1. State the research question.2. Discuss the characteristics of the students

involved in the project and their varied approaches to learning.

3. Align your goals with state and/or local standards.

4. Clearly discuss your criteria for student performance.

5. Discuss any changes or adaptations to your project which might affected the outcome.

6. Present the lesson and unit structure used in the project.

1. State the research question.2. Discuss the characteristics of the students

involved in the project and their varied approaches to learning.

3. Align your goals with state and/or local standards.

4. Clearly discuss your criteria for student performance.

5. Discuss any changes or adaptations to your project which might affected the outcome.

6. Present the lesson and unit structure used in the project.

Criteria: Chapter 1

Criteria: Chapter 2

Criteria: Chapter 3

Criteria: Chapter 4

Criteria: Chapter 4

Criteria: Chapter 5

By Joe GoodstudentPresented to: Your Instructor

Diana Bourisaw, Ph.D.Tom Stephens, Ed.D.

UMSLTCH ED 6909

Fall 2012

TitlePage

• The research topic for this project was chosen due to the emergence of computer-based testing as an increasingly common method of student assessment, particularly at the research site, Hazelwood East Middle School (EMS), locate in the state of Missouri (USA).

• Past research has sought to dissect the impact on student scores of shifting the testing medium from PPT delivery to CBT.

• Will computer-based cooking instruction in the classroom improve student achievement in World History.

The student grade categories for the unit tests were ranged of seven percentage points apart to ensure that the difference in skill level was significant.

This helped to avoid selecting students who may have been only one or two percentage points apart in grades being placed in different groups and having data compared against each other. This helps to ensure that data collected within

a group is more directly correlated to the PPT and CBT conditions.

Student selection for the three learning categories was based on their test scores on the first two district-created unit tests.

Students with a mean score in the range of 93 – 100% were eligible to be place in the above average group. Students C1 and C2

Students who had a mean score in the range of 83 – 86% were eligible to be placed in the average skills group. Students A1 and A2

Students eligible for the below average group had IEPs with math learning disabilities. The students take modified assessments, and their unit test data is affected relative to the other students. Their status of having math learning disabilities was the basis for eligibility in the below average group. Students B1 and B2

Students A1 and A2 are both average learners in class. Student A1

Student’s learning strengths are in being conversational, artful, and musical.

Math is not his considered an academic area of particular strength for this individual. Strong and consistent effort propels this student to succeed at a satisfactory level in mathematics.

Due to this student’s artful and sensory nature, the standardized environment in which testing is conducted is a particularly non-stimulating and even adverse environment for this individual.

Student A2 Student is a kinesthetic learner. This student enjoys moving around, and sometimes becomes

disengaged when a lesson is strongly based in seatwork. The student learns best when emotionally or physically

activated. Standard testing for about an hour in one seat is the type of

condition that may be adverse for this individual’s performance

The goals for this research project are aligned to the Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs) for 8th Grade Mathematics created by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) (2008).

Each goal will be measured on each condition of the research project (CBT vs. PPT) as well as in the pre-condition assessment.

• There are five research goals that will be measured in this study. The first four are tied directly to specific Missouri Math GLEs.

1. Five of the six students achieve mastery on the grade-level expectation strand Geometric and Spatial Relationships 1B (G1B) by the PPT condition. G1B states that students will generalize relationships among multi-dimensional objects. The goal will be adjusted to six of six students answering correctly should that item be answered correctly by five out of six students prior to the PPT condition.

2. Five of the six students achieve mastery on the grade-level expectation strand Algebraic Relationships 1A (AR1A) by the PPT condition. AR1A states that students will be able to recognize and extend patterns. The goal will be adjusted to six of six students answering correctly should that item be answered correctly by five out of six students prior to the PPT condition.

Students will be assessed on weekly, standardized reading tests provided by the district curriculum.

Students performing at or above 80 percent on these assessments will meet Learning Goal 1 of the study.

