Parental Divorce and Consequences for Children

Assignment Question Attached: 

Assignment Instructions:

Download the file entitled, Research Outline Template with Rubric, and complete the assignment based on your selected research topic. The template includes the grading rubric that will be utilized to evaluate your work. Review that rubric, but REMOVE the rubric from the template prior to submitting.

PLEASE NOTE: The assignment is lengthy. It is strongly suggested that you do not wait to start this assignment on the day it is due.

An example of a Research Proposal Outline has been provided, and for those who may be working ahead, an example of the Final Submission Paper has been provided. These examples did not receive a perfect score. Both have particular errors or issues; however, both examples did receive high marks. ED504 is not a course where you can simply fill in the blanks. You can use the examples as a guide, but you must invest in the process to question, compare, and critique while learning the many facets of writing, researching, and reporting. The good examples posted in this shell were edited using APA 6th edition. You must follow APA 7th edition formatting.

Here is a guide to what is new in the APA 7th edition. https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-seventh-edition-changes/

Your study has to be an experimental research proposal and you are required to use a quantitative methodology.

As you progress to working on your paper (due at a later time), keep in mind you will prepare only Chapters 1-3 of the proposal in this course. You will not actually perform the research.

ED504 Research Project Outline

There are three parts to Stage 1 of the Research Proposal, which is the final product generated in the ED504 course. The purpose of the outline is to help candidates solidify a topic and approach to a research project for addressing an existing problem in the environment of their field of study. The problem must be identified and supported by existing data and should be applicable to the candidate’s field of study (i.e., library media, counseling, teaching).

Remember, this is an outline. You need to provide sufficient detail to inform your instructor, but responses are not fully fleshed out. The complete details are provided in the Research Proposal and not here in the outline. To provide better guidance, responses to questions in the outline should
not exceed one paragraph.

Part 1 Data Gathering/Analysis

Gather data previously collected at the classroom, school, or district level to justify the identification of a topic for study.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying and analyzing a problem or weakness currently found in candidate’s field of study for the purpose of completing the Research Proposal assignment. Remember, the Research Proposal is a proposal for an
experimental research design.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Identify the problem that you wish to research and write a problem statement. (i.e., The problem this study will address is poor student academic achievement.) (Chapter 1)

2. Identify your hypothesis. (Chapter 1)

3. Elaborate on how you determined this was a problem and write a purpose statement based on your problem statement. (i.e., The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of socioeconomic status on student academic achievement.)

4. Construct a graphical representation that allows for easy analysis of your compiled data that highlights your problem. Identify the source of the data and discuss its credibility. Examples of existing data might include school district test scores, absenteeism reports, graduation rates, cost, ranks, divorce rates, living habits, etc.

5. Discuss the data in your graphical representation to confirm that a problem or weakness can be addressed that is appropriate to the scope of the required program.

6. Connect the problem or weakness to trends or patterns represented in your data.

Part 2 Literature Review

You will conduct a literature review following APA format (most recent published edition) and become familiar with the scholarly debate surrounding your topic and what scholars and practitioners say about the best way to address the particular need or problem identified through the data analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Reviewing and writing a Review of Literature on your chosen topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Research Proposal assignment.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Provide a developed statement of the research problem that demonstrates a sound and focused understanding of the identified problem.

2. Identify best practice(s) that will be used to address the problem or weakness. This should be a theorist or theory that is known and documented in the research literature.

3. Describe and justify a trend/theory that will be used to validate the use of the identified best practice(s) and clearly highlight the connection with the identified trend/theory to address the problem.

4. Provide reference listings (in APA format) for a minimum of 10 sources (largely representative of the most recent five years) you will use to describe/justify the best practice and/or theory identified. Be sure to include only sources that show clear connections with the best practice(s) and/or theory/trend identified as viable responses to the problem/weakness presented.

5. Provide a summary of the literature and how it justifies the need for the study. You are synthesizing your collection of sources into a brief 1-2 paragraph summary. Do

NOT
describe the specific studies included in your sources.

Part 3 Methodology/Action Plan

You will write a measurable and executable action plan on your chosen topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Research Proposal assignment. The action plan must be APA formatted (most recently published edition). Collaborative resources must be included, and each category in the grading rubric must be addressed. Evidence of collaboration with appropriate stakeholders is required.

OBJECTIVE: Writing a measurable and executable action plan on an identified topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Research Proposal assignment.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Identify the population and provide a description of the participant sample and the sampling technique.

2. Justify the sampling technique and the sample chosen.

3. Describe the role of all participants and the plan to prevent harm to them, including the plan for protecting student confidentiality and data.

4. Provide a description of steps and sequence of steps required to complete a successful study.

5. Justify the plan of action with respect to the identified problem and purpose. Be sure to justify the connection between the plan and the expected impact on student achievement.

6. Define constitutive and operational definitions of key terms.

7. Identify the variables in the study and define how each will be measured.

8. Describe the data that is needed for the study and how it will be collected. Include a description of the timeline for the data collection.

