A Case Study on Standards of Learning Review Programs in the Primary Grades
Introduction:
The Standards of Learning test in the state of Virginia has become a significant means of student accountability in order to graduate from high school. Due to this circumstance, parents are in an absolute frenzy to make sure their child p asses the test. The pressure has been placed on the teachers to be responsible to teach to the test, no matter what the cost. Teachers are put in a tough position because the curriculum in many counties does not line up with the questions asked on the t ests. It is up to the teachers to combine at least 2 years of curriculum into one in order for the students to be familiar with the test questions. If there was a distance education course developed to primarily teach the children the information that wil l be asked on the Standards of Learning test, then parents can feel at ease and even help them within their own home. Parents can start taking some responsibility for their child's learning. Teachers can then reduce the responsibility of teaching to the test, and get back to teaching the students the knowledge to learn.
This case study report is a review of an existing program created by Raleigh Court Elementary School in Virginia. It is a Virginia Standards of Learning Practice Site with the following URL: http://www.roanoke.k12.va.us/raleigh/SOL/test.html. The focus of this study is primarily on the social studies section. The reason for this study is to analyze the program, which will help contribute to the performance of a new distance learning course for children in the 3rd grade.
The goal of the Virginia Standards of Learning Practice Site is to help children pass the test by inundating them with practice tests in all subject areas and grade levels. Students can log into the URL address and take these tests anywhere at anytime. There is virtually no interaction or feedback during this program. Students who wish to email the creator, Mr. Spencer, can do so at their own convenience for comments, questions, or concerns ab out the program. The test pages were made with Hot Potatoes 3.0 software on a Macintosh computer.
The Virginia Standards of Learning Practice Site was developed and designed with the help of many experienced teachers and companies. The practice tests poste d in this site were created by teachers who live all over the United States. The companies that helped contribute to the program were; The Comenius English Language Center, Funbrain, Edu4Kids, EduPlace.com, Washington Post, Achievement Data, Edutest, The History Channel, and ACT. This website has been recognized and was featured in News 7 Web Watch and The Roanoke Times.
How Will This Case Study be Used?
This case study will be used as an outline to create a new and improved distance learning course for children in the 3rd grade on the subject of social studies. The reason social studies will be the focus is because almost every student in the state of Virginia failed the social studies Standard of Learning test. If and when this distance learning course becomes a reality, rather than hypothetical, it will eventually focus on all subjects taught in the 3rd grade curriculum and on the Standards of Learning test. It is important that the children learn the necessary concepts that will be asked on the test. Unlike the Virginia Standards of Learning Practice Site, the new course will dedicate its time to actually teaching the information instead of giving children continual practice tests. The practice site has developed some wonderful tests with essential questions. It is a fantastic site for children to use once they have become proficient in learning the concepts. The questions on the practice tests are an excellent guide for what concepts need to be taught to these children. Learning the concepts will be the job of the new distance learning course that will be developed.
Management Tasks:
In order to reach the final goals of the progression of this distance learning course, there are specific tasks that will need to be performed. A development team is needed, which must include subject matter experts, editors, graphic designers, producers, and other media specialists. Designing a study guide, which includes lesson plans or units on the subject matter is necessary. Creating student involvement, appropriate instructor feedback, and accountability methods are important in the design of this course.
In order to really get this course off the ground, permission from the county is imperative. Support from the county and he ad of the social studies department in the county is essential. Staffing for this project will be qualified teachers, distance education experts, and experienced program developers/trainers hired through the county.
Funding for this course will be done through the county's budget. The money will be used to pay for the staff working on the project and technology needed to develop it. The cost effectiveness of this course would be substantial when looking at the big picture. By spending thousands of dol l ars on staffing and equipment, students all over the state will dramatically improve their test scores, thereby increasing their chances of being accepted into top-notch universities and colleges. This of course will mean that the county will graduate highly intelligent and educated students into this world, with better job possibilities. On the other end, the county will spend less money on hiring new teachers every year because teacher burn-out will decrease due to the reduction of responsibility teach ers will have in teaching to the test.
Analysis Tasks:
The rational for developing this distance education course is to help children become knowledgeable on the information being given to them on the Standards on Learning test. The objectives for this course are to bring learning back into the home, thereby teaching parents to also become responsible for the learning of their children. It should not be solely the teacher's responsibility in today's world. Parents can learn the mat e rial taught in this course to help better prepare their own child for the test. This course can also be used for children who go back to their native country for a few months, who need to stay abreast of the information they will need to know. When this course is complete in its entirety, parents can use this course for children that are home-schooled.
Observations of existing distance education programs within the topic of Standards of Learning are geared more for teachers and students with previous background knowledge of the material. Many programs are used to help teachers teach the information with the use of lesson plan ideas or strategies. Other programs are specifically geared to giving students practice tests on the information they are suppos ed to already know. The objective of this new distance learning course will be geared for children who do not have the prior background knowledge needed to take, but will be required to take, the Standards of Learning test.
