Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair for Steven Norfleet, Dissertation Proposal PPT.

1. A STUDY OF EFFECTIVE
SCHOOLS PRACTICES
IMPORTANT TO THE
ACHIEVEMENT OF THE
AFRICAN AMERICAN LEARNER
A Proposal Presentation
by
Steven Norfleet
October 2008

2. Dissertation Committee
Members
William Allan Kritsonis, Ph.D.
(Dissertation Chair)
David E. Herrington, Ph.D.
(Member)
Ronald Howard, Ph.D.
(Member)
Wanda Johnson, Ph.D.
(Member)

3. Research Outline
I. Introduction
II. Background of the Problem
III. Statement of the Problem
IV. Purpose of the Study
V. Research Questions
VI. Null Hypotheses
VII. Significance of the Study
VIII. Review of Literature
IX. Method of Procedure

4. INTRODUCTION
 Public schools in the United States continue to
struggle with the issue of underachievement of
the African American learner relative to their
White peers (Walker, 2006).
 Educators and researchers alike have
attempted to implement many solutions to close
the achievement gap. Using primarily top-down
approaches, solutions have ranged from
improving teacher and administrator qualities,
to improving the curriculum, to placing more
emphasis on student outcome data, to
increasing the rigor in core subjects.

5. INTRODUCTION
 Marzano (2003) asserts, “Research in the last
35 years demonstrates that effective schools
can have a profound impact on student
achievement” (p. 8)
 Since the first National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) report card was
issued in 1969, African American achievement
scores in reading, mathematics, and science
among 9, 13, and 17 year olds have averaged
some 30 points below their White peers.

6. INTRODUCTION
 Alfred Rovai, Louis Gallien Jr. and Helen Stiff-
Williams (2007) present the added complexity
in Closing the African American Achievement
Gap in Higher Education that closing the
achievement gap in elementary and secondary
schools has now carried over to higher
education.

7. INTRODUCTION
 Gail Thompson (2002) further remarks that
because of the increase in pressure on school
administrators to meet higher federal and state
accountability standards including all of the
other responsibilities placed on school
administrators, California school leaders are
asking, “What can we do to improve the
academic performance of African American
children” (p. xvii)?

8. INTRODUCTION
 Hans Luyten, Adrie Visscher, and Bob Witziers
(2004) have called for studies on the why and
how of the school’s perspective in school
effectiveness research, and particularly
focusing on the classroom and at the campus
level. Their research stresses that the ultimate
goal of conducting effectiveness research is to
identify effective interventions.

9. INTRODUCTION
 Bob Lingard, Jim Ladwig and Allan Luke (as
cited in Luyten et al., 2004) point out “the
black box of schooling needs to be opened
with more in-depth, qualitative analyses of
processes that actually occur in schools,
which they perceive to have a potential
influence on school performance” (pp. 256-
257).

10. Background of the Problem
 In Texas public schools, differences in achievement
between African American students and their White
peers mirrors the national average. According to the
TEA, TAKS (2007) passing rate for African Americans
was 55% and their White peers was 82%.
 Few studies have allowed African American students at
the high school level to articulate their view on the
schooling practices that affect their education, and even
fewer have allowed African American freshman college
students to articulate their perspective on the practices
implemented by school leaders that push the student to
achieve.

11. Background of the Problem
 Bush (2002) conducted a study utilizing
qualitative methods with African American
students in suburban settings to analyze
school factors that lead to their success.
Student suggestions to school
administrators were “a designated person to
assist with minority student problems, more
interaction with the principal and teachers,
and get families more involved with
students that are having trouble” (p. 83).

12. Background of the Problem
 Marzano (2000) states it well when he
says “If a school can simply identify
those variables on which it is not
performing well, it can pinpoint and
receive the information it needs to
improve student achievement” (p. 87).

13. Background of the Problem
 Cooper (2000) states “If reform-minded
educators are serious about closing the
achievement gap before several decades
pass in the new millennium, we must
continue to identify alterable factors in the
schooling process that help to promote
academic success among all students and
particularly students of color” (p. 620).

14. Statement of the Problem
 While there is an increase in the
number of African American students
having success on the Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
and college readiness tests in Texas
high schools, the lack of a significant
improvement may be due to the
degree of effective schools practices
implemented by school leaders.

15. Purpose of the Study
 The purpose of the study is to build
highly effective leadership practices of
school leaders, which are influential in
the academic success of students.

16. Purpose of the Study
 Chubb and Moe (as cited in Marazno, 2003)
affirm:
All things being equal, a student in an
effectively organized school achieves at
least a half-year more than a student in an
ineffectively organized school over the last
two years of high school. If this difference
can be extrapolated to the normal four-year
high school experience, an effectively
organized school may increase the
achievement of its students
by more than one full year (p.8).