9. Identify any instrument that will be used in the study and its validity and reliability measures.

10. Describe any threats to the internal validity of the study and measures for control.

11. Describe the limitations or outside interferences that might interfere with improved student achievement.

CATEGORY

Revisions Required

Target

Data Gathering/Analysis
	CATEGORY	Unacceptable		Revisions Required		Target
Problem and problem statement	Problem/weakness is not identified, or the problem statement is missing	Problem/weakness is identified; problem statement is provided but is overly vague or wordy	Problem/weakness is identified; clear and concise problem statement is provided
Hypothesis	Hypothesis statement is missing	Hypothesis statement is included; but alignment with the problem statement is weak	Clear hypothesis statement is included and aligns with the problem statement
Elaboration and purpose statement	Description of how the problem was determined is missing or purpose statement based on problem statement is missing	Description of how the problem was determined is provided but lacks sufficient detail; purpose statement based on problem statement is provided	Clear description of how the problem was determined; purpose statement based on problem statement is provided
Graphical representation	Graphical format does not present the data in a clear manner; data is only partially presented; data source(s) is not identified	Graphical format(s) is appropriate and clearly presents all the collected data; data source(s) is identified	Graphical format(s) is appropriate; clearly presents all the collected data; highlights visible patterns or trends; data source(s) is identified, and credibility is properly established
Data discussion	No details are provided to support the problem/weakness identified or does not align with the type of data collected	Details provided weakly support the problem/weakness identified; aligns with the type of data collected	Details provided support the problem/weakness identified; is appropriate to the required project scope; aligns with the type of data collected
Connection between data and problem	No connection with the trends and patterns identified in the data are drawn	Connections between the trends/patterns in the data are noted, but not clearly supported in the narrative	Clear connections between the trends/patterns in data are drawn in the narrative and supported in detail in the narrative
Literature Review
Unacceptable
Developed problem statement	Problem statement is missing or if one is provided it fails to demonstrate an understanding of the identified problem	Problem statement is provided but could be further fleshed out; evidence of an emerging understanding of the identified problem is demonstrated	Problem statement is fully developed and demonstrates a clear and accurate understanding of the identified problem
Best practice(s)	Best practice(s) are not clearly identified or the practice identified is inappropriate; connection to theorist or theory documented in literature is missing	Best practice(s) are clearly identified; connection to theorist or theory documented in literature is weak or missing	Best practice(s) are clearly identified; connection to theorist or theory documented in literature is established
Theory/trend	Theory or trend is not adequately described and does not validate the selected best practice(s); appropraiteness of theory/trend for addressing the problem or weakness is not addressed	Theory or trend is described but descriotion fails to validate the slected best practice(s); appropraiteness of theory/trend for addressing the problem or weakness is noted but the connection is weak	Theory or trend is clearly described and validates the slected best practice(s); appropraiteness of theory/trend for addressing the problem or weakness is clearly highlighted and accurate
Reference listing	Source requirement was not met; multiple (more than 6) APA formatting errors in the reference list; sources included are not representative of recent research; sources connection to the identified best practice(s) and/or theory/trend is not clear	Meets minimum requirements for degree level: Masters – A minimum of 10 sources were utilized; fewer than 6 APA format errors are present in the reference list; sources included are representative of recent research; sources appear to be connected to the identified best practice(s) and/or theory/trend	Five (5) sources beyond minimum requires were utilized; there are virtually no APA format errors present in the reference list; sources included are representative of recent research; sources appear to be clearly connected to the identified best practice(s) and/or theory/trend
Literature summary	Summaries of content of individual sources included in the collection is presented rather than a synthesis of source content; exceeds 2 paragraphs	Summary of content presented in the collection of sources is provided but includes some details of specific studies; exceeds 2 paragraphs	Synthesis of content presented in the collection of sources is provided; does not exceed 2 paragraphs
Methodology/Action Plan
CATEGORY	Unacceptable	Revisions Required	Target
Population and sampling technique	Descriptions of the participant sample and/or sampling technique are missing	Descriptions of the participant sample and sampling technique are included, but details are limited	Full descriptions of the participant sample and sampling technique are included
Sampling technique justification	Justifications for the sample chosen and/or the sampling technique are missing	Justifications for both the sample chosen and the sampling technique are provided, but details are limited	Justifications for both the sample chosen and the sampling technique are provided
Role of participants and plan to prevent harm	Role of participants is not clearly described; plans for protecting the data and/or student confidentiality are missing	Role of participants is described; plans for protecting the data and/or student confidentiality are not provided or are inadequate	Role of participants is thoroughly described; adequate plans for protecting student confidentiality and/or data are provided
Action plans steps and sequence	Action plan is not described; description is not clear; steps in plan are not in a logical order	Action plan description is provided, but additional detail may be warranted; steps in plan are outlined, but additional steps may be needed, or the order could be altered for better efficiency	Action plan description is provided, and sufficient detail is included; steps in plan are outlined; exhaustive list of steps and sequence of steps allows for optimal efficiency and outcome
Key terms	Definitions of key terms are missing	Definitions of key terms are provided, but are inaccurate or incomplete	Constitutive and operational definitions of key terms are provided
Variables are identified and defined	Variables are misidentified	Variables are identified correctly, but with no clear definitions or explanations as to how they will be measured	Variables are identified correctly, with clear definitions and explanations as to how they will be measured
Required data needs	Data needs are not identified or do not align with the problem; data retrieval plans are missing or inappropriate	Data needs are identified; data retrieval plans are included, but not timeline for collection is provided	Data needs are identified; data retrieval plans are described and a timeline for collection is included
Instrument	Instrument is not described	Instrument is described, but information about instrument validity and reliability limited or missing	Instrument is described in detail and information about instrument validity and reliability are included
Internal validity threats	Threats to internal validity are not identified or described	Threats to internal validity are described, including measure(s) for control, but there are inaccuracies in the details	Threats to internal validity are thoroughly and accurately described, including measure(s) for control
Limitation	Limitations and/or outside interferences with improved student achievement are not identified	Limitations and/or outside interferences with improved student achievement are identified, but limited details are provided	Limitations and/or outside interferences with improved student achievement are identified and thoroughly described

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image1

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ED504 Research Project Outline

There are three parts to Stage 1 of the Signature Project, which is the final product generated in the ED504 course. The purpose of
the outline is to help candidates solidify a topic and approach to a research project for addressing an existing problem in their P-12
environment. The problem must be identified and supported by existing data and should be applicable to the candidate’s field of
study (i.e., library media, counseling, teaching).

Text boxes have been provided to help instructors identify the information more quickly. If you need more space, you may expand

the text box to fit your needs.

Part 1 Data Gathering/Analysis

Gather data previously collected at the classroom, school, or district level to justify identification of a topic for study.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying and analyzing an educational problem or weakness currently found in candidate’s classroom or school for
the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project Stage 1 assignment. Remember, candidates will prepare only the Signature
Project Stage 1 in ED504. The Signature Project Stage 1 is a research proposal for an experimental research proposal.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Identify the problem that you wish to research and write a problem statement. (i.e., The problem this study will address is poor

student academic achievement.) (Chapter 1)

2. Identify your hypothesis. (Chapter 1)

There is a higher correlation with students who participate in a daily physical education program and cognitive function

than those that do not.

Students who participate in a daily physical education program are more likely to find greater academic success in core
classes such as math, science and language arts.

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3. Elaborate on how you determined this was a problem and write a purpose statement based on your problem statement. (i.e.,

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of socioeconomic status on student academic achievement.)

4. Construct a graphical representation that allows for easy analysis of your compiled data that highlights your problem. Identify

the source of the data and discuss its credibility. Examples of existing data might include school district test scores, state level

test scores, district special education referrals, district absenteeism reports, school retention reports, etc.

