1. Class Participation

Your course grade includes class participation (attendance, in-class activities, WebCT, and spark) at 15%. Please inform the instructor in advance if you are unable to attend so that we can assign you Tedious Makeup Work. You are expected to check the website each week for announcements and to work with WebCT as appropriate.

Maximum participation: The student regularly contributes to class discussion and fully participates in activities, with sensitivity to classmates and value of the equal participation of all. Comments add to the learning experience and are connected to both the readings and the student’s relevant outside experiences.

Minimum participation: The student contributes to class discussion infrequently or rarely, and/or does not value and respect the contributions of classmates. Comments do not add to the learning being undertaken by the class as a whole. Does not fully participate or contribute to group activities. Comments are not connected to the readings and isolated to outside experiences only.

2. Annotated Bibliography and Written/Oral Research Analysis (15%)
For your final paper, you will need a short literature review on your topic. We will discuss how to do literature reviews. To get you started on your literature review, you will need to conduct a preliminary systematic search for research articles related to your school improvement study. For assigment 2, find one published empirical study, located in a peer reviewed journal. Annotate it in approximately one page. A sample annotation is in the course packet.

Once you have annotated your article, turn in a maximum four-page written analysis of the quality of the research conducted in this article. Address its methods, validity, and ethics. Also indicate how it would inform your decision-making as an administrator. You might find helpful the criteria on MS 53-55 and 69-70 (5th ed.) or MS 31-32 and 40-41 (6th ed.) when evaluating articles.

Finally, give an informal 3-5 minute summary of your analysis in class.

Note: Speeches, curriculum plans, dissertations, conference papers, and the like may be related to your topic and indexed in various databases. However, only empirical research articles may be used to fulfill assignment.

Due: 9/28

Evaluated on:

--clarity of annotation
--clarity of analysis of article's research
--clarity of analysis of informing your decision-making as an administrator
--clarity of in-class summary
--correct use of APA format

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3. School Improvement Study

This is a multiple-part assignment involving the selection of a problem in your own or your mentor school/school district. After the problem has been selected, you will devise a research proposal to resolve the problem and conduct a preliminary analysis of relevant data. Components include:

3a. Developing a Research Question and Data Collection Plan (10%)

Develop a topic and some preliminary research questions. To prepare, complete Exercises 4.1 and 5.2 from Maxwell for your research topic, using the matrix (Table 5.1) as a guide. Given the brevity of this class, you will not have to complete everything you outline in the matrix. Make sure you clearly identify your research question(s) and/or hypotheses. Use MS chapters 1-3 as a guide for identifying what kind of study you are doing. Your rationale should explain why your question is important to you, to your school, and to the field as a whole. Length: One page matrix, one or two page narrative of questions/hypotheses/rationale.

Due: 8/31

Evaluated on:

--completeness
--match between question/hypothesis and method
--strength of rationale
--readability

Evaluated according to:

A=each item is well-thought, complete, and readable
B=each item is complete, but needs minor tinkering
C=items need significant improvement
D=items are incomplete, irrational, unreadable, and/or late

3b. Reflection on Experience, Ethics, and Validity (15%)

This is your opportunity to identify who you are as a researcher, how who you are is relevant to your research, and any ethical and validity issues that may result from your research (whether or not those issues are related to your own identity). This assignment is based loosely on Maxwell's exercises 3.1 (1996) or 2.1 (2005), 5.1, and 6.1. It should include:

a) reflections on if/how your cultural identity affects your research

b) any ethical issues that may arise in your research (whether or not they are related to your identity); and

c) any validity issues that may arise in your research (again, whether or not they are related to your identity).

As Maxwell notes, this is not an autobiography (beware ethno-narcissism!); instead it is an analysis of potential research issues and how you will resolve them. It should be about three to five pages long.

Due: 9/10

Evaluated on:

--clear connections between experience and research
--explication of potential issues of bias, ethics, and validity
--rationale of solutions to potential issues

Evaluated according to:

A=reflection is clear, analytical, thorough, and rational
B=reflection is relatively clear, analytical, and rational, but some pieces may not be thorough
C=reflection needs significant improvement
D=reflection is incomplete, irrational, unclear, and/or late

See sample paper on WebCT.

This paper may be included as an artifact for standard five of the PreLEAD portfolio.

3c. Pulling It All Together: The Final Paper (35%)
Integrate the pieces you have written above into one coherent research proposal to resolve the problem you have selected. You may copy and paste entire sections of what you have written already.

Your paper should be about 20 pages (double spaced, one inch margins, 10/12 point font, APA format). It should include a title page, abstract, introduction and purpose for the study, a review of the literature, data collection and analysis methods including ethics and validity issues; preliminary results (utilizing tables or graphics, if appropriate), and implications/conclusions of those results. Additional guidelines are on the outline handout (CP) and in MS Appendix A. Sample papers are available on WebCT.

Include a bibliography, your questionnaires and protocols, consent forms, and QIC-Decide protocol in the appendices.

Due: 10/5

Your paper will be evaluated according to the following rubric:

3d. Class Presentation and Handout (10%)
Present a 10-minute (maximum) oral summary of your study as if you were either a) presenting at a professional conference or b) presenting before a parent or school board group. Explain the importance of your research for the district and for the field as a whole, present your research plan and preliminary results, and suggest directions for future research. You must provide a one-page handout and protect the anonymity of participants in your study.

Due: 10/5

Field Experience: You may earn field experience hours for time spent collecting data during this study.

The paper may be included in the student’s portfolio in Standard 2: school program issue, Standard 4: management, facilities, or safety issues, or Standard 6: community-wide issue, depending on the topic of your research project and/or who is included in your respondent population.

4. DDL QIC-Decide Site Protocol
Fill out the QIC-Decide Support Protocol (a template is on WebCT) for your School Improvement Project and attach it to your final paper if you are seeking DDL certification. This protocol, in addition to the in-class activities completed throughout the course, will meet your Data Driven Leadership certification requirement. Use the Maxwell Matrix from Assignment 2a in the C-section of your protocol.