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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

Morin, A. (2021, May 15). How do students benefit when parents and teachers work together. Very well Family. Retrieved July 16, 2022, 2022, from https://www.verywellfamily.com/parents-and-teachers-working-together-620922

Tillema, H. H., Smith, K., & Leshem, S. (2011). Dual roles – conflicting purposes: A comparative study on perceptions on assessment in mentoring relations during practicum. European Journal of Teacher Education, 34(2), 139–159. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2010.543672