As an instructor, I have witnessed that the only students who are required to participate in routine physical education
classes are those that are not involved in extracurricular school activities such as band, ROTC or school athletic teams.
These extracurricular electives should not take the place of a physical education class as research shows that daily
physical activity has significant benefits to mental cognition and brain function (retrieved from
https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/pdf/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition , p. 47-52). The purpose
of this study is to evaluate the impact of daily physical activity on student achievement.

Effects of 20 Minutes of Physical Activity on Brain Function

(Hillman, C., Pontifex, M., Raine, L., Castelli, D., Hall, E., & Kramer, A., 2009).

This image indicates that acute exercise might serve as a cost-effective means for improving specific aspects of
academic achievement and enhancing cognitive control in adolescents.

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Math Proficiency

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Reading & Language Arts Proficiency

The two previous graphs were pulled from publicschoolreview.com. It is a partner site of Boarding School Review, the
leading online resource for evaluating private secondary boarding schools, and Private School Review. This network of
sites aims to help families learn about and make the best pre-college educational choices for their children and is linked
with the Alabama State Department of Education as well as provides access to many articles relative to issues within
public school education. These graphs show the poor performance of the core classes that are taking the place of
physical education classes within one of the Baldwin county public school systems. I am proposing that the routine
addition of a physical education class (or physical activity breaks within the core classes by the physical education
department within the school) may improve some of these scores for students at this institution.

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5. Discuss the data in your graphical representation to confirm that a problem or weakness can be addressed that is appropriate

to the scope of the required program.

6. Connect the problem or weakness to trends or patterns represented in your data.

Part 2 Literature Review

You will conduct a literature review, following APA format (most recent published edition), and become familiar with the scholarly
debate surrounding your topic, and what scholars and practitioners say about the best way to address the particular need or problem
identified through the data analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Reviewing and writing a Review of Literature on your chosen topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature
Project Stage 1 assignment.

Number of Students in Foley High School: 1872

Number of Students Participating (Annually) in a Physical Education Class: Awaiting Data

I have reached out to Foley High School to obtain these statistics. While I was not able to get an answer prior to the
deadline of this assignment, I will await this information and insert it into the next assignment as it will be vital in the
summation of my research proposal and final project.

As previously discussed following the explanations accompanying the above graphical representations, data suggests
that daily moderate to vigorous exercise may improve the proficiency of math, reading and language arts scores in Foley
High School. While I am still awaiting data on the ratio of students who substitute a physical education class for a
separate elective, I am confident the participation level of students in regular physical education classes compared to
those in alternative classes will be significantly lower.

There is a wealth of data supporting the theory that regular physical activity has a significant positive impact on cognitive
development as well as other aspects of wellness. The lack of participation of high school students in daily physical
education classes can likely be connected to the low proficiency demonstrated in math, reading and language arts for this
institution.

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RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Provide a developed statement of the research problem that demonstrates a sound and focused understanding of the

identified problem.

2. Identify best practice(s) that will be used to address the problem or weakness. This should be a theorist or theory that is

known and documented in the research literature.

3. Describe and justify a trend/theory that will be used to validate the use of the identified best practice(s) and clearly highlight

the connection with the identified trend/theory to address the problem.

The substitution of a required physical education class for an alternative course may be directly correlated with the
inadequate scores in mathematics, English, reading, science and composite proficiency on the ACT exam for students at
Foley High School.

All students at Foley High School will be required to participate in a daily physical education class in addition to the core
curriculum of mathematics, English, reading, science and composite. Classroom instructors will coordinate with physical
education instructors to incorporate classroom teaching elements into the physical education setting. In addition, physical
education teachers will collaborate with classroom teachers and be responsible for facilitating 5 minute “brain breaks” into
the seated instruction time of classroom coursework (Colorado Education Initiative, 2014). The annual practice ACT and
ACT profile report will demonstrate the combination of physical activity and cognitive function in the classroom will
improve ACT proficiencies.

There is a great deal of research that suggests a strong correlation between gains in cognitive ability and participation in
physical activity (Rasberry. C., Lee S., & Robin L, 2011). A significant amount of this research has indicated a positive
relationship between academic achievement and PA and fitness in school-aged children (Buck, Hillman, & Castelli, 2008;
Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves, & Malina, 2006; Welk et al., 2010).

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4. Provide reference listings (in APA format) for a minimum of 10 sources (largely representative of the most recent five years)

you will use describe/justify the best practice and/or theory identified. Be sure to include only sources that show clear

connections with the best practice(s) and/or theory/trend identified as viable responses to the problem/weakness presented.

Alabama State Department of Education. (2019). ACT profile report-high school 2018-2019 (Report No. 011140). Foley, AL:

Alabama State Testing

Alabama State Department of Education. (2016). Mathematics Guidelines. Retrieved from

https://www.alsde.edu/sec/sct/COS/2016%20Revised%20Alabama%20Course%20of%20Study%20Mathematics

Alabama State Department of Education. (n.d.) Physical Education Guidelines. Retrieved from

https://www.alsde.edu/sec/sct/COS/1%202009%20Physical%20Education%20Course%20of%20Study

Blom, L. C., Alvarez, J., Zhang, L., & Kolbo, J. (2011). Associations between health-related physical fitness, academic

achievement and selected academic behaviors of elementary and middle school students in the state of Mississippi.

ICHPER-SD Journal of Research, 6(1), 13–19. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ936015&site=ehost-live

Buck, S. M., Hillman, C. H., & Castelli, D. M. (2008). The relation of aerobic fitness to stroop task performance in

preadolescent children. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40(1), 166-172.

Coe, D. P., Pivarnik, J. M, Womack, C. J., Reeves, M. J., & Malina, R. M. (2006). Effect of physical education and activity

levels on academic achievement in children. Medicine and Exercise Science in Sport and Exercise, 38(8), 1515-1519.

Eveland-Sayers. B. M., Farley, R. S., Fuller, D. K., Morgan, D. W., & Caputo, J. L. (2009). Physical fitness and academic

achievement in elementary school children. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 6, 99-104

Harveson, A., Hannon, J., Brusseau, T., Podlog, L., Chase, B., & Kyoung-doo Kang. (2018). Acute exercise and

achievement in high school youth. Physical Educator, 75(1), 25–36.

Rasberry, C. N., Lee, S. M., & Robin, L. (2011). The association between school-based physical activity including physical

education, and academic performance: a systematic review of the literature. Preventative Medicine, 52, S10-S20.

