Does the implementation of the PI program improve the performance of Reseda High school students - Research Paper Example

? Academic Performance of California Public Schools in the United s of America Before and After the “Program Improvement”. Ramy Alahmadi Cal Lutheran University                   1. Research Question and/or Purpose of the Evaluation Research Question: Does the implementation of the PI program improve the performance of Reseda High school students? The performance of public schools has become a reason for concern as the results of children who attend these schools have shown little advancement over the years. There are a number of reasons that have been given for this trend with the most popular being the transfer of the brighter children in the public school systems to private institutions once their high IQ is discovered. This is made possible either by the parents’ financial capabilities or the provision of scholarships for gifted children that are offered by many private schools. This means that there are few naturally gifted children present in public schools available to mentor and tutor their peers, and thus it becomes harder to find means of assisting children who need help in various areas of their academics (Kate, 2010). In a bid to improve this status, the government has developed a solution that is called Program Improvement (PI) in a bid to improve the performance of these public schools. This program aims to identify the schools that are not performing according to the required standards which is determined by the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards that have been set up to recognize poor performing schools and come up with a suitable solution that will help them improve their performances. It should be noted that the AYP standards are set by the particular state’s measurements and therefore vary from region to region (Kate, 2010). The program was meant to run for 5 years and brings about the question whether this program has actually helped in improving the performance of public schools. To determine the answer to this question one has to ensure that all the variables are taken into consideration. These include the dependent variables that include issues that rely on the research such as the subjects that are chosen to be observed during the study, the independent variables that remain the same despite the research such as the curriculum of the schools that are chosen in the research and the control variables which are issues that can be controlled by the researcher such as the program improvement and types of students who are sampled during the research. The variables play a large role in the research and thus it should be noted that the researcher should do their best not to influence them in a way that the end results are affected (Lopez, 2008). The study of whether implementation of the PI program will help improve the performance of public schools is an issue that needs to be determined clearly in order for the government to decide on if they should introduce the program to more schools or if the designers need to go back to rethink in a bid to work out the kinks if any before spreading to other schools in the country (Kate, 2010). 2. Research Design and its Justification The research design that is used in this study is also another important issue that needs to be determined in order to ensure that accurate results are achieved at the end of the research. The research design refers to the method that the researcher chooses to carry out his study in terms of attaining the answer to the question that has been posed. The method chosen has to be applicable to the particular study and should suit the environment in which it is used. This implies that the method undertaken should not be forced into action but should fit seamlessly into the activities that are involved which include the collection of the data required and its analysis in the final stage of the study to determine the results. Choosing the wrong research design may add unneeded complications for the researcher during the study and in the worst case scenario even result in inaccurate results (Kothari, 2009). The most appropriate research design for this particular study falls into the category of Quasi-Experimental Designs and in particular the Comparison Group Pre-Test Post-Test design. This design involves the set up of two different groups that are set up by the researcher, one with the element of the study involved (in this case the PI program) and one without it. The two groups are studied side by side by the researcher and the differences between them are taken into account. It should be noted that the two groups should be similar in every way possible with the only difference being the added element involved in the study to one of them. This is to ensure that the differences that are noted in the research are caused by this element and nothing else so as to come up with more accurate results. In this case, the two groups chosen will actually be the performance of the same school during two different periods namely, before and after the introduction of the PI program. Thus the PI program will serve as the “element X” in the study (Kothari, 2009). There are a number of advantages that the use of Quasi-Experimental Designs brings to the table of the study; some of these include factors such as they are easier to put up than true experimental designs which simplify the procedure for the researcher. These designs also reduce the risks to external validations as they are held in natural environments, which also allows for generalizations on certain topics to be made about the population that is being studied. All in all use of Quasi-Experimental Designs make things easier for the researcher without affecting the results of the study being undertaken in the process and therefore is recommended especially in studies that involve outside/social interaction and thus the need for an external/natural environment arises (Kothari, 2009) 3. Sampling Design and its Justification The sampling design chosen during a research is essential to the accuracy of the results that an individual will receive in the end. An appropriate design related to the topic at hand must be chosen to ensure that the individuals that take part in the research are able to give the researcher a realistic depiction of his results (Johnson, 2010). The best sampling design for this particular research (the impact of PI on academic performance in Reseda High school) is the use of probability sampling designs, and in particular simple random sampling as it creates an equal chance for potential participants that are to be chosen within the school. This ensures that the researcher is able to access the different types of people that attend the school thus ensuring that every group is adequately represented in the research, that is, in terms of age, level of IQ and type of study/subjects undertaken. Ensuring all groups are represented in the research will give a better accurate result on how the performance of the school is affected (Johnson, 2010). Random sampling also ensures that there is no bias when selecting the participants, for example, only the brainy children are allowed to take part as this will affect the overall results of the study. Though other types of sampling such as systematic and stratified sampling can be used, simple random sampling provides the best option in comparison as it does not take as long as the other types to perform, for example, in systematic sampling where one has to first arrange the target population according to a particular occurrence and the start of point is still randomized in end or the later where the researcher must identify the distinct categories before getting started. Simple random sampling provides an easier way of ensuring that all groups are represented in the research and thus allows the researcher to obtain more accurate results (Johnson, 2010). 4. The Data Collection Methodology The data collection methodology used to collect the information that has been gathered during the research is also another factor that needs to be considered. The methodology chosen should be simple and easy to carry out as well as ensure that none of the results are tampered with during its handling to maintain the accuracy of the final result of the study. There are a number of methods that can be implemented in a study, and it is up to the researcher to determine the best one to be implemented for a particular study. For this particular study, the two data collection methods that can be implemented are recorded face to face interviews as well as the distribution of questionnaires (Lopez, 2008). The questionnaires can be collected after a determined period of time (for example two months) at pre-determined collection points around the school with the help of the administration. The collection methods that have been chosen for the research show that the data collected is more qualitative than quantitative thus the need for the recorded interviews as the questions involved will need detailed answers that cannot be classified into the yes/no category. The research will involve questions that will attempt to delve into the mind frames of the individuals being interviewed to determine how they feel about the program and in what ways they think the program can be improved for a greater effect. Such questions will have different answers depending on the person being interviewed and thus the reason for the addition of interviews to the questionnaires that will be distributed (Shadish, Cook & Campbell, 2002). Examples of the questions that will be in the survey include queries such as: 1. Do you think the PI program has helped improve your grades? If yes, in what way have they done this? If no, give a reason for your answer. 2. In what ways do you think the program can be improved? 3. In your opinion, how important is the PI program to poor performing schools? • Very Important • Fairly Important • Not so essential (schools can improve without) References References Johnson, G. (2010). Research Methods for Public Administrators. 2nd Edition. New York: M.E. Sharpe. Kate, D. (2010). Guide to U.S. Department of Education Programs (2009).Montana, Diane Kothari, C. R. (2009). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New York: New Age International. Lopez, I. (2008). Performance Evaluation: Proven Approaches for Improving Program and Organizational Performance: Volume 21 of Research Methods for the Social Sciences. New York: John Wiley & Sons.  Shadish, W.R., Cook, T.D. & Campbell, D.T. (2002). Experimental and Quasi Experimental Designs for Generalized Causal Inference. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. Read More