17. Conceptual Framework
ENHANCE EFFECTIVE
SCHOOLS PRACTICES
SAFE AND ORDERLY
ENVIRONMENT
CLIMATE OF HIGH EXPECTATION
FOR SUCCESS
CLEAR AND FOCUSED MISSION
POSITIVE HOME/SCHOOL
RELATIONS
FREQUENT MONITORING OF
STUDENT PROGRESS
OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN, TIME
ON TASK
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP

18. Quantitative Research
Question #1
 How do freshman African American students
enrolled in a selected Historically Black College
and University (HBCU) rate their former high
school campus with regard to each criterion of
effective schools identified in the “effective
schools” literature?

19. Quantitative Research
Question #2
 Is there a relationship between the high
school characteristics of effective schools
rated by freshman African American
students enrolled in a selected Historically
Black College and University (HBCU) and
their post-secondary achievement during
their first semester of college in
Developmental Education Mathematics?

20. Null Hypothesis
 H01 - There is no statistically significant
relationship between a selected Historically
Black College and University (HBCU)
freshman African American student ratings
of their former high school’s “effective
schools” characteristics, and the student’s
first semester of college achievement in a
Developmental Education Mathematics
course.

21. Qualitative Research
Question #1
 How do African American students
report that their former high school
campus strives to improve academic
achievement by promoting learning
for all using instructional leadership?

22. Qualitative Research
Question #2
 How do African American students
report that their former high school
campus strives to improve academic
achievement by promoting learning
for all using clear and focused
mission?

23. Qualitative Research
Question #3
 How do African American students
report that their former high school
campus strives to improve academic
achievement by promoting learning
for all using climate of high
expectations?

24. Qualitative Research
Question #4
 How do African American students
report that their former high school
campus strives to improve academic
achievement by promoting learning
for all using safe and orderly
environment?

25. Qualitative Research
Question #5
 How do African American students
report that their former high school
campus strives to improve academic
achievement by promoting learning
for all using frequent monitoring of
student progress?

26. Qualitative Research
Question #6
 How do African American students
report that their high school campus
strives to improve academic
achievement by promoting learning
for all using positive home-school
relations?

27. Qualitative Research
Question #7
 How do African American students
report that their former high school
campus strives to improve academic
achievement by promoting learning for
all using opportunity to learn and
student time on task?

28. Significance of the Study
 A constant in schooling, school
leadership, teaching and learning, and
increased success in student
achievement is the effectiveness of
the school’s program to reach every
student at the highest levels.

29. Significance of the Study
 “In the 1960s the US led the world in high school
qualifications and Korea was 27th. Now Korea leads the
world and the US is 13th and falling. As recently as 1995
the US was second in the world on college-level
graduation rates; just a decade later it has slipped to
14th…
” (Barber, 2008).
 Given the history of achievement differences between
African American students and their White peers, it is
central to improve the performance of the education team
to achieve greater success in schools.
 This study will seek to enhance the effective schools
practices of the education team, by providing a stage for
African American students to participate and articulate
their views on schooling practices that motivate them to
achieve.

30. Significance of the Study
 Results of the study may:
 generate new strategies and
approaches employed by school
leaders that could lead to improved
academic achievement in the African
American learner;

31. Significance of the Study
 provide college and university teacher
education programs with information
on effective schools practices that
resonate with the African American
learner;
 For policy makers, results may shed
light on funding support and program
interventions that African American
students say are effective and needed
with future generations of African
American students.

32. Significance of the Study
 The study will provide quantitative and
qualitative data to school leaders
indicating the impact of an effective
high school on the achievement of
African American students that are
college freshmen.

33. Review of Literature
 Collyn Bray Swanson (2004) examined
Safe and Orderly Climate in a study to
determine if there was a difference in the
performance of military dependent African
American students attending a public school
and military dependent African American
students attending a Department of
Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)
school. Results indicated students in the
DoDEA system scored slightly higher on the
ACT college entrance exam than did the
students in the public education system.

34. Review of Literature
 Scheerens and Bosker (1997) identified
eight characteristics of successful schools
in their work entitled The Foundations of
Educational Effectiveness. Monitoring of
student progress was determined to be a
key component to improving achievement.
 Robert Marzano (2003) in What Works in
Schools identified five characteristics of
highly successful schools, and stresses
challenging goals and effective feedback as
major components to achieving high
expectations.