Santiago, J. A., Roper, E. A., Disch, J. G., & Morales, J. (2013). The relationship among aerobic capacity, body composition,

and academic achievement of fourth and fifth grade Hispanic students. Physical Educator, 70(1), 89–105.

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5. Provide a summary of the literature and how it justifies the need for study. You are synthesizing your collection of sources into

a brief 1-2 paragraph summary. Do NOT describe the specific studies included in your sources.

Part 3 Methodology/Action Plan

You will write a measurable and executable action plan on your chosen topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project
Stage 1 assignment. The action plan must be APA formatted (most recently published edition). Collaborative resources must be
included and each category in the grading rubric must be addressed. Evidence of collaboration with appropriate stakeholders is
required.

Shephard, R. J. (1996). Habitual physical activity and academic performance. Nutrition Reviews, 54(4), S32-S36.

Tomporowski, P. D. (2003) Cognitive and behavioral response to acute exercise in youths. A review. Pediatric Exercise

Science, 15(4), 348-359.

Travlos, A. K. (2010) High intensity physical education classes and cognitive performance in eighth-grade students: An

applied study. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 8(3), 302-311.

Welk, G. J., Jackson, A. W., Morrow, J. R., Haskell, W. H., Meredith, M. D., & Cooper, K. H. (2010). The association of

health-related fitness with indicators of academic performance in Texas schools. Research Quarterly for Exercise and

Sport, 81(3), S16-S23.

While not all correlations were as strong as others, the literature demonstrates a clear and consistent result that physical
activity has a positive impact on academic success. In some cases, the data showed a correlation between improved fitness
testing and academic grades while other studies showed a direct correlation of improved test scores following vigorous
physical activity. In addition to enhanced cognition, regular physical activity also improved morale, self-confidence and
decreased behavior issues in class. With the majority of children at Foley High School taking alternative classes to P.E. and
underperforming on the ACT, this study is imperative to show the important relationship that exists between regular physical
activity classes and improved academic performance.

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OBJECTIVE: Writing a measurable and executable action plan on an identified topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature
Project assignment.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Identify the population and provide a description of the participant sample and the sampling technique.

2. Justify the sampling technique and the sample chosen.

3. Describe the role of all participants and the plan to prevent harm to them, including the plan for protecting student

confidentiality and data.

4. Provide a description of steps and sequence of steps required to complete a successful study.

The accessible population will consist of all students in grades 10-12 at Foley High School. The ninth-grade students will not
be included in the population because they are not required to complete the Pre-ACT or ACT exam until their sophomore
year. The sample will consist of students in grades 10-12 enrolled at Foley High School. Since all students are required to
take a physical education course or approved alternative course and all are also required to take the Pre-ACT or ACT, there
will be a viable pool for results in both those enrolled in a physical education course and those enrolled in an alternative
activity course. A simple random sample will be used in this study.

The research will be conducted through a quantitative study using the results from the Pre-ACT and the ACT as the method
for data collection. A sample of 50 students from each experimental & control group will be selected through a simple
random sample so each and every member of the population has an equal and independent chance of being selected.

Each student in grades 10-12 at Foley High School will register to take the Pre-ACT (10th grade) or the ACT (11-12
grades). Although this research involves little to no risk to participants, informed consent will be obtained from parents or
guardians due to the fact the research subjects are minors. In order to protect the identity of the students, all participants will
be assigned a random number (0-50) based on which group they are designated so no identity will be linked to results.

a. Students will be designated as PE1## (physical education class participation), PE2## (physical education class and
“brain breaks” participation), ALT1## (alternative class to physical education class) or ALT2## (alternative class to
physical education class with “brain breaks” participation).

b. The Pre-ACT will be administered to all tenth-grade students and results designated to the experimental group.

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5. Justify the plan of action with respect to the identified problem and purpose. Be sure to justify the connection between the
plan and the expected impact on student achievement,

6. Define constitutive and operational definitions of key terms.

c. The ACT will be administered to all eleventh and twelfth-grade students and results designated to the experimental
group.

d. Students in the “Brain Break” experimental group will participate in 2, 5 to 10-minute brain breaks during seated
instruction time.

e. Following three months of participation, all Pre-ACT and ACT exams will be re-administered to determine if there is an
effect of participation in regular physical education classes on core proficiencies.

Foley High School students are falling below state standards in mathematics, reading, science and English. State physical
education standards also grant students the ability to substitute an alternative “activity” class in place of a physical
education class despite numerous studies showing improved cognition. This quantitative study will seek to determine
whether participation in a regular physical education class has any bearing on core proficiency within the stated population.
Substantial scientific evidence exists stating a benefit of cognitive processes in the classroom in conjunction with regular
physical activity participation. By implementing regular physical education classes and “brain breaks” from seated
instruction time, proficiency in mathematics, reading, science and English will improve within students of Foley High School.

Proficiency-a high degree of competency or skill; the ability to completely understand a concept.

Alternative Activity Class-a class that is deemed an approved substitute for an accredited physical education class.

Core Proficiency-mastering the classes in education deemed the central or most important part of a school’s curriculum. For
this study, the core classes include mathematics, reading, science and English.

Brain Break-a 5-10-minute break from seated classroom instruction where a certified physical education teacher engages
students in movement or exercises to increase blood flow, cognitive stimulation and mental alertness in the hopes of
improved success within classroom instruction.

PE101-The experimental group within the study that will participate in regular physical activity classes.

PE201-The experimental group within the study that will participate in regular physical activity classes. In addition to the
physical education class, this group will also receive “brain breaks” twice a day each day of the week they are enrolled in
school.

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7. Identify the variables in the study and define how each will be measured.

ALT101- The control group within the study that will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to an
approved physical education class.

ALT201-The experimental group within the study that will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to
an approved physical education class. In addition to the alternative activity class, this group will also receive “brain breaks”
twice a day each day of the week they are enrolled in school.

PE101-This experimental group within the study will participate in regular physical activity classes. This group of students
will be enrolled in a physical education class that meets five days per week led by a certified physical education teacher.
The teacher will ensure that all students participate in moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.

PE201- This experimental group within the study will participate in regular physical activity classes. This group of students
will be enrolled in a physical education class that meets five days per week led by a certified physical education teacher.
The teacher will ensure that all students participate in moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. In
addition to the regular P.E. class, this group will also receive “brain breaks” twice a day each day of the week they are
enrolled in school.

