Major Project - Urgent - 11 Hours Maximum

Overview

Candidates in all advanced programs will receive proper instruction, support, and feedback to guide them through the completion of the three stages of the Signature Project. Candidates must work collaboratively with course instructors, P12 practitioners, and other school stakeholders on the Signature Project to develop the skills required to successfully complete each stage of the Signature Project and to ensure the products for each stage meet minimum requirements to represent proficiency at the appropriate level on the evaluation continuum. Candidates will prepare only the Signature Project Stage 1 in ED 504. The Signature Project Stage 1 is a research proposal for an experimental or quasi-experimental research proposal. Candidates in the Master’s program will be required in a subsequent course to submit the final iteration of the research proposal as an 8-10 minute presentation explaining the project, including details about the identified problem, background investigation, proposed action plan, and impact on teaching and learning to an outside evaluation team. Ultimately, candidates will be expected to earn a minimum of 80% of the possible points by the outside evaluation for each stage in the Signature Project before they are eligible to receive an advanced degree.

The Signature Project concept was developed by a committee of unit faculty and P12 partners in Summer 2016. Further development of the project stages’ descriptions and evaluation rubrics was put on hold while the unit worked to complete a successful NCATE re-visit in Fall 2016. Project development resumed in Fall 2017. The entire unit faculty had an opportunity to provide feedback with respect to stage drafts created by the committee, in Fall 2017 and Spring 2018. Adjustments to the original products and the development of an assessment platform in Blackboard followed in Summer 2018 and Fall 2018. Adjustments were made based on the recommendations of a committee of university faculty and a P-12 partners. Pilot administration of the Signature Project stages will begin in Spring 2019 but completed projects will not begin to be evaluated outside of courses until candidates advance through the project stages. Focus group interviews with candidates and faculty involved in the pilot will begin after implementation. Afterward, revisions to the project descriptions, rubrics, and evaluation process will be completed. The unit anticipates implementing the Signature Project with all advanced programs by Fall 2020, with full candidate accountability becoming compulsory at that time.

THE SIGNATURE PROJECT

Major Assignment 1: Research Problem

Candidates gather existing data from their classroom, school, district or work setting. They will construct a graphical representation that allows for easy analysis of the compiled data and assess the data to identify a problem or weakness that can be addressed in an experimental or quasi-experimental study. In a short narrative essay, candidates identify the problem/weakness, connect the problem or weakness to trends or patterns represented in the data, and explain how the problem or weakness might have impacted student achievement. The required scope of the problem/weakness depends on the level of advanced degree being sought.

· Master level – classroom level or school level problem

· Specialist level – multiple classrooms or school level problem

Major Assignment 2: Literature Review

Candidates discuss the background of the identified problem, conduct a literature review following APA format (most recently published edition), and become familiar with the scholarly debate surrounding the topic or problem identified in the existing data. The scope and expectations for the literature review depend on the level of advanced degree being sought. The problem or weakness must be suitable for an experimental or quasi-experimental study.

· Master level – Candidates must describe a best practice or a trend/theory and justify its use and connection with the identified problem; use a minimum of 10 sources (largely representative of the most recent five years); describe/justify the best practice and/or theory based on each of the sources; and provide a synthesis of the related literature. (10 sources required, but a minimum of 15 sources are required to receive all points.)

· Specialist level – Candidates must describe a best practice or a trend/theory and justify its use and connection with the identified problem; include a minimum of three best practice options AND a theory/trend; clear descriptions and justifications; and provide a synthesis of the related literature from the past 5 years. (15 sources are required, but a minimum of 20 sources are required to receive all points.)

Major Assignment 3: Methodology

Candidates construct a measurable and executable action plan that includes a description of collaborative resources, description of the plan, and the scope and expectations required to complete an experimental or quasi-experimental study. The collaborative resources include evidence of collaboration with appropriate stakeholders (who, what role do they play, what impact do they have on the plan). The description of the plan includes a descriptive timeline, participants, variables, definitions of key terms in the study, data, resources, leverage plan, pertinent documents, and justification. The scope and expectations for the action plan depend on the level of advanced degree being sought.

· Master’s level – represents a plan to address a problem identified across multiple classrooms (i.e. teacher leader looking at data from multiple classrooms on the same grade level).

· Specialist level – represents a plan to address a problem identified across an entire school, multiple schools, or throughout a district (i.e. an instructional leader addressing a problem across elementary schools in a district)

Signature Project Stage 1 SP1 OL1

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MAJOR ASSIGNMENT 1: Research Problem

Candidates will gather existing data collected at the classroom, school, or district level to justify identification of a topic/problem for study. Review the grading rubric while completing Major Assignment 1.

OBJECTIVE: Analyzing existing data and identifying an educational problem or weakness currently found in student’s classroom or school for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project Stage 1assignment.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Summarize an introduction to your topic.

2. Identify the problem/weakness to investigate (statement of the research problem).

3. Identify your hypothesis.

4. Describe how you determined that a problem or weakness might exist?

5. Construct a graphical representation that allows for easy interpretation of your compiled data that highlights your problem or weakness. Identify the source of the data and discuss its credibility.

6. Discuss your analysis of the data to confirm that a problem or weakness can be addressed that is appropriate to the scope of the required program.

7. Connect the problem or weakness to trends or patterns represented in the data.

8. Explain how the problem or weakness might have impacted student achievement.

9. Identify the research methodology that you are planning to use with an explanation of why.

MAJOR ASSIGNMENT 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

(Use this as a template. Copy and download. Do not delete any portions of the template. Respond to each prompt with essay style answers within the template. Save and submit in Blackboard.)

