Comprehension Achievement Test and High School Comprehensive Test at High Schools Case Study

Question

With overcrowded classrooms, students spilling into portables, teachers dissatisfied with the working conditions, and parents upset by the situation in the school, what can be done to improve student performance and teacher and parent attitude?

Goal

No fewer than 75 percent of the students at The High School will demonstrate sufficient preparation on the Comprehension Achievement Test (CAT) and the High School Comprehensive Test (HSCT).

Research Plan

To make an assessment of space availability and teacher/student ratios, student diligence and discipline, student behavioural issues, classroom management plans, CAT and HSCT teaching methods, teacher commitment, willed parent participation, and administrative support, data will be collected through the application of questionnaires and surveys. The evaluation of the above-mentioned variables will help making conclusions regarding any underling problems and complicated issues that may have connection with the major problem observed in this research. As student performance is the core issue, special attention will be paid to conducting comparative analysis of high school students’ scores at CAT and HSCT of the previous years and the current results acquired this academic year.

Sub-problems

Sub-problems that may have connections with the main problem of low student performance and discouragement among teachers and parents are

1. the lack of space in classrooms and inadequate ratios between teachers and students;
2. unwise management of exceptional students;
3. inadequate application of teacher discipline policies ;
4. insufficient teacher training with regards to CAT and HSCT;
5. parents’ unwieldiness to participate in the educational process and failure to cooperate with teachers and the administration of the school; and
6. administrative omissions with handling behaviour disruptions.

Research Hypotheses

• Hypothesis 1: Better result in student performance on the CAT and HSCT will be achieved in case classes get smaller and sufficient level of student discipline is ensured.
• Hypothesis 2: Better result in student performance on the CAT and HSCT will be achieved in case the level of teacher qualification gets higher by means of additional training including acquiring new theoretic knowledge and practical skills on implementation of this information in academic settings.
• Hypothesis 3: Better result in student performance on the CAT and HSCT will be achieved in case the school administration officers will encourage active parent participation in the educational process both at school and at home.

Critical Assumptions

Current research assumes that

• The decrease in the correlation between teachers and students facilitates the learning environment
• Class sizes can be lessened in case all the existing space in the school applicable for learning is utilized
• Sufficient attention to exceptional students that includes placing them into the corresponding academic conditions and paying enough attention to their needs will guarantee better academic performance for all students
• Ensuring higher level of student discipline facilitates the learning environment
• Administration action towards behavioural problems facilitates the learning environment
• Sufficient teacher training as regard to CAT and HSCT improves student performance
• Increased parent involvement improves overall student performance

Plan Description

Data from questionnaires and surveys will be collected for the analysis. Teachers, parents, and administrative staff will make conclusions concerning the omissions in the academic process in the school.

Research Evaluation

The results generated from the obtained data analysis will either approve or disapprove the research hypotheses. The research question will be either answered or not answered. The investigation of the original problem may reveal other omissions that require further research (Museus & Griffin, 2011).

Reference

Museus, S. D., & Griffin, K. A. (2011). Mapping the margins in higher education: On the promise of intersectionality frameworks in research and discourse. New Directions For Institutional Research 151, 5-13.