ALT101- This control group within the study will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to an
approved physical education class. The class will be led by the band director, ROTC leader, coach or school-approved
leader designated to their alternative activity class.

ALT201- This control group within the study will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to an
approved physical education class. The class will be led by the band director, ROTC leader, coach or school-approved
leader designated to their alternative activity class. In addition to the alternative activity class, this group will also receive
“brain breaks” twice a day each day of the week they are enrolled in school.

Pre-ACT & ACT-The American College Testing exam that is used by all colleges and universities in the United States as an
entrance exam. The exam tests English, reading, mathematics and science. The results from the Pre-ACT and ACT
administered to participants will be used to determine the impact physical activity has on the core proficiencies at Foley
High School

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8. Describe the data that is needed for the study and how it will be collected. Include a description of the timeline for the data
collection.

9. Identify any instrument that will be used in the study and its validity and reliability measures.

10. Describe any threats to internal validity of the study and measures for control.

11. Describe the limitations or outside interferences that might interfere with improved student achievement.

The Pre-ACT (grade 10) and ACT exams (grades 11 & 12) will be administered to all students (respectively) at the
beginning of the study. The population will be divided into experimental and control groups for a duration of three months.
The Pre-ACT and ACT exams will be re-administered following the three-month study and data on the exam will determine
if the hypothesis was correct or incorrect.

The Pre-ACT & ACT exams are nationally recognized examinations used for entrance into colleges and universities in the
United States. These will be the instruments used for data collection and are extremely reliable sources of measurement. In
addition, the core proficiencies of English, reading, mathematics and science are the specific domains tested on the
examination.

While questions will be asked in a variety of methods, the same level of Pre-ACT and ACT exam will be administered to
students initially and following the three-month study. All physical education teachers will hold a state certification exam and
all alternative activity classes will be led by school-approved instructors. Weekly lesson plans will ensure all students
participating in physical education classes are receiving 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous, daily physical activity. All
students participating in the brain break experimental groups will be given the same level of activity to improve validity and
reliability. A large enough simple random sample will be taken to account for absenteeism and student withdrawals.

If students miss school due to sickness or withdrawal, absenteeism could interfere with improved student achievement. If
students request permission to be removed from the study or are not able for any reason to take the final Pre-ACT or ACT
exam, failure to comply with the re-administration of the exam could also interfere with improved student achievement. If
students become injured and are unable to participate in regular physical activity, this could also interfere with improved
student achievement.

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 1

The Effects of a Mixed-Ability Classroom on STAR Mathematics Scores

Felisha N. Cleland

University of West Alabama

ED5049621FA1: Tech of Educational Research

Mrs. Annah Rogers, B.A., M.S.

October 4, 2021

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 2

Abstract

Many schools, including Sand Rock High School, track students by ability even before

high school when natural tracking occurs. When this happens, lower-ability students lose the

confidence they need to make progress, and all abilities lose the opportunity to collaborate with

diverse peers. An alternative to this homogenous-ability tracking is to create mixed-ability

classrooms. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of mixed-ability classes on

students of all ability levels. This proposal intends to investigate whether a transition from

homogenous-ability classrooms to mixed-ability classrooms will improve proficiency on the

STAR test in mathematics for 7th-grade students at Sand Rock High School. This project predicts

that this transition from homogenous-ability classrooms to mixed-ability classrooms will

improve student confidence and allow unique learning opportunities such as students being able

to collaborate with diverse peers, which in turn, will increase proficiency levels on

STAR

mathematics scores for these students in 7th grade at Sand Rock High School. Data will be

collected at the beginning of the experiment and then every 9 weeks for an entire school year

with the teachers changing mid-year.

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 3

The Effects of a Multi-Ability Classroom on Mathematics Scores

Chapter 1: Research Problem

Introduction

At many schools in the United States, students are tracked or grouped by ability even

before high school. Tracking is the process of grouping students together by ability. According to

data from a 2017-18 National Teacher and Principal Survey, nearly half of middle schools across

the country group students based on ability (Standing et al., 2021). Some schools allow the

teachers do this within a classroom for differentiation purposes, while other schools group entire

classrooms by ability. Entire classes being grouped by ability means that students are labeled by

their perceived ability level as either above average, average, or below average and divided up

into different classes based on these assignments.

At Sand Rock High School, the above-average classes are generally the smallest in

number, whereas the other classes that contain the students that need the most one-on-one from a

teacher have the larger class sizes. This is only one negative from grouping this way. Far too

often, special education students, except for gifted students, get placed in the average or below

average groups. Also, English Language Learner (ELL) students, other minority students, and

low socioeconomic status students, and are too often disproportionately placed in the average or

below average groups (Childhood Education, 2014). This type of grouping is hazardous for all

levels of ability in that each group of students, once tracked, tend to stay with that same group

until graduation, with very limited movement between groups (Harklau, 1994). This deprives all

students of the ability to collaborate with diverse peers. It also puts the lower ability students in a

classroom where the curriculum typically gets watered down due to decreased expectations by

the teacher for that class (Losen, 1999).

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 4

It has also been shown that grouping by ability early on negatively impacts students

psychologically. In a case study of 100 low-ability students in three schools, the students were

asked about their perceptions of their ability to learn. Those students overwhelmingly responded

with emotional words like “shame”, “upset”, and “inferiority” (McGillicuddy & Devine, 2020).

Additionally, many high achieving countries use minimal ability grouping as compared to the

United States.

Statement of the Research Problem

Despite the expansive research that shows the harmful effect on students in lower tracks

and shows no significant advantages for higher-tracked students, homogenous-ability classrooms

continue to be a widely used practice in American schools (Childhood Education, 2014). One

reason for the continued use is the fact that many teachers find that not grouping by ability is

difficult to do (Ambreen & Conteh, 2021). It has also been shown that politically vocal parents

of the would-be higher-tracked students, who are disproportionately likely to be white and well-

educated, stand in opposition to moving away from the status quo of homogeneous ability

grouped classrooms (Childhood Education, 2014). Sand Rock High School is no different in

terms of parents wanting to keep the status quo and keep their students in the higher ability

grouped, nor in the fact that many teachers are fearful of the required work needed to maintain a

successful classroom that is not grouped by ability.

Regardless of the above-mentioned roadblocks to change, data from STAR scores at

Sand Rock High School show that change needs to be made. Proficiency scores on the STAR

test show that the methods used currently at Sand Rock High School are ineffective. Also, as a

teacher at Sand Rock High School, I have seen the negative effects on students who are tracked

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 5

before high school. Lower-ability students lose the confidence they need to make progress, and

all abilities lose the opportunity to collaborate with diverse peers.