Candidates conduct a literature review, following APA format (most recently published edition), and become familiar with the scholarly debate surrounding the topic, and what scholars and practitioners say about the best way to address the particular need or problem identified through the data analysis. Review the grading rubric while completing Major Assignment 2.

OBJECTIVE: Reviewing and writing a Review of Literature on your chosen topic/problem for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project Stage 1 assignment.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Provide a brief overview of the problem and need discussed in Major Assignment 1.

2. Provide a developed problem statement that demonstrates a sound and focused understanding of the chosen topic/problem.

3. Identify the hypothesis.

4. Identify best practice(s) that will be used to address the problem or weakness.

5. Describe a trend/theory that will be used to justify the use of the identified best practice(s) and clearly highlight the connection with the identified trend/theory to address problem.

6. Include content from the literature reviewed that supports the identified best practices as viable responses to the problem/weakness identified.

7. Describe how the literature reviewed connects the identified theory/trend with all identified best practices.

8. Include summaries of the sources reviewed.

9. Include only sources in the review of literature that show clear connections with the best practice(s) and/or theory/trend identified as viable responses to the problem/weakness presented.

10. Include a minimum of 10 sources (largely representative of the most recent five years). All 15 references must be included to receive all possible points.

MAJOR ASSIGNMENT 3: METHODOLOGY

(Use this as a template. Copy and download. Do not delete any portions of the template. Respond to each prompt with essay style answers within the template. Save and submit in Blackboard.)

Candidates write a measurable and executable action plan on their chosen topic/problem for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project Stage 1 assignment. The action plan must be APA formatted (most recently published edition). Collaborative resources must be included. Evidence of collaboration with appropriate stakeholders is required. Review the grading rubric while completing Major Assignment 3.

OBJECTIVE: Writing a measurable and executable action plan on an identified topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project assignment.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Provide a brief overview of Major Assignment 1 followed by a brief synthesis of the literature review.

2. Identify the population.

3. Provide a full description of the participant sample and the sampling technique.

4. Justify the sampling technique and the sample chosen.

5. Describe the role of all participants and the plan to prevent harm to them, including the plan for protecting student confidentiality and data.

6. Explain the impact all participants will have on the study.

7. Provide a detailed description of steps and sequence of steps required to complete a successful study.

8. Justify the plan with respect to the identified problem.

9. Justify the connection between the plan with the expected impact on student achievement.

10. Define constitutive and operational definitions of key terms.

11. Identify the variables in the study and define how each will be measured.

12. Describe the data that is needed for the study and how it will be collected.

13. Include a description of the timeline for the data collection.

14. Identify any instrument that will be used in the study and its validity and reliability measures.

15. Describe any threats to internal validity of the study and measures for control.

16. Identify the collaborated resources and explain the value and role of each.

17. Identify the connection between the collaborative resources and the identified problem.

18. Identify the plan to leverage resources to complete the action plan.

19. Describe the limitations or outside interferences that might interfere with improved student achievement.

20. A list of all sources cited in Major Assignments 1, 2, and 3 must be compiled. It must be included in your Major Assignment 3 submission.

21. Compile documents for the appendices. These do not have to be included in your Major Assignment 3 submission. But, they are required in the final submission of the Signature Project Stage 1.

THE SIGNATURE PROJECT

The culminating requirement in ED 504 is the final iteration of your Signature Project Stage 1. The Signature Project Stage 1 is your research proposal. It is designed to guide candidates through the steps for planning an experimental or quasi-experimental study to examine an in-depth school improvement project focused on improving teaching and learning. The project involves an opportunity for candidates to apply the knowledge, skills, and behaviors they gain from their respective programs.

To complete the Signature Project Stage 1, candidates extract information from their Major Assignments 1, 2, and 3 to create the Signature Project Stage 1 which includes Chapters 1, 2, and 3, References, and Appendices. The Signature Project Stage 1 should include the following:

Cover Page

Abstract

Chapter 1: Research Problem

Introduction

Statement of the Research Problem (include hypothesis)

Data Graphic and Discussion

Impact on Student Achievement

Research Methodology

Summary (of chapter 1)

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction

Sub-headings (according to the organization of your study)

Synthesis of Literature Review

Chapter 3: Methodology

Introduction

Population

Sample

Sample Technique (with justification)

Role of Participants and Impact on Participants (with explanation)

Plan for Protection of Human Subjects

Variables

Timeline (with sequence of steps and timeline for data collection)

\ Constitutive and Operation Definitions

Description of Data (data needed)

Reliability and Validity of Instrument

Collaborative Resources

Leverage Plan

Limitations

References

Appendix A: Consent Form

Appendix B: Permission to Study

Appendix C: Copy of the instrument or survey if one is used.

General Guidelines

· APA format.

· Double-space using Times New Roman 12 pt. font size. Follow the example found in the Course Resource section of this course.

· Top, bottom and side margins must be 1 inch.

· Pages must be numbered, top flushed right.

· Organize the literature review according themes important to the study.

· Direct quoting of other authors is not permitted. All written text should be in your own words.

· Appropriately cite all information sources using APA.

· Include a minimum of ten scholarly sources, five of these sources should come from the primary literature. (ED 504 requirement) All ten sources should primarily be from the past five years.

· References should be in APA format and on a separate page in the document.

· If you’re scholarly literature sources were obtained from an Internet site (e.g., online journal article), include the URL and the date downloaded as part of the bibliographic details presented. Check APA on formatting.

· Grammar and spelling must be correct.

INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD APPROVAL (completion of the IRB approval does not occur in ED 504):