Assignment 2 System Analysis Out of School Virtual Program. by Alva Hartry EDD CRN System Analysis and Design

Transcription

1 Assignment 2 System Analysis Out of School Virtual Program by Alva Hartry EDD CRN System Analysis and Design Nova Southeastern University March 29, 2010

2 1 Abstract This paper will verify the design of an out of school suspension distance education program. This program will supplement the out of school suspension program for Turner Middle School. The following content provides justification for the distance education program. It also addresses the purpose, resources of the system, stakeholders that compose the system, environmental conditions/issues that internally and externally compact the system. Furthermore, it totally explains the system by showing elements and relationships, interdependency, and learning paths. Moreover, the support of learning theory will be identified. Following the description of the system is the macro, mega, and micro components. Finally, the assessment of the system will be presented. The assessment will describe how the system evaluates itself, the self efficacy measures, and the change procedures.

3 2 System Analysis Out of School Suspension Virtual Program Introduction Working in an urban, inner city school for the past few years, it has been observed that students are suspended quit often for serious disruptions. According to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Atlanta Public Schools, students may not be suspended no longer than ten days According to Georgia Code , students could be suspended out of school for the following reasons (Georgia Department of Education (GADOE), 2010) a. Endangerment to Persons/Property Student poses such a danger to persons or property that exposes a pupil or property to damage or injury, peril, risk, hazard or any harmful situation, (e.g., violent crimes, weapons possession and drug distribution) that out-of-school suspension is warranted. b. Serious Disruption Student poses such a serious disruption to the educational process that causes a serious disorder, confusion, interruption or impediment