Parent/Teacher Focus Group - Assignment Example

Parent/Teacher Focus Group Learners of every age group and type have specific learning needs and requirements and adults are no exception to this characteristic of learning in general. The significance of adult learning strategies may be comprehended in this background, and these strategies are found most useful in shaping comprehensive professional growth plans. This report summarizes the functioning of a parent and teacher focus group about high stakes testing and alternative methods of measuring student performance which I designed. My experience in organizing and leading the focus group helped me to demonstrate my ability to use adult learning strategies. The agenda items of the focus group were specified and a rubric format was created in order to evaluate the focus group activity based on the responses from the parents and teachers. The findings of this focus group activity have imperative implications with regard to the adult learning strategies to outline an all-inclusive professional growth plan. Adult learning strategies have great scope in the modern learning environment and the effective design of the professional growth plans determines the success of the activities. Measurement of student performance has been considered as central activity in teaching-learning process and the parent and teacher focus group aimed at making conclusions on the high-stakes testing and alternative methods of student performance analysis. The focus group concentrated on the professional growth plan which is practical as well as collaborative, and the design of this plan was done with utmost care to include the most effective agenda items as well as rubric format. The importance of a comprehensive professional growth plan for the success of the focus group activity was evident and it depended on the use of adult learning strategies. The Professional Growth Plan promotes professional growth, and the Professional Growth Plan Process promotes learning that is standard driven, self-directed, inquiry based, and lifelong." (Peine, 2008, p. 5). The characteristics of such a growth plan are various and the Professional Growth Plan Process is learner centered, goal oriented, results driven, experience based, job embedded. Besides, it promotes reflection and has flexible pacing. These characteristics were reflected in the comprehensive professional growth plan to organize and lead the parent and teacher focus group on the question of high-stakes testing and alternative methods of measuring student performance. Accordingly, the emphasis was given to the student development and the discussions were designed so as to ensure the adult learning strategies. In the professional growth plan, the various agenda items were identified which would clearly serve as criteria to determine the effectiveness of adult learning strategies. Next, the creation of a useful rubric format helped in the collection of participant response on the effective method for student evaluation. Through survey method, using this rubric, the parents and teachers who participated in the focus group rated the focus group activity. This rubric-based evaluation of the activity also concluded on the effectiveness of adult learning strategies. One of the most ethically imperative activities for the educators in the American educational environment is to build up evaluation strategies which guarantee equity in evaluating and interpreting student performance. The main agenda of the focus group activity emphasized a one day action plan to decide upon the effectiveness of student evaluation strategies such as high-stakes testing and the alternative methods. It was remarked that there are evidences to prove that "placing high stakes for schools based on student test scores improves student performance." (Stiefel et al, 2005, p. 9). The other alternative methods for the evaluation of student performance were also considered in a discussion of the focus group members. It was concluded that, in order to construct and use an effective assessment system which eliminates the usual issues of student assessment, the educator should be careful about the limitations of the alternative assessment practices to high-stake testing method. "In order to protect students from unfair and damaging interpretations and to provide parents and communities with an accurate overall picture of student achievement, educators need to be aware of the promise and the challenges inherent in using alternative assessment practices for high-stake decisions (such as student retention, promotion, graduation, and assignment to particular instructional groups), which have profound consequences for the students affected." (Winking, 1997). Thus, the focus group activity made favorable conclusions on the effectiveness of high-stake testing method and the professional growth plan was successful in realizing its objectives. The participants were given a rubric format, based on which it was simple to make survey of their opinion regarding methods for the evaluation of student performance. The rubric was most useful in deciding the effectiveness of the professional growth plan and the response of the participants concluded on the limitations of the plan. However, the findings of the rubric analysis indicated on how the professional growth plan can be improved in order to ensure the best use of adult learning strategies. The superiority of the high-stakes test in comparison with the other alternative methods of measuring student performance also became evident. References Peine, Jodi. (2008). The Educator's Professional Growth Plan: A Process for Developing Staff and Improving Instruction. Corwin Press, p. 5. Stiefel, Leanna et al. (2005). Measuring School Performance And Efficiency. Eye on Education, Inc., p. 9. Winking, Deborah. (1997). Critical Issue: Ensuring Equity with Alternative Assessments. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved November 18, 2008, from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/assment/as800.htm Appendix A: Agenda of the focus group Agenda of the focus group Participants: The teachers and parents of the focus group. Goal: To make conclusions about the effectiveness of high-stakes testing and alternative methods of measuring student performance and to fix the superior tool for the use of the school. Main items of the agenda 10 a.m.: Introductory session - The participants are introduced to the aim of the meeting and they are presented with the high-stakes testing and alternative methods of measuring student performance. 11.30 a.m.: Discussions and debates - The participants engage in collaborative discussions in order to decide on the effectiveness of the different strategies. 1.30 p.m.: Evaluation of the focus group discussions - The participants assess the results of the discussions and make further decisions on the effective tools. The evaluation of the discussions based on the rubric format is also considered. 3 p.m.: Binding up session - The participants make the most essential conclusions on the effective student evaluation methods. The overall findings of the focus group activity are concluded. Appendix A: Agenda of the focus group Rubric Format The Items in the Plan Average Satisfactory Superior The main agendas of the group activity The participation of the focus group members The quality of discussions and evaluations The overall findings of the focus group activity Read More