Signature Project + Major Assignment (A+ Required)

MAJOR ASSIGNMENT 3: METHODOLOGY/ACTION PLAN

Candidates write a measurable and executable action plan on their chosen topic 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 and each category in the grading rubric must be addressed. Evidence of collaboration with appropriate stakeholders is required.

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. Identify the population.

The population will be all students who have been identified for special education services in the 4th and 5th grade at RT Elementary School.

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

The sample will be all 4th and 5th grade students who complete the STAR progress monitoring assessments.

3. Justify the sampling technique and the sample chosen.

This will be a quasi-experimental research study using mixed methods for data collection (student observations and data collected from STAR progress monitoring assessments). Students who have been identified for special education services in the 4th and 5th grade are struggling to recall and retain information taught in their mathematics classes, resulting in a decrease in overall proficiency

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

Participants and their parents will be informed of their rights and consent will be received. Participants will actively participate in their math classroom and engage in multisensory learning techniques, to help increase their proficiency rates. STAR assessment data will be used to collect data; however, participant information will be kept confidential. There will not be any names on data reports.

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

The participants’ data will help guide the ways teachers implement instruction in their classrooms, with a goal of increasing academic proficiency.

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

· Teachers will implement multisensory instruction during their mathematics classes.

· Teachers will model multisensory opportunities

· Students will actively participate in their learning while involving all their senses.

· Teachers will observe students during the multisensory lessons.

· Students will be progressed monitored to determine if they are able to recall and retain the information being taught.

· Data will be reviewed from the teacher observations made within the classroom and from data received from STAR progress monitoring assessments that the participants take.

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

Students who have been identified for special education services in the 4th and 5th grade are struggling to recall and retain information taught in their mathematics classes, resulting in a decrease in overall proficiency. The plan is for teachers to implement multisensory methods in their math instruction. Students will be provided with opportunities to expand on their senses and find areas that engage and motivate them in the area of mathematics.

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

Multiple intelligence theory emphasizes that everyone has their own learning style and these individual learning styles are connected to the various senses. Therefore, by implementing multisensory instruction in the classroom, it can increase retention in academic areas which leads to an increase in proficiency.

9. Define constitutive and operational definitions of key terms.

Multisensory- involving several senses; multisensory is a term used to describe instructional techniques implemented to help students use all their senses to increase student engagement in learning and academic proficiency.

The Multiple Intelligences Theory- the theory suggests that intelligence exists in several styles and abilities and not just as a single ability; Multiple Intelligences Theory emphasizes that everyone has their learning style, and these individual learning styles are enhanced and promote knowledge and understanding when various senses are targeted.

Proficiency-a high level of skill or competence; Participants will demonstrate competence in an academic area when they master skills taught. This can be demonstrated as participants are able to recall and retain information.

Co-creating- working together to obtain a common goal; Co-creating happens when teachers and students collaborate about academic goals.

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

· Multisensory learning techniques will be implemented in the classroom, and students will actively participate in classroom techniques based on teacher observations.

· Participate math proficiency rates will be measured by STAR progress monitoring assessments.

11. Describe the data that is needed for the study and how it will be collected. Include a description of the timeline for the data collection.

Data will be collected from all STAR progress monitoring assessments and teacher observations. Data will be collected from teacher observations forms and from computer generated score reports after student have completed their progress monitoring. Participants will participate in progress monitoring every two weeks during a nine-week semester.

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

STAR progress monitoring will be used in the study to allow students to complete assessments. The STAR program has a report generator component that will allow data to be summarized once assessments are completed. STAR is noted to be a reliable testing source to provide data to aid in identifying students who are at risk, thus resulting in the interventions being put into place to increase student success.

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

The STAR program will used to obtain assessment data. In order to control any threats to internal validity the same instrument for data collection will be used with all participants. Any teacher observation forms will have standard terms that are easy to understand to prevent any confusion or misinterpretation. Teachers will be instructed to implement multisensory learning techniques within their classroom, and this will be monitored to ensure they are implemented.

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

Teachers- those who are responsible for implementing multisensory learning techniques, completing teacher observation forms, ensuring participants complete STAR progress monitoring assessments, and analyzing data collected.

15. Identify the connection between the collaborative resources and the identified problem and the leverage plan for acquiring resources.

The function of the resource is to implement multisensory learning techniques, to increase student engagement in their learning thus resulting in an increase in proficiency. Resources will be acquired for multisensory learning techniques from within the school that promote multisensory learning.

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

Participant absences from school could be an interference. Also, internet connection issues due to the STAR assessment being an online tool for progress monitoring could interfere with improved student achievement.

17. Include any pertinent documents in Appendix.

· Consent form

Major Assignment 3 Methodology

Methodology/ Narrative Writing Rubric

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