35. Review of Literature
 Bamburg and Andrews (1990) conducted
an investigation specifically looking at the
relationships of a clear and focused mission
and the role of the principal as the campus
instructional leader to the academic
achievement of students. Results indicated
that the school goal “To insure academic
excellence” showed a significant difference
between high achieving and low achieving
schools.

36. Review of Literature
 Gentulucci and Muto (2007) conducted a study
investigating students’ perceptions of what
principals do to influence their academic
achievement. Findings indicated principals that
visited classrooms and interacted with students
were more influential as instructional leaders
than those whose visits were few, short, and
passive. Students also indicated that principals
that walked around the classroom, checked on
their work, and provided gentle advice had
more powerful influence on their learning than
those sitting in the back of the classroom and
observing passively.

37. Review of Literature
 Boscardin et al. (2005) conducted a study to
determine how Opportunity To Learn (OTL)
variables impact student outcomes and if
the effects were consistent across the
subjects of English and algebra
assessments. One result of the study was
content coverage, which was defined by
Boscardin as the amount of time dedicated
to key content areas, was found to be
consistently associated with student
performance.

38. Review of Literature
 Zuelke (1982) attempted to customize a
model that school districts could use to
reallocate human and material resources to
enhance reading and mathematics
achievement. The study summarized that
evidence existed to suggest certain school
related variables such as student time-on-
task do make a difference in mathematics
and reading achievement.

39. Review of Literature
 Zavadsky (2006) examined frequent
monitoring of school progress in describing
five urban school districts that were
awarded the Broad Prize for the most
improved school districts in the United
States. One consistent finding of the Broad
Prize finalist’s awards was a commitment to
analyze and share data and assessments to
help make informed decisions that affect the
student, the school, and the district.

40. Review of Literature
 Stewart’s (2007) study looked at 546 high
schools and included 1,238 African
American students. Students were asked on
the survey to indicate the degree to which
parents engaged in a variety of school
activities ranging from parent organization
meetings to volunteering. Results revealed
the importance of the role of school leaders
in improving the relationships between
parents and the school to improve
achievement of the African American
learner.

41. Method of Procedure
 This section will include a review of:
(1) research design, (2) sample, (3)
instrumentation, (4) procedural
details, (5) internal validity, and (6)
data analysis.
 To advance the research procedures
the study will employ survey,
correlational, and descriptive
approaches.

42. Research Design
 The researcher will employ quantitative
and qualitative techniques in a mixed
method research design
 To meet the objectives of the research
design, the procedure will be: (1) collect
quantitative data 1a; (2) followed by
collect qualitative data; and (3) followed
by collect quantitative data 1b.

43. Research Design
 The researcher will collect quantitative data
in two phases: (1)administer a survey to
freshman college students enrolled in a
Developmental Education Mathematics
course; and (2) collect student grades from
college instructors assigned to teach the
Developmental Education Mathematics
course at the end of the Fall Semester
2008.
 The researcher will administer the survey at
a class time of the instructor’s preference.
 Grades will be grouped.

44. Research Design
 In the qualitative phase, the researcher will
be the instrument for data collection. Using
focus group interviews, the study seeks to
develop an in-depth understanding of the
research phenomenon associated with
implementing the correlates of effective
schools at the high school level, and the
impact on achievement.
 To maintain accuracy of the data the
researcher will utilize an audiotape
recorder, will write field notes, and the
researcher will keep a journal for reflections.

45. Subjects of the Study
 The population to which the study will be
generalized is African American students
attending Texas high schools.
 The population sample will be drawn using
convenience sampling techniques in the
quantitative phase and purposeful sampling
(homogeneous sampling) techniques in the
qualitative phase.

46. Subjects of the Study
 The population sample will comprise first year
and first time freshman college students, from a
selected Historically Black College and
University (HBCU) located in the south west
part of the United States.
 Sample participants will self-identify themselves
on the survey as first year and first time
freshman college students, by ethnicity, gender,
high school attended, year graduated, course
level Math 0100, 0113, 0133, identification
number, and by instructor.
 There are a total 806 students in 35 sections of
Developmental Education Mathematics
courses, and 10 instructors.

47. Instrumentation
(Quantitative)
 Correlates of Effective Schools Survey – taken
from Reality Check database of 2000 questions
produced by Dr. Lawrence Lezotte. Permission
has been granted by Effective Schools Products
Ltd. to use the database.
 There are seven correlates with three sub-
categories and nine questions that combine to
describe and operationally define each
correlate.
 The survey contains 63 question-items with 21
items worded in the negative.
 Dr. Teresa Hughes will review the survey for
content validity.

