Alex Torrez, Dissertation Proposal, Dr. W.A. Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair

1. 1
The Impact of Smaller Learning
Communities on Closing the
Achievement Gaps among Student
Population Groups in Texas High
Schools
A Dissertation Proposal
by
Alex Torrez
Dissertation Chair: William Allan Kritsonis, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Program in Educational Leadership

2. Committee Member
• Donald Collins, Ph.D.
• Carl Gardiner, Ed.D.
• Douglas Hermond, Ph.D.
• Solomon Osho, Ph.D.
2

3. 3
Dissertation Defense Format
I. Conceptual Framework
II. Purpose of the Study
III. Research Questions
IV. Method
V. Review of Literature

4. Smaller Learning Communities
Conceptual Framework
19th
-20th
Century
Traditional
EducationalModel
Student Academic
Achievement Gaps
21
stCentury
EducationalModel

5. 5
19th
Century Classroom

6. 6
20th
Century Classroom

7. 7
Theoretical Framework
4 Areas of Relevance
Smaller
Learning
Communities
ELA/Mathematics TAKS/
Eco. Disadvantaged
Attendance
ELA/Mathematics TAKS/
Sub-Populations
Completion/
Drop Out Rate

8. 8
Purpose of the Study
• The purpose of this conceptual
quantitative study is to determine if a
difference exists between the
implementation of the career-themed
smaller SLC design and an increase in
high school students’ academic
achievement, attendance, and high school
completion/dropout rate between
populations as reported in the Texas
Education Agency AEIS report.

9. 9
Research Question
1. Is there a difference in student
achievement between career-themed
Smaller Learning Communities (SLCs)
and traditional high schools, as reported
on the Academic Excellence Indicator
System (AEIS) for Texas Assessment of
Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) in
Reading/ELA and Mathematics for ethnic
subpopulations?

10. 10
Research Question
2. Is there a difference in student
achievement between career-themed
SLCs and traditional high schools, as
reported on the AEIS for TAKS in
Reading/ELA and Mathematics for
economically disadvantaged
subpopulations?

11. 11
Research Question
3. Is there a difference in student
attendance between career-themed SLCs
and traditional high schools, as reported in
the AEIS?

12. Research Question
4. Is there a difference in student
dropout/completion rates between career-
themed SLCs and traditional high
schools, as reported in the AEIS?
12

13. Percent of Texas Population by Age Group
and Ethnicity, 2000
39.5
41.6
45.0 45.0
43.1 44.4
47.8
53.0
57.2
60.2
63.5
66.4 67.1
72.6
44.0
41.3
38.0 38.4
40.5
38.6
35.3
30.5
26.7
24.2
22.4
20.6 20.3
16.7
<
5
years
5
to
9
years
10
to
14
years
15
to
19
years
20
to
24
years
25
to
29
years
30
to
34
years
35
to
39
years
40
to
44
years
45
to
49
years
50
to
54
years
55
to
59
years
60
to
64
years
65
+
years
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
Percent
Anglo Hispanic

14. Percent of Texas Population by Age Group
and Ethnicity, 2040*
* Projections are shown for the 1.0 scenario
17.7
19.3 19.9 20.3 19.8 19.3 19.4 20.5 20.6 21.9
25.3 26.5 27.2
39.8
69.9
67.8 66.5 65.5 66.0 66.8 66.4
64.3
62.6
60.6
56.7
55.2
52.3
37.1
<
5
years
5
to
9
years
10
to
14
years
15
to
19
years
20
to
24
years
25
to
29
years
30
to
34
years
35
to
39
years
40
to
44
years
45
to
49
years
50
to
54
years
55
to
59
years
60
to
64
years
65
+
years
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
Percent
Anglo Hispanic

15. 15
Null Hypotheses
• H01 - There is no statistically significant
difference in student achievement
between career-themed SLCs and
traditional high schools, as reported on the
AEIS for TAKS in Reading/ELA and
Mathematics for ethnic subpopulations?

16. 16
Null Hypotheses
H02 - There is no statistically significant
difference in student achievement
between career-themed SLCs and
traditional high schools, as reported on the
AEIS for TAKS in Reading/ELA and
Mathematics for economically
disadvantaged subpopulation?

17. 17
Null Hypotheses
• H03 - There is no statistically significant
difference in student attendance between
career-themed SLCs and traditional high
schools, as reported in the AEIS?

18. Null Hypotheses
• H04 - There is no statistically significant
difference in student dropout/completion
between career-themed SLCs and
traditional high schools, as reported in the
AEIS?
18

19. 19
Method
• Independent Variable – Implementation of
career themed Smaller Learning Communities
design.
• Dependent Variable – Student achievement
based on change in Mathematics and
Reading/English Language Arts TAKS scores,
completion rate, attendance.