Design Tasks:
The media selected for this course will be one that children in the public school system are familiar with. The primary reason for this is so that the child feels comfortable with the technology he/she is using, as to not become immediately frustrated before the learni ng even begins. A commonly used piece of software in the elementary school is HyperStudio. This program is an interactive application that enables children to learn through the use of reading and doing appropriate activities with the click of a button. The key component to this distance learning course is interactive. The child must be constantly stimulated while learning. A decrease in stimulation can cause the child to have a lack of motivation toward the course. The course must be designed for the child to have a lot of fun, whereby not even realizing how much he/she is really learning.
Evaluation is extremely important in order to make sure the program runs smoothly. Some of the ways to make sure things are working the way they are supposed to be are through a variety of methods. A chat room where students can talk about what they are doing and learning can be created, where an adult monitor and expert teacher can be present to interact with the students. Questionnaires and interviews can be giv en for both students and parents to discuss any problems they have encountered or how well the program is working.
Development Tasks:
When developing the layout of each page in the course, it is important to remember that it is being designed for 8-9 year old children. Graphics are a necessity in order to keep the attention of the child. A great way to keep the child interested is to create an animated cartoon character that takes the child through the whole course. This is a wonderful strategy when t r ying to make the child comfortable with the program. It gives the child a reason to be confident and to trust what is happening because their cartoon friend will virtually hold his/her hand the whole way through the course. Therefore, an experienced gra phic designer is essential in this part of the course development.
A study guide will also be sent to parents and their children to provide a framework for the course and for supplemental support on the material. Within this study guide, worksheets and r elated assignments will be used for students to use as extra guidance with the material. A hard copy of the activities the children will do on-line will be placed in the study guide as well. Alternative lessons and ideas will be written for parents to use for further support with their child.
Implementation Tasks:
In order for everything to run smoothly, it is important for the course to be administered and managed correctly. Along with subject matter experts, editors, graphic designers, producers, and other media specialists , a management and administration team is needed. This team will be hired and funded through the social studies department in the county. They will be responsible for managing the money, training the faculty and staff, and assessing the needs of the students and the performance of the instructors.
A Final Thought:
It is important to understand that this hypothetical distance learning course is somewhat different from a fully evolved distance learning course. It is intended to be a Standards of Learning review and learning course for children. If the county were to approve this idea and fund it well, this distance learning course could easily become the mandatory summer school that all students who fail the SOL test are compelled to take. This would therefore alleviate a lot of teachers, and enable them to take the summer vacation that they so deserve. It would also make many parents very happy who recently found out that their summer vacation plans must be canceled due to the fact that their child must go to mandatory summer school. Instead, children can use this course on a laptop computer while soaking in the sun at the beach (not realistic, but you never know). It is hopeful that the superintendent of the county would see how this course would benefit students during the summer, as well as continue to benefit them throughout the school year.
Design Document
A Distance Learning Course in the Place of the Mandatory Summer School
Stacey Packman
EDUC 220E
Critical Issues in Distance Education
July 1999
Rational for a Distance Education Approach:
Suppose a family in Fairfax County, Virginia has booked a three week non-refundable vacation to France this summer. School has just ended and the family receives a letter in the mail from the county stating that t heir child has failed the Standards of Learning test given in May, and will be required to take the summer remediation school. What should this family do? \par \par The scenario above happens to be very typical for a family in the county. Summertime is a busy season for many families. They have scheduled many important activities that their children were not able to do during the school year. Fairfax County has crack ed down on the SOL test, and has mandated that every student who fails all four SOL sections will be required to go to remediation summer school. The county has become unfair with its last minute notification, and parents are stuck in a difficult situati on. \par \par How This Relates to the Case Study:
Originally, the idea was to create a distance learning course for children in the 3rd grade on the subject of social studies. It was to be a review course that would teach the children the information that will be asked on the Standards of Learning test. It would also help reduce the responsibility of the teacher on teaching to the test in the classroom.
This was a good idea for a distance learning course, but how would parents really know about this course and why would they want their child to take it? On "A Final Thought" of the case study, it was explained that this hypothetical distance learning course was very different from a fully evolved distance course. It was intended to be a Standards of Learning review course and learning course for children. Another final thought in the case study was that if the county were to approve this idea and fund it well, this distance learning course could easily become the mandatory summer school that all students who fail the SOL test are compelled to take.
That was it! That was the statement that made the most sense . Create a distance learning course in the place of the mandatory summer school. Hypothetical or not, the only way this would work is if this program were fully evolved and not just a small piece of the big picture.
Is Distance Education Appropriate?
A distance learning course is the perfect solution, which will take the place of the SOL remediation summer school. Students who fail all four sections of the test will be mandated to take a summer distance learnin g course. This course will require 30 hours of time put into the course during the summer. A student can choose his or her own dates and times to take the course. It is important that a student taking a summer course has the flexibility to do it at the ir convenience, as many plans have previously been scheduled.
If a family is concerned about their child taking this kind of course due to limited or no access to a computer, this issue can be easily solved. The county can set up various programs where st udents can have the necessary access to a computer. Using the public library Internet system is probably one of the best places to go, as it is quite conducive to learning. Another program would be for the county to rent out classroom computers using a bound legal contract. Parents can pay a minimum monthly fee, as long as it is returned in the same condition as it was borrowed.
Goals of this Course:
The goal of this course is to teach students the necessary information online, consisting of lessons, proj ects, non-print reading material and online tests, which will help them pass the SOL test the next time they take it. The course will contain four sections: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The course will require students to set aside about one hour each day for one month. Students will be given online multiple-choice tests in which they must pass with 80% accuracy in order to graduate from the course. Students who do not pass this course will be required to take the "Distance T utor" course during the school year. The "Distance Tutor" course will be an extra program that tutors the student online in the subjects that he/she did not pass. The student must continue using the "Distance Tutor" until he/she/ passes the online multi ple choice tests with 80% accuracy.
Student Support and Interactions:
This course will be designed to be user friendly and can be done with or without the help of a parent. An online teacher/instructor will be there to support the students at specific times of the day and night. This instructor will be there to encourage online discussions/chats, to be a mediator in online group projects and assignments, give necessary feedback, and provide extra help where needed.
Design Approach:
The design of this course is an interactive application that enables children to learn through the use of reading and doing appropriate activities with the click of a button on the mouse. The prototype that has been created is a social studies review unit using the software HyperStudio. This is very basic and was created by a teacher who knows virtually nothing about how to do the actual design of a distance learning course. That is when a team of experts are brought in to do their job in making the distance learning course exceptional and of high quality. At this point, there is no money to do this.
Evaluation Plan:
When this distance learning course becomes a reality, parents may possibly be hesitant to use it. After all, distance learning is a foreign concept to many of them. There needs to be some kind of preliminary parent- training program to put these parents at ease. This way they will be comfortable helping their child and understanding the value of such a course on the cutting edge of technology. The first summer that this goes into effect will be a pilot summer. It is important to get out all the glitches and imperfections before the course is offered to everyone in the county. Evaluation will be constant during the pilot summer. Evaluation is extremely important in order to make sure the program runs smoothly. Some of the ways to make sure things are working the way they a re supposed to be are through a variety of methods. A chat room where students can talk about what they are doing and learning can be created, where an adult monitor and expert teacher can be present to interact with the students. Questionnaires and int erviews can be given for both students and parents to discuss any problems they have encountered or how well the program is working. The different types of evaluations will of course be ongoing during the non-pilot summers' as well.
Implementation Plan:
The county will hire a subject matter expert from each SOL subject (language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies). A team of editors, graphic designers, producers, and other media specialists will be needed to implement the course.
The focus will be on teaching the student s the concepts that they lack on their grade level, as well as test taking strategies and techniques. The actual course, if preliminary steps were taken in the 1999-2000 school year, can actually get off the ground by the summer of 2001. \par \tab \par Some of the problems that could be experienced are getting the county to approve this type of program, help the county see how relevant a distance learning course would be, and get permission from the county to help fund this program and hi re the necessary people to make it work. If the county were to approve this distance learning course, then they can continue to be rated in the top school districts by continuing to be on the cutting edge of technology in education.
Management Plan:
In order to reach the final goals of the progression of this distance learning course, there are specific tasks that will need to be performed. A development team is needed, which must include subject matter experts, editors, graphic designers, producers, and other media specialists. Designing a study guide, which includes lesson plans or units on the subject matter is necessary. Creating student involvement, appropriate instructor feedback, and accountability methods are important in the desig n of this course.
In order to implement this course, permission from the county is imperative. Support from the county is essential. Staffing for this project will be qualified teachers, distance education experts, and experienced program developers/trainers hired through the county.
Funding for this course will be done through the county's budget. The money will be used to pay for the staff working on the project and technology needed to develop it.
Cost Effectiveness:
The cost effectiveness of this course would be substantial when looking at the big picture. Initially, the county will be spending thousands of dollars on staffing and equipment, but in the long run they will be saving a tremendous amount of money. A typical summer school program costs a lot of money each year because they have to keep the buildings open in the summer, pay for air-conditioning, and pay the hundr eds of teachers that come in and teach all of the students. A distance learning program will require no building cost because students will be at home taking the course from their computer. There will only be a few teachers hired to work with all of the students online.
When looking into the future, cost effectiveness is massive. Students who originally fail the SOL test will take this course during the summer in order to dramatically raise their test scores. This will then increase their chances of being accepted into better universities and colleges. This will also look very good for the county because the final goal is to graduate highly intelligent and educated students into this world, with better job possibilities.
In the long run, fewer funds will be needed to run the summer school, than what a typical summer school must spend money on. Students will achieve higher scores than ever expected. Lastly, Fairfax County will be on the top of the list for being an outstanding school district by graduating the topmost students and for being on the cutting edge of technology.