AN EXPLORATION OF STRUCTURED DATA DISCOURSE AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN ALGEBRA I, Jaime Bowers

Abstract

For the first time in 32 years, the national average scale score in mathematics dropped by seven points across the country in grades four and eight, according to the latest results of the National Assessment on Educational Progress (NAEP). The 2022 results in mathematics were staggering, in which “math performance fell for the first time in the history of the long-term trend assessments since its first administration in 1990 (Socol, 2022). This is an urgent reminder that education leaders must double down on and fully fund efforts to accelerate student learning” (Socol, 2022).For this Doctoral Capstone in School System Leadership, two researchers worked collectively on a Problem of Practice (PoP) related to mathematics and the challenges in student achievement. The PoP statement, in alignment with the persistent downward trend in Algebra I performance, states: “LMSD students are not meaningfully engaged in the Algebra I instructional classroom, resulting in a decrease of proficiency on state and district assessments”. The researchers sought to answer two research questions: 1) Does the use of a student Algebra I Data-driven Protocol have an impact on teacher practice in engaging students in dialogue about Algebra I assessment data? 2) What are the teacher perceptions about the fidelity and use of a student Algebra I Data-driven Protocol? The researchers proposed the implementation of one change idea; the collaborative creation and implementation of a student data-driven protocol in a subset of Algebra I classrooms. The researchers tested the change idea with three Algebra I teachers in their classrooms within LMSD. The intention was to examine a particular theory of improvement: if students are active participants in reviewing their own data from district-administered assessments, then they would gain a better understanding of Algebra I content. This exploratory research study utilized the Improvement Science Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) approach and the incorporation of a change idea (Algebra I Data-driven Protocol), intended to improve one aspect of teacher practice, greater preparedness in data literacy. This study found that even though at the beginning of the study, each of the three teachers felt that they were very comfortable reviewing data on their own and reviewing it with their students, all three teachers stated they felt even more comfortable in doing so after the study had concluded. This conclusion provided evidence for the researchers that the Aim Statement, Teachers in select Algebra I classes will engage all students in a structured data participation activity, which will result in routine data discourse that was able to be documented as an outcome. Each participating teacher saw the need and benefit of incorporating this into their instructional practice on a regular basis and strengthening their data literacy. Five next steps were identified as a result: 1) the researchers will discuss these findings with the secondary mathematics curriculum office and propose the addition of a larger pilot group before adding the data protocol to the Algebra I curriculum, 2) the researchers will advocate for more innovative strategies to engage students in the Algebra I classroom to be added to current curriculum and instruction, 3) revise the protocol to ensure its inclusion as a differentiated strategy to use with a variety of student groups from various assessment types, 4) continue to conduct further large-scale studies in which the data protocol is utilized in other mathematics classrooms in other select middle and high school classrooms through an organized pilot over the span of an entire school year, and 5) devise a plan for how to measure student achievement over time with incorporation of the data protocol in piloted mathematics classrooms in order to revisit the original PoP and Aim statement. The plan of action for future development of the findings will include steps to measure student achievement data at incremental points throughout the school year to determine effectiveness of the protocol.