Teachers across the country have been making changes to their ability grouping practices

to be able to meet the needs of all learners without grouping them by ability (Spear, 1994). The

purpose of this study is to determine the effect of mixed-ability classes on all students and to

determine if there is a link between mixed-ability classrooms and increased student achievement.

It is hypothesized that students placed in mixed-ability classrooms will outperform students who

are separated by ability.

Data Graphic and Discussion

The following table of data shows proficiency and non-proficiency, as a percentage, in

mathematics at each grade level, 1st grade through 8th grade at Sand Rock High School for the

2020-2021 school year. This data comes directly from STAR reports. The data shows that there

is a noted drop in proficiency percentages in grades who initiate the participation of the

technique of grouping students by ability, i.e., 4th and 7th grades. It is also interesting to note that

beginning in 4th grade, more students are non-proficient than are proficient. Prior to this, the

pattern is reversed. This shows that after tracking begins, proficiency rates drop.

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 6

STAR Data (End-Of-Year) FY21

GRADE Students Proficient on

STAR

Student NOT Proficient on

STAR

1st 78 22

2nd 69 31

3rd 63 37

4th 43 57

5th 48 52

6th 55 45

7th 32 68

8th 35 65

Impact on Student Achievement

According to research and personal experience, there are many reasons as to why a

mixed-ability classroom would be preferable to a homogeneous-ability classroom for all students

involved. The main topic of opposition to the previous statement pertains to the high-ability

students in mixed-ability classrooms. Many educators claim that their desire to not have mixed-

ability classrooms is that these high-ability students will not make as much progress as they

would in a classroom of just other high-ability students. Research shows, however, that even

though high-ability students initially perform slightly better in homogenous-ability classrooms,

the effects are temporary and are diminished in subsequent years (Abadzi, 1985).

Many researchers discourage homogeneous-ability grouping since it heavily limits

opportunities for students of all abilities to be able to “enjoy the cognitive and social benefits of

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 7

group work despite sitting in groups for most of the time during their lessons” (Ambreen &

Conteh, 2021). When students are not diversely grouped, they lose the opportunity to have

conversations with peers who likely come from differing backgrounds and may have different

opinions. In a Learner’s Perspective Study in which students from 14 countries were asked to

identify the main event in a lesson from which they learned the most. The most common

response from 13 out of the 14 countries was “something another student said” (Clarke, 2021).

This is an important statement coming from students themselves. This means that without this

interaction between abilities, lower ability students miss having the quality of explanations that

come from their peers. Also, as said in many mathematics classrooms, “If you don’t know it well

enough to explain it, then you don’t really understand it”. This is a skill that the high-ability

students miss as it is unnecessary to try to teach another person how to do a skill or how to

understand a concept if everyone around them is learning as fast as they are.

Research Methodology

The experimental research plan involves creating three classes of 7th-grade students at

Sand Rock High School. One class will be selected by random sampling to create the mixed-

ability class. The sample chosen was because the 7th-grade year was shown to have a large

decrease in proficiency levels on the STAR test from the previous year. It was also chosen as the

sample since my position as the math department chair for Sand Rock High School will enable

me to monitor the validity of the experiment without directly affecting it as I do not teach 7th-

grade. The sampling technique is stratified random to ensure the correct proportions of different

ability ranges be included in the mixed-ability class. The mixed-ability class is pulled first from

each ability grouping randomly. Then remaining students will be divided equally down the

middle of performance level on the previous year’s STAR test to ensure two homogeneously

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 8

grouped classes by ability. Each student in 7th-grade will be taught by the same teacher for the

first semester and then transition to a different teacher the second semester. This will help to

ensure that any differences in proficiency from class to class will not be related to a difference in

teacher. The two homogenous classes will be taught as normal while the mixed-ability class will

have the ability to incorporate collaboration activities that are otherwise impossible in a

homogenous-ability classroom. Students in all three classes will be randomly assigned numbers

to protect their identities. Informed consent will be obtained from parents and guardians since the

experiment involves minors.

Summary (of Chapter 1)

The data reflects a problem with proficiency levels on the STAR mathematics test at

Sand Rock High School. This study will focus on the current 7th-grade class at this school. By

creating a mixed-ability instead of a homogenous-ability class, it is expected that students in the

mixed-ability classroom will outperform students in the homogenous-ability classroom. This will

be achieved by incorporating mixed-ability grouping best practices, which will, in turn, increase

the confidence level of lower-ability students. It will also provide valuable collaboration

activities among for ability levels.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction

The majority consensus in educational literature suggests that ability grouping is harmful

to students. This is especially true for groups such as ELL students and minorities, that get

disproportionally placed into the low-ability classes. Unfortunately, socioeconomic status is also

a predictor of track assignment in public schools (Epple et al., 2002). In addition, the literature

suggests that regardless of how students are grouped by ability, achievement gaps are evident

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 9

between the tracks (Chmielewski, 2014). This indicates that no matter how homogeneous ability

grouping was attempted, results were the same. Even for high-ability students, it has been shown

to only contribute temporarily to the success of those students. Educational literature about

ability grouping agrees on the wide range of benefits of mixed-ability grouping to include both

psychological, social, and academic advantages.

Best Practices for Increasing Proficiency

The use of best practices in a mixed-ability classroom is vital to maximize the learning

opportunities for all students. It is important for the teacher to transition from teacher-centered to

student-centered instruction (Spear, 1994). Within the student-centered classroom, there are tools

that the teacher can use to provide the proper support to struggling students while challenging the

students who are moving through the task at hand at a quicker pace.

In an article by Doug Clark (2021), he offers several ways to accomplish this. The first is

to have a quick class discussion throughout the task at hand to help provide encouragement and

clarification for students who might be struggling. He also suggests the use of enabling prompts

which are only intended to get students initially on track and are only used for students who

might need them. Additionally, Clark encourages the use of extending prompts for students who

have finished the initial task quickly and need a challenging continuation of the task.

In addition to the above-mentioned tools for differentiation, it will be helpful for teachers

to incorporate peer tutoring and peer explanation into the lessons. Many students learn better

from other students, so this is a very good benefit of having mixed-ability classes. Because of

this, it will also be helpful to provide as much opportunity as possible for students to work

together on a task so that they can talk through their problem-solving ideas with one another. The

diversity of students in a mixed-ability classroom allows for a more enriching group project

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 10

experience. In the end, the most important tools a teacher can incorporate to making a mixed-

ability classroom successful are patience, flexibility, and maintaining high expectations for all

students.