Students will also take a supplemental assessment created by the researcher.

This assessment will track whether or not students can recall the definitions of vocabulary words.

Student Screening Prior to the study, each eligible student was

screened for his or her educational background. The purpose of the screen was determine if any students had been held back at any point, in which case, they would potentially benefit from another year of exposure to the benchmark testing.

The researcher was also concerned that there may have been differences amongst quality of education in different elementary schools, or for students transferring in from other districts.

The screening was focused to ensure that all study participants had at no point been held back, and that all students had attended one of the two main feeder elementary schools for EMS.

Participant Drop-outs and Alternates In the event of necessary adaptations need to be made to the groups of

research participants, the researcher will track data for all students in the class where the research will be conducted.

All students are required to take the benchmark tests each month at the school, and the data and answer sheets are automatically stored for everyone. This leaves open the possibility of bringing in replacement students within the class should any students be forced out of the study due to schedule changes or school transfers during the study.

Pre-screening data shows that there should be sufficient replacement students available who meet the group qualification standards either by way of unit test scores, or by way of having a math IEP with math specifications for each group. Unless the unlikely situation occurs that many students transfer out within

the school year, the study should be thoroughly covered for secondary research participants.

Within two of the three subgroups of students there were two other students in the eligibility pool for that particular group. For the above average group, it would require extending the grade percentage cutoff down from a 93% to 91% average for the first two assessments.

The first four GLE learning goals of the study will be covered within the first two units of the year, which will be completed prior to the start of the first research condition (CBT)

GLEs Algebraic Relationships 1A (AR1A), Algebraic Relationships 2A (AR2A), and Algebraic Relationships 1B (AR1B) will be covered in the first unit, which will focus on creating and interpreting linear equations.

GLE Geometric and Spatial Relationships 1B, will be taught in the second unit, which will focus on the Pythagorean Theorem.

The author designed a unit to teach linear relationships to address the three GLE learning goals AR1A, AR2A, and AR1B.

The unit is broken down into three investigations. The first investigation uses various differentiated learning

strategies for collecting, graphing, interpreting, and extending data from a bridge-strength experiment, and is taught over 3 different lessons. This investigation will utilize the hands-on collection of

experimental data, group presentation, cooperative learning discussions, and some note-taking.

The teaching of this investigation is specifically aligned to the first learning goal, AR1A.

The second investigation is designed to guide students to writing and identifying linear equations based on data patterns and unit cost situations. It is taught over four different lessons and is aligned to GLEs

AR2A and AR1B. The third and final investigation designed to get students doing

experiments that produce data in inverse variation, and writing equations for them. It is a three lesson investigation and is designed to teach learning goals AR1A and AR2B at higher levels of knowledge.

All lesson plans in this unit are designed to be part of a process of discovery based investigations.

Each lesson plan is designed as a four step process.1. Students receive a ten-minute ‘Do Now’ review period when

they enter class.2. Students then go through a teacher-led investigative

launch. This stage may be utilize note-taking, cooperative learning

discussions, class responses, and teacher demonstrations. Students will usually be given one or two theme questions to be answered during the class period.

3. Students are then given instructions for an explorations period. This where students work either in groups, pairs, or individually on a set assignment that is an extension based on the launch.

Teacher will probe students individually for understanding and check for conclusions that students may draw based on their activities.

4. The class summary is usually a group-wide activity where teacher and students reflect on any new patterns or consistencies that may have been discovered during class.

You are presenting to your classmates. Do you want to distribute and

documents? Can you think of anything to engage your

audience? What about humor?

Make your PowerPoint and presentation interesting and use your creativity.

Pictures of students or school Tables Animation (including animated gifs) Short video clips Table of Contents & division pages District Map Background of study Hyperlinks (Example: DESE) Questions slide (15 minutes) Format: PowerPoint, Keynote (Mac users), Prezi,

or iDVD.