Research and Assessment power point presentation. Research Study Final on Alternative Education.

1. Research Study
Academic Failure is Unacceptable
Pamela Noble
Education 518, Section D06
Dr. Ann Cates
Liberty University

2. Abstract Quality of our schools are not equipped to serve our most
vulnerable.
 Antiquated institutional practices driving students out of
traditional
schools and into the alternative education system.
-Experimental programs
-Effective intervention strategies
 Previous research suggests that there are grim consequences both
human costs as well as societal costs. They include:
-Psychological difficulties
-Incarceration
-Chronically unemployed

3. Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not
the Alternative Education system in America works, and if so,
for whom?
The study will discuss scaffolding of services that is well
defined and articulated by leaders in the community.
The research will provide insights into best practices of
effective rural and urban alternative education programs.

4.  Why are so many minority students
being placed in an alternative setting?
 Do these students receive the
necessary in-house services that are
available to their counterparts?
Research Questions
Traditional Non-Traditional
 Why is ‘warehousing’
students O.K.?
 Why is personalized
instruction seen as
better for these
students?
 Effective vs. Ineffective
alternative education
programs.

5. Definitions of Variables and
Key Terms
 Alternative Schools-This
term is used in this study
to refer to students
who are labeled “at -risk”
or academic failure (Lehr
et al., 2009)
 Critical Theory- “Critical
theory is, at its center,
an effort to join empirical
investigation, the task of
interpretation, and a
critique of this
reality”(McLaren
 Alternative Education -For the
purpose of this study this term
will be interchanged with
“alternative schools”, suspensions
and expulsions.
 At Risk- Students attending
alternative schools, by current
definition, are “at-risk” for
academic failure.

6. Key Terms Cont’d…..
 Student Achievement- For
the purpose of this study
is referred to as students
who have traditionally
been underserved by the
educational system into
what Kelly (1993) called a
“hidden world”.
 Systematic Review- In theory, it is
research conducted by a team of
reviewers who select, review and
synthesize existing empirical
studies, and attempt to answer a
specific research question within an
established theoretical or ideological
framework.

7. Review of the Literature
Policy in Review:
Why are “at risk” children not
receiving the services and the
supports they need?
Lack of parental
involvement
Lack of funding
Lack of clear and consistent
policies
“Social bookkeeping
(Kim, J., & Taylor, K. A.
2008).
Why are minorities disproportionally
placed in alternative settings?
Loopholes in the accountability system
Technology expansion off –site
Antiquated & outdated policies

8. Review of the Literature
Cont’d…..
Educational Research Deficiencies
Obstacles:
 Educational research, in its organized form, has changed little in twenty
years, even though marked strides had been made in the related areas of
psychology and sociology (Lazarsfeld and Sieber).
 Research has appeared geared to improvement of specific practices in
particular locales rather than to understanding why they are needed.
 Scholars with a knowledge of educational theory are not involved in setting
policies because they are not directly involved in the decision-making.
 Current practices in many alternative programs do not result in improved
academic achievement (Kim, J., & Taylor, K. A. 2008).

9. Review of the Literature
Cont’d…..
 Research conducted at the local level is often viewed as little more than
“social bookkeeping” (Kim, J., & Taylor, K. A. 2008).
 Students with a research commitment are more likely to enter a related
academic area rather than education.
 Teachers that are highly qualified in their area of expertise and knowledge
opt to stay in a traditional setting rather than work in an alternative one.
 Empirical data conflicts with current postmodern trends.
Obstacles Cont’d:

10. Review of the Literature Cont’d……
Academic Failure is Unacceptable
 Topical research “shows that low participation rates raise the question of
whether enough at risk students are receiving the services and supports
they need” (NAEA, 2009).
Intervention Strategies:
 School districts need to track their students beginning in the ninth grade
for any early warning signs of academic deficiencies.
 Parents need to be advised of their child’s educational options regardless
of their socioeconomic status.
 Teachers need additional tools and Administration support with students
who are under performing.

11. Review of the Literature
Cont’d…..
Intervention Strategies Cont’d
 Deploy targeted wrap around services immediately where needed.
 Enlist community leaders and stakeholders to develop in-house programs that
mentor and train students for employment.
 Illicit the church community for help when gaps appear in the system.
 Develop programs such as credit recovery or career and technical education.
 Allow students to take ownership of where they choose to attend school.

12. Review of the Literature
Cont’d……
Education Policy Research
 Successful and effective alternative programs according to students,
parents, local and state educational systems consist of
These five components:
1. Lower student- to- staff ratio.
2. Highly trained and carefully selected staff.
3. Intensive counseling and monitoring.
4. Working relations with all parts of the school system.
5. Collaborating agencies that provide critical services to youth.

13. Qualitative Research Design
 Instrument applied will be the constructivist model.
 My research design is a broad construct of three subsets. (see below)
 It will only focus on decisions made at ground zero because once they
drop out or graduate tracking ends.
 The information will help school districts prioritize their budgets and
maximize internal and external resources.
Methods of data collection include these subsets:
-observations
-interviews
-data analysis
Through triangulation of data collection methods between observation,
interviewing and data analysis, the researchers enhance the validity of
their study (Freeman 2014, p. 120).