Chapter 3: Methodology

Introduction

With the population at Sand Rock High School trending towards more non-

proficient students on the STAR mathematics test than proficient, it will be important to examine

the link between how students are ability-grouped and these proficiency scores. The plan for this

study is to compare the STAR mathematics scores of 7th graders homogeneously grouped by ability

with those heterogeneously grouped by ability. Sand Rock has three groups of 7th graders who are

typically divided up into three groups of ability: above average, average, and below average. This

study will instead create a class of mixed-ability grouped 7th graders, with two other classes who

remain grouped by ability. All students will then be assessed at regular intervals to determine the

link, if any, between grouping practices and proficiency levels on the STAR mathematics test. It

is proposed that the students who are not grouped by ability will outperform the students who are

grouped by ability on the STAR mathematics test. It is also proposed that there will be positive

changes in the students’ social and emotional health. The impact of the results from this study

could affect grouping practices at Sand Rock High School, which will, in turn, benefits student

proficiency levels for all grades at the school.

Population

Sand Rock School is a Pre-Kindergarten through 12th-grade school, however, only 7th

graders at Sand Rock will be participating in this study. This group was chosen as it is the first

grade considered high school at Sand Rock, therefore, they are already in a year of transition

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 11

from middle to high school. This transition year will be taken advantage of since doing the study

in other grades would risk interfering with the education of the students as they are already in a

set routine in the other buildings. This grade was also chosen because the two mathematics

teachers of students at Sand Rock High School are willing participants in the study.

Sample

All seventy-five 7th-grade students will be subdivided into groups of fifteen, separated by

their scores on the previous year’s STAR test. Five students will be randomly selected from each

of the five groups to form the mixed-ability class. The remaining students will be separated into

two equally homogeneous grouped ability classes.

Sample Technique

The sampling technique is stratified random. It is stratified to ensure the correct

proportions of different ability ranges be included in the sample, mixed-ability class. The mixed

ability class is pulled first from each ability grouping randomly. The remaining students will be

divided equally down the middle of performance on the previous year’s STAR test to ensure two

homogeneously grouped classes by ability.

Role of Participants and Impact on Participants

Each student in 7th-grade will be taught by the same teacher for the first semester and

then transition to a different teacher the second semester. The two homogeneous classes will be

taught as normal while in the mixed-ability classes, the teacher will have the ability to

incorporate collaboration activities and best practices that are otherwise impossible in a

homogeneous-ability classroom.

There is expected to be an immediate and positive impact on students who are in the

mixed-ability grouped class. Those students are expected to gain confidence in their math

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 12

abilities and be able to collaborate more effectively with diverse populations, which in turn will

show an increase in proficiency scores on the STAR mathematics test. Positive results from this

study will have the ability to impact practices at Sand Rock to be able to help all other grade

levels of students.

Plan for Protection of Human Subjects

Students in all three classes will be randomly assigned numbers to protect their identities.

The project director will be the only person who will have access to the list of students and these

assigned numbers. In addition, although no harm is expected to come from participation in this

study, informed consent will be obtained from parents and guardians as this study does involve

minors.

Variables

The dependent variable in this study is the proficiency percentages of the STAR math

scores of the 7th-grade students at Sand Rock High School participating in this study as this is

what is expected to be affected by the independent variable. The independent variable in this

study is the instruction techniques of mixed-ability grouping that are unavailable in

homogeneously grouped classrooms. More specifically, this would include collaboration

techniques that maximize the learning of all students.

Timeline

Students will be selected for each class prior to the beginning of the school year based on

the previous year’s STAR mathematics scores. They will then be reassessed in the first two

weeks of school to ensure there are no outliers in the grouping of students. Students will not be

moved at that point; any outliers will just be noted in the data. Additionally, all students will be

given the STAR assessment two additional times per semester, at the first nine-week mark and

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 13

then at the end of the semester. The students will be assessed on the same day, except for absent

students. Those students will be assessed on the first day of their return, when possible. Potential

links between class ability grouping and STAR proficiency scores will be determined at the end

of the school year.

Constitutive and Operation Definitions

The STAR mathematics test is an online assessment program that assesses 49 sets of

math skills in 1st through 7th grade and 44 sets of skills in 9th through 12 grades to determine a

student’s overall math achievement. The three classes of students will be assigned the letters A,

B, and C. Class A will consist of the mixed-ability students. Class B will consist of the

homogeneously grouped high-ability students, and Class C will consist of the homogeneously

grouped lower ability students. The teachers will be assigned the numbers 1 and 2. Teacher 1

will be the first-semester teacher, and Teacher 2 will be the second-semester teacher.

Description of Data

The data will come from the STAR mathematics test given to all 7th-grade students. The

test will be given once at the beginning of the school year and then once at the end of each nine

weeks for a total of five assessments. Confirmation or rejection of the hypothesis that the class of

mixed-ability students will outperform either class of homogeneous ability grouped students will

occur only at the end of the year when all data has been obtained. The arrival of the confirmation

or rejection of the hypothesis will be obtained from analyzing the progress of students

individually and by class as a whole.

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 14

Reliability and Validity of Instrument

The STAR test is widely used in all fifty states in the United States to gauge the

proficiency levels of students in grades 1-12. It is also one of the main instruments in Response

to Intervention (RTI) placement at Sand Rock School. The STAR assessment will be given to

students on the same day, except for student absences, to limit different extraneous factors from

student to student. Even though the teacher will change at the semester mark, all 7th-grade

students will have the same teacher at the same time to ensure that any differences in proficiency

from class to class are not related to a difference in teacher.

Limitations

Currently, there is a high rate of absenteeism especially due to COVID quarantines. This

could affect individual student achievement. In addition, any potential lack of ability of the

teacher to be able to incorporate sound techniques of mixed-ability classes could also affect

student achievement of the classes. The current teachers of 7th graders at

Sand Rock High School

are willing participants, but if there were any changes to this scenario, it would be important to

ensure that any teacher participating in this study does not have potential biases about mixed

ability grouping that could affect the outcome of the study.

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 15

References

Abadzi, H. (1985). Ability grouping effects on academic achievement and self-esteem: Who

performs in the long run as expected? The Journal of Educational Research, 79(1), 36–

40.