48. Instrumentation
(Qualitative)
 Using the focus group as the unit of
analysis, there will be three groups of ten
randomly drawn from the population sample
and invited to participate in the qualitative
phase.
 A room will be reserved to conduct the
focus group interviews at the research site
student center.
 A focus group interview session will take
approximately 45 minutes.

49. Analysis of Data
 The researcher will use a triangulation
design to analyze the data from
descriptive statistics collected from
the survey, notes and audiotape
recordings collected from focus group
interviews, and student fall semester
grades collected from instructors of
the Developmental Education
Mathematics course.

50. Analysis of Data (Quantitative)
Research Question #1 Statistical Measurement
How do freshman African
American students enrolled
in a selected Historically
Black College and University
(HBCU) rate their former high
school campus with regard to
each criterion of effective
schools identified in the
“effective schools” literature?
Descriptive statistics
measures including central
tendencies, frequency
distribution, and percentages
will be used to summarize
the results of the survey.
Effective Schools Ltd. will
compile the results in a
narrative, tabular, and
graphical form.

51. Analysis of Data (Quantitative)
RESEARCH
QUESTION #2
HYPOTHESES INDEPENDENT
VARIABLES
DEPENDENT
VARIABLE
STATISTICAL TEST
Is there a
relationship
between the high
school
characteristics
of effective schools
rated by freshman
African American
students enrolled in
a selected
Historically Black
College and
University (HBCU)
and their post-
secondary
achievement during
their first semester of
college in
Developmental
Education
Mathematics ?
H01 - There is no
statistically significant
relationship between a
selected Historically
Black College and
University (HBCU)
freshman African
American student
ratings of their former
high school’s “effective
schools”
characteristics, and the
student’s first semester
of college achievement
in Developmental
Education
Mathematics.
Correlates
of
Effective Schools
Semester
Grade in
Developmental
Education
Mathematics
1. Correlation
using Pearson r
2. Multiple
Regression
Analysis R²
*SPSS 13.0 will
be used to run
the statistic.

52. Analysis of Data (Qualitative)
Research Questions #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
 A code and a table of contents will be
assigned to each focus group interview
session. Data will be organized by file folder
and computer file, whether recorded as
written field notes or audiotape recordings.
 Audiotape recordings will be transcribed using
a projection of one hour of recording time to
four hours of transcription. A text document
will be used with spacing for questions and
notes to be written in margins.
 Personal reflections will be noted in the
margin of the field notes and in a journal.

53. Analysis of Data (Qualitative)
Research Questions #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
 Field notes, journal reflections, and audiotape
recordings will be sorted and sifted for similar
phrases, relationships, themes, and
differences.
 Patterns, differences, and commonalities will
be noted.
 Consistencies in interviews will be
generalized.
 Generalizations will be examined in terms of
the body of knowledge surrounding the
research problem and questions.

54. Summary
 The study will explore the view of the
African American student on
increasing achievement for future
students from similar backgrounds as
themselves, by focusing on the
schooling practices implemented by
school leaders which influence the
experiences of the learner.

55. References
 Bush, R. (2002). Factors contributing to the
success of African American students in
suburban settings: Students’ perspectives,
Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Roosevelt
University, Chicago, Illinois.
 Barber, Sir M. (2008). Neither rest nor
tranquility: Education and the American dream
in the 21st century. Aspen Institute, Washington
DC: September 15, 2008.
 Chubb, J. & Moe, T. (1990). Politics, markets,
and America’s schools. Washington, DC: The
Brookings Institute.
 Lezotte, L. (1997). Learning for all. Okemos, MI:
Effective Schools Products, Ltd.

56. References
 Lingard, B., Ladwig, J., & Luke, A. (1998). School effects
in postmodern conditions. In R. Slee & G. Weiner (with S.
Tomlinson) (Eds.), School effectiveness for whom?
Challenges to the school effectiveness and school
improvement movements (84-100). London: Falmer
Press.
 Luyten, H., Visscher, A., & Witziers, B. (2004). School
effectiveness research: From a review of the criticism to
recommendations for further development. School
Effectiveness and School Improvement, 16(3), 249-279.
 Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Translating
research into action. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development Publishers

57. References
 Rovai, A., Gallien Jr., L. & Stiff-Williams, H.
(2007). Closing the African American
Achievement Gap in Higher Education. New
York, New York: Teachers College Press,
Columbia University.
 Thompson, G. (2002). African American teens
discuss their schooling experiences. Westport,
Connecticut: Gergin and Garvey Publishers
 Walker, E. (2006). Urban high school students’
academic communities and their effects on
mathematics success. American Educational
Research Journal, 43(1), 43-73.