Structure of a Proposal - Research Paper Example

? Research Proposal Research Proposal Research questions guide the overall project. They form the basis for the researchthat is being conducted and provide a framework by which the researcher sets out to discover his or findings and eventual conclusions (Mertler and Charles, 2011). A hypothesis is similar to this in that the researcher is making an educated assumption about the eventual findings that they will uncover related to the research question that forms the basis of the project. This hypothesis also guides the researcher as they strive to either prove or disprove their initial thoughts. For the topic that I proposed initially, I can propose the following research question and hypothesis. Research Question: What are the underlying factors why increasing numbers of youth in the inner cities of America are at risk of dropping out of school? In addition, the following two secondary research questions will form the foundation for this project: 1) What programs today are proving effective at keeping at-risk students interested and motivated enough to stay in school through to graduation? 2) What community initiatives need to be developed to help local educational institutions identify at-risk students and propose strategies aimed at providing intervention strategies aimed at keeping young people in school? Hypothesis: The at-risk population in America continues to grow because of changing family dynamics and a lack of effective programming options aimed at keeping young people in school. The problem is that high school students around the country are dropping out of school at alarming rates (Bracy, 2006). Society increasingly perceived that public schools are not living up to the expectations and needs of communities across the country. Recent years, therefore, have seen a dramatic increase in the number of intervention strategies and programs designed to keep young people in school. Programs such as charter schools, community programs, and family involvement have been explored, among others, as possible areas to focus on moving forward (Snell, 2005, p. 270). Many strategies being implemented today focus on the needs of students at-risk of dropping out of school prior to graduation. Community members and concerned stakeholders, namely the public at large, sincerely hope that these new initiatives will provide a much needed spark to the role that education plays in society and, in particular, to the at-risk student population. The purpose of this non-experimental, mixed qualitative and quantitative research study will be to identify the traits inherent in successful programs targeting at-risk students. The goal will be to specifically determine which areas are proving effective in terms of keep at-risk students in schools. Existing statistical data will be reviewed, along with personal interviews being conducted, to determine some effective strategies that are currently being employed. The effectiveness or ineffectiveness of such programs and initiatives will be determined through a combination of research and personal interviews. The interviews will be valuable because they will help to support the premise of which programs are succeeding and why. Interviews will also reflect the current climate of the at-risk student population and will help point out the various factors that either contributes to a program’s success or failure. An important item of note is that interviews and questionnaires will only be conducted with select educators and concerned adults. No student will be contact for participation in this study. It is important to focus on why programs designed for at-risk students are either effective or ineffective. This begins with an examination and understanding of they key characteristics of the at-risk student. That will form the basis for the study. The qualitative data gathered during this study will then be used to determine how programs and initiatives can be implemented more effectively in an attempt to help students succeed in high school. If a program is determined to be working for many students, then the research will examine the reasons contributing to this. In these cases, educational institutions will be able to use the results from this study in their own programs that are geared toward helping the at-risk student population in their community. At-risk students are typically referred to as being individuals in the 10th-12th grades that fall into a category that would cause members of society to consider them at-risk of not finishing high school. These factors vary, but some of the following would need to be present in order to receive the label of being at-risk: Living in an unstable school district, being a member of a low-income family, exhibiting signs of academic difficulty, coming form a household where both parents failed to finish high school themselves, coming from a second language or single-parent household, suffering from low self-esteem, or being a young person who is actively in pursuit of a full-time job or marriage (Pollard & Tomlin, 2005, p. 5). As this study is in its infancy stages, these factors will be weighted heavily to determine which programs are effective at reaching young people that fall into one of the aforementioned categories. This proposed study is important because it will examine avenues that local and state governments can explore to encourage young people to graduate high school. Because many areas of the country have historically encountered great difficulty in this area, various programs have been introduced and developed over time to help address the problem. Current data indicates, however, that these programs are not having much, if any, impact on graduation rates in many areas (Quach, 2005, p. 71). This study will then focus on discovering those initiatives that proving effective and can serve as models for future at-risk education in other localities across the country. Finally, this study will require the implementation of a qualitative research methodology to better understand how various programs directed towards at-risk students may work to decrease drop out rates nationwide. In so doing, a solution for this problem will be explored and offered. The first step of this study will be to do conduct thorough and relevant research about the issue of at-risk students. This is necessary in order to provide the researcher with the knowledge needed to look at specific programs being offered today in an effort to determine whether or not they are truly working. Reference Bracey, G. W. (2006). The 15th bracey report on the condition of public education. Phi Delta Kappan, 87(2), 138-153. Mertler, C. and Charles, C. (2011). Introduction to educational research (7th ed.). United States: Pearson Education, Inc. Pollard, R., & Tomlin, M. (2005). The use of expert teachers to improve education. Education, 116, 3-9. Quach, L. H. (2005). A paradox of care: Re-examining education for students with diverse needs. Education Foundation, 19(1), 67-85. Snell, L. (2005). Defining the education market: Reconsidering charter schools. Cato Journal, 25(2), 267-277. Read More