Ambreen, S., & Conteh, J. (2021). Children’s interactions in ability-based groups in a primary

classroom. The European Educational Researcher, 4(1), 85–107.

Bui, S., Imberman, S., & Craig, S. (2012). Poor results for high achievers. Education Next, 12(1),

70–76.

Childhood Education. (2014). Reiterates harm from “ability grouping” in school. Childhood

Education, 90(2), 169.

Chmielewski, A. K. (2014). An international comparison of achievement inequality in within-

and between-school tracking systems. American Journal of Education, 120(3), 293–324.

Clarke, D. (2021). Calling a spade a spade: The impact of within class ability grouping on

opportunity to learn mathematics in the primary school. Australian Primary Mathematics

Classroom, 26(1), 3–8.

Epple, D., Newlon, E., & Romano, R. (2002). Ability tracking, school competition, and the

distribution of educational benefits. Journal of Public Economics, 83(1), 1–48.

Harklau, L. (1994). Tracking and linguistic minority students: Consequences of ability grouping

for second language learners. Linguistics and Education, 6(3), 217–244.

Holmes, C. T., & Ahr, T. J. (1994). Effects of ability grouping on academic achievement and

self-concept of African American and White students. The Clearing House: A Journal of

Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 67(5), 294–297.

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 16

Losen, D. (1999). Silent segregation in our nation’s schools. Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties

Law Review, 34(2), 517–546.

McGillicuddy, D., & Devine, D. (2020). ‘You feel ashamed that you are not in the higher

group’— Children’s psychosocial response to ability grouping in primary school. British

Educational Research Journal, 46(3), 553–573.

Spear, R. C. (1994). Teacher perceptions of ability grouping practices in middle level schools.

Research in Middle Level Education, 18(1), 117–130.

Standing, K., Lewis, L., & National Center for Education Statistics. (2021). Pre-COVID ability

grouping in U.S. public school classrooms. Data Point. National Center for Education

Statistics. Published.

Sullivan, J. F. (1998). Meeting the individual needs of all learners in the inclusion classroom.

The Justice Professional, 11(1–2), 175–187.

Webel, C., & Dwiggins, A. (2019). Prospective elementary teachers’ experiences with and

perspectives on grouping by ability in mathematics. Mathematics Teacher Education and

Development, 21(2), 4–23.

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 17

Appendix A

Consent Form

Consent Form

Felisha Cleland

The University of West Alabama

Research Proposal Title: The Effects of a Mixed-Ability Classroom on STAR Mathematics Scores

1. What is the purpose of the study? The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of mixed-ability classes on all

students.

2. How was I chosen? You were chosen because you are a 7th grader at Sand Rock High School. The 7th grade class was chosen

to participate due to their being a noted drop in proficiency levels in this grade in the past.

3. What will be involved in participating? You will be placed in either a like or mixed ability class of students. Selection for

these groups is random, and you will not be informed as to which group you are in. You will also be given 5 STAR math

assessments throughout the year. These assessments are not due, but this is the data that will be used in this study.

4. Who will know what I say? You will be assigned a random number at the beginning of research. Only Felisha Cleland, the

research director, will be aware of your specific number. That way, anything you say will be associated with your number instead

of your name. Also, any of your STAR scores will only be associated with your number, not your name.

5. What risks and benefits are associated with participation? There will be very little risk to you as you as every effort will

be made to ensure that your education is not hindered by this study. However, it may be found that by your participation in this

study, changes will be made at Sand Rock School to ensure that learning is maximized for all students at Sand Rock.

6. What are my rights as a respondent? You may ask any questions regarding the research, and they will be answered

fully. Your participation in the study is voluntary; you may withdraw at any time.

7. What will be published? Following the completion of this research proposal, I plan to maintain my records for use in future

publications and scholarly presentations. I plan to publish my findings as articles in professional journals, with the ultimate goal

of publishing a book or a chapter in a book.

8. If I want more information, whom can I contact about the study? This study has been approved by the University of West

Alabama’s Internal Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects. This board can be contacted through the office of Mrs.

Patricia Pratt. In addition, my research advisor, Mrs. Annah Rogers, can be contacted at arogers@uwa.edu.

__________________________ ___________________________________

Felisha Cleland, Project Director Respondent’s signature, Date

This consent form has all the required information from Federal law.

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 18

Appendix B

Authorization for a Minor to Serve as a Subject in Research

Authorization for a Minor to Serve as a Subject in Research

I authorize the service of _____________________ as a subject in the research investigation entitled: The Effects of

(name of minor)

a Mixed-Ability Classroom on STAR Mathematics Scores.

The nature and general purpose of the research procedure and the known risks have

been explained to me. I understand that _____________________ will be given a preservice

(name of minor)

explanation of the research and that he/she may decline to serve. Further, I understand that he/she may terminate

his/her service in this research at any time he/she so desires.

I understand the known risks are the possibility of reading scores not increasing or being given behavior

modification when it is not needed.

I understand also that it is not possible to identify all potential risks in an experimental procedure, and I

believe that reasonable safeguards have been taken to minimize both the known and the potential but unknown risks.

I agree further to indemnify and hold harmless the University of West Alabama and its agents and

employees from any and all liability, actions, or causes of actions that may accrue to the subject minor as a result of

his/her activities for which this consent is granted.

Witness_____________________________ Signed_____________________________

(parent or guardian)

Date_______________________________

To be retained by researcher

THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 19

Appendix C

Permission to Conduct Research

Permission to Conduct Research

Felisha Cleland, Teacher

40 Quail Drive

Centre, AL 35960

October 4, 2021

Mr. Ben East, Principal

Sand Rock High School

1950 Sand Rock Ave

Sand Rock, AL 35983

Dear Mr. East,

I would like to conduct a study using the 7th Grade classes of Sand Rock High School. The study

proposes to research the effects of a mixed-ability classroom on STAR mathematics scores. The results

of this study will improve the educational practices of teachers and the school. It will also impact the

mathematical proficiency of the students at Sand Rock School. The study will take place from August 1,

2022 to May 31, 2023. It will be conducted by me, Mrs. Felisha Cleland, a current mathematics teacher.

I feel that this research study is a very worthwhile endeavor for our students and school. Please

review the enclosed information in order to make a decision concerning our school’s ability to conduct

this research. A consent form has been included.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Felisha Cleland

Mathematics Teacher

Sand Rock High School