14. T
Sampling
 The study will be conducted and reviewed by researchers on a
continuous basis and over an extended period of time.
 The research will be conducted at two nearby high schools with
particular emphasis on its high drop out rate.
 The study will only include those students who are being referred to
internal and external intervention support services.
 One school will be located in an rural area and one will be in an urban
area.
 Students will not be asked to participate until and unless their parents
sign a waiver allowing them to do so.

15. Methods of Data Collection
 Students will be given a ‘reflection form’ to complete when they are sent
to in house intervention services that day.
 This will be the first initial contact between the researcher and the
student.
Questions on the form ask:
1.-What was your infraction ?
2.-Do you know why you were given this particular tier infraction?
3.-Do you feel you could have handled the situation different?
4.-What could you have done differently?
4. –How many times has this teacher sent you out of his/her classroom?
5.- How will you cope the next time this happens?

16. Methods of Data Cont’d…..
Conference with field participants:
Team meetings will be held once a week to discuss findings and
develop action plans for chronic infractions.
Minutes taken during parent/teacher conference will be
gathered and recorded.
Emails and other technologies will be utilized during the initial
stages and then home visits will follow prior to outside placement
recommendation.

17. Data Analysis Methodology
There are two major themes that resonate throughout the post modern
agenda:
- a clear cause and effect.
- research can be described or uncovered.
The research conducted by the Rennie Center for Education Research and
Policy combined both quantitative and qualitative methodology. Cohen, L.,
Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2000).
The researchers presented two hypothesis:
- how programming for at-risk students might be improved.
- how might those innovations be leveraged to guide broader, system-wide
reform.

18. Data Analysis Cont’d…..
 The report will contain quantitative information compiled by the Rennie
Center for Education Research and Policy.
 Districts were chosen based on Quantitative data gathered by the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
(ESE, 2013).
 The instrument deployed was the Revised Early Warning Indicator
System and Edwin Analytics.
 The longitudinal data included data from existing statewide collections
and state assessments from the prior year.

19. Ethical and Human Relations
 Some of the potential threats associated with this type of research is that
it does not take into consideration factors such as teaching experience and
the ethnicity or gender of the student may contribute to a teacher’s
response.
To prevent contamination:
- Increase the number of independent variables to include anonymity.
- Maintain open communication with all the stakeholders.
- Teachers will know what the parameters of the study will be ahead of time.


20. Timeline
 The research will be conducted over a year with focus placed on
prior year data that will be analyzed for anomalies.
 Data will then be disseminated over a twelve month period.
 Researchers will meet with critical stakeholders for a post mortem.
 At the end of the year a copy of the study will be given to the
participating school districts.

21. References
 Atkinson, E. (2000b) The Promise of Uncertainty: education,
postmodernism and the politics of possibility. International
Studies in Sociology of Education. 10:1, pp. 81-99.
 Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2000). Research Methods in
Education (5th Ed.). New York: Routledge/Falmer
 Freeman, Simonsen. (2014)Examining the Impact of Policy and
Practice Interventions on High School Dropout and School Completion
Rates: A Systematic Review of the Literature (1st Ed,) Review of
Educational Research published on October 14, 2014.

22. References Cont’d
 Kim, J., & Taylor, K. A. (2008). 2 Rethinking alternative
education to break the cycle of educational inequality and
inequity. Journal of Educational Research, 101(4), 207-219.
 Kelly, D. M. (1993). 9 Last chance high: How girls and boys drop
in and out of alternative schools. New Haven, CT: Yale
University Press.
 Kerlinger, Fred N. (1964). Foundations of behavioral research.
New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

23. References Cont’d…..
 Krezmien, M. P., Leone, P. E., & Achilles, G. M. (2006). 7 Suspension,
race, and disability: Analysis of statewide practices and
reporting. 10 Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Massachusetts
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education. (2013). High School Dropouts 2012-13 Massachusetts
Public Schools. Malden, MA.
http://www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/reports/dropout/2012-2013/summary.pdf.

24. References Cont’d…..
 McCall, H. J., (2003). When Successful Alternative Students
“Disengage” from Regular School. Reclaiming Children and
Youth, 12(2), 113-117.
 Ornstein, Allan C., Levine, Daniel U., & Wi1derson, Doxey A.
(1975). Reforming metropolitan schools. Pacific Palisades, CA:
Goodyear.
 Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy. (June 2014).
Alternative Education: Exploring Innovations in Learning.
Cambridge, MA.

25. References Cont’d…..
 United States Government Accountability Office. (February 2008).
Disconnected Youth: Federal Action Could Address Some of the
Challenges Faced by Local Programs That Reconnect Youth to
Education and Employment. Retrieved from
http://www.gao.gov/assets/280/272790.pdf U.S.