20. 20
Method
Subjects of the Study
1. 25 Texas public high schools that have
implemented smaller learning communities
with career academies
2. 25 Texas public traditional high schools
3. Grades 9 through 12
4. Total student enrollment minimum of 1500
students

21. 21
Method
Step 1 Research and Select Career Academy SLCs
Department of Education Smaller Learning Communities
Program
Texas High School Project
Texas schools that attended the 2010 Smaller Learning
Communities: From Structure to Instruction conference at
the University of Nevada in Las Vegas obtained from
Education Northwest
The National Career Academy Coalition
Extensive internet search

22. 22
Method
Step 2
Download the AEIS report from the TEA website from
the 25 career themed SLC schools selected
Step 3
A convenience sample of 25 traditional schools will be
selected from the TEA assigned school cohort. The
schools will be selected based on the TEA cohort
school that is most similar in size, ethnic
subpopulations (African American, Hispanic, and
White) and economically disadvantaged.

23. 23
Method
Step 4
Collect the AEIS data
Step 5
Disaggregate the data by ethnic and economically
disadvantaged
ELA scores
Mathematics scores
Attendance
Completion/Dropout

24. 24
Method
Area 2009 AEIS 2010 AEIS
Grade
AA
Hispanic
White
Eco. Dis.
Completion
Attendance

25. 25
Method
Step 6
SPSS will be utilized to disaggregate and analyze
data
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
Analysis of Covariant (ANCOVA)
Step 7
Interpret the results of the statistical procedure

26. 26
Career Theme Academies
The academies are designed to address the
broad spectrum of student interest and career
possibilities and provide transferable skills. The
goals of the Academies are to open a student's
mind to relevancy of academic courses and to
show how high standards relate to career
success. In addition to the essential academics
elements, students will develop knowledge
regarding careers where they may best utilize
their talents and aptitudes.

27. 27
Career Theme Academies
• Academy of Business, Marketing & Finance
• Academy of Consumer Science & Education
• Academy of Fine Arts, Communications & Humanities
• Academy of Government, Law & Criminal Justice
• Academy of Health Science
• Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
• Academy of Veterinary & Agricultural Science

28. 28
Review of Literature
• Alliance for Excellence in Education
• Bill & Melinda Gates
• Bill Daggett, International Center for Education
• Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
• Partnership for 21st Century Skills
• U.S. Department of Education

29. 29
Books
• Leading for Learning: How to Transform Schools into
Learning Organizations by P. Schlechty
• Creating and sustaining smaller learning: Strategies
and tools for transforming high schools by G.
Sammon
• Choosing Small: The Essential Guide to Successful
High School Conversion by Feldman, Lopez, Simon
• Catch up or leading the way: American education in
the age of globalization by Y. Zhao
• Classroom Instruction That Works, School That
Work, and What Works in Schools by R. J. Marzanno
• On Common Ground, Whatever It Takes, and
Professional Learning Communities at Work by R.
DuFour

30. 30
Books
• Schools That Learn and The Fifth Discipline by P.
Senge,
• The Heart of Change and Leading Change by J. P.
Kotter
• Learning Communities at Work by R. DuFour
• Change Forces and The New Meaning of Education
Change by M. Fullen

31. 31
Review of Literature
• Cotton K. (1996) School Size, School Climate and
Student Performance. Close up #20. Portland OR:
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
• DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., and Many, T. (2006)
Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional
Learning Communities at Work. By Solution Tree
(formerly National Educational Service)
• Daniels, D., Bizar, M., and Zemelman, S. (2001)
Rethinking High Schools: Best Practice in Teaching,
Learning, and Leadership. Heinemann A division of
Reed Elsevier Inc. 361 Hanover Street Portsmouth, NH
03801-3912

32. 32
Review of Literature
• Hord, M. and Sommers, W.A. (2007) Leading
Professional Learning Communities: Voices from
Research and Practice. Thousand Oaks California;
Cowin Press
• Kotter, J. P. & Cohen, D. S. (2002). The heart of change:
Real-life stories of how people change their organization.
Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
• Mathews, J. (2005, May). How to build a better high
school. Newsweek, 145(20), 52, 54-57. Retrieved April
29, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database.
(Document ID: 839507411).

33. 33
Transformation
• Schlechty (2009) states:
• Make no mistake, transformation is not as
simple as installing a new program, a new
process or new procedure. Unlike efforts
to improve the operation of existing
systems, transformation requires more
than changes in what people do; it
requires changes in what they think and
what they feel about what they do.

34. 34
Smaller Learning Communities
• Oxley (2006) stated:
• The central feature of a high-functioning
SLC (Small Learning Community) is an
interdisciplinary team (or teams) of
teachers who work closely together with a
group of students they share in common
for instruction. Traditional schools
organize teachers around subject areas or
departments.

35. 35
Thank you
Transformers