traditional

Percentage All

Female Male

30 42

42% 58%

14% 19%

Standards-Based Math Instruction Ethnic Makeup

Ethnic Makeup African American Asian Caucasian Hispanic

Frequency StandardsBased 42 32 30 40

Percentage StandardsBased 29% 22% 21% 28%

Percentage All 19% 15% 14% 18%

10 Standards-Based Math Instruction Socio-economic Status Makeup

Socio-economic Status

Frequency Percentage Standards-Based Standards-Based

Free/Reduced Lunch Full

72 72

Percentage All

50% 50%

33% 33%

Standards-Based Math Instruction Gender Makeup Characteristic Gender Gender Female Female Male Male Race

Standards-Based Frequency Traditional M SD Percentage Md ModStandards-Based n M SD Percentage Md ModAll n Standards-Based n e n e 65 45% 30% 78.53 16.93 82 98 55%3 77.09 15.11 79 37%59 65 79 0 4 71.86 13.56 70 69 2 77.73 15.44 90 99 79

African American

70.53 12.88

Asian

74.56 16.46 76.5

56

Caucasian

73.64

70.5

64

86

90

Hispanic Lunch Payments

16

80.12 15.23

69

69

Free or Reduced

74.54 15.92

71

56

Full Pay

74.73 14.92

72

52

1 7 1 6 2 2 1 7 3 5 3 7

78.14 15.48 78.5

78

42

77.28 15.79 78.5

94

32

78.5

15.85

81

94

30

76.05 14.59

78

59

40

76.28 15.79

78

94

72

83

72

78.61 14.69 80.5

The descriptive statistics data analysis from Wolf Junior High provides a better understanding of the population of the 8th grade class. As a whole, the class is made up of 56% male students and 44% female students. When broken down into groupings based on ethnicity, the class shows a generally equal makeup, with African American students being the most frequent at 27%, Hispanics at 26%, Caucasians at 24%, and Asian students making up the

11 smallest group of the population at 22%. The number of students paying full price for lunches and those getting lunches at free or reduced price is almost equal with only half a percentage point separating the two. This tells us the socioeconomic background of the class is virtually an even split. The data also proves some things about the two teaching methods used in the 8th grade math classes. The data shows that female students outscored male students in classes being taught using the traditional method, while female and male students scored nearly equally in classes being taught with a standards-based approach. In regard to ethnicity, Hispanics outscored other ethnic groups in the traditional based classes, while in the standards-based classrooms there was no notable difference between the groups. I will show further analysis, or testing, of the data in the following tables. 1.

t-test Independent Samples Two Sample Assuming Equal Variances Average=

72 74.64

144 77.44

Std Dev =

15.30

15.24

Traditional Rutger

Smith & Walter Standards Based

n=

t=

-1.27

df =

214

This testing was created using a comparison of students taught with the traditional method of instruction and students taught with the standards-based method of instruction. Based on the results, we would be remiss to disagree with the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference between the traditional and standards-based methods. This is

12 proven with the reality that the t-ratio of -1.27 does not exceed the critical value of 1.96 at the .05 level of significance.

2.

t-test Independent Samples Two Sample Assuming Equal Variances n= Average=

22 73.64

30 78.50

Std Dev =

16.00

15.85

Traditional Rutger

Smith & Walter Standards Based

t=

-1.09

df =

50

This testing was based on a comparison of Caucasian students taught using the traditional method of instruction and Caucasian students taught using the standards-based method of instruction. Based on the results we would be remiss to disagree with the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference between Caucasian students being taught with the traditional and standards-based methods. This is proven when the t-ratio of -1.09 does not exceed the critical value of 2.009 at the .05 level of significance. 3.

t-test Independent Samples Two Sample Assuming Equal Variances Average=

16 74.56

32 77.28

Std Dev =

16.46

15.79

Traditional Rutger

Smith & Walter Standards Based

n=

t=

-0.55

df =

46

13 This analysis is based on a comparison of Asian students taught using the traditional method of instruction and Asian students taught using the standards-based method of instruction. Based on the results we would fail to disagree the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference between Asian students being taught with the traditional and standards-based methods. This is due to the fact that the t-ratio of -0.55 does not exceed the critical value of 2.02 at the .05 level of significance.

4.

t-test Independent Samples Two Sample Assuming Equal Variances

17

42

Average=

70.53

78.14

Std Dev =

12.88

15.45

n=

t=

df=

-1.79

57

Smith & Walter Traditional

Standards

Rutger

Based

This testing was based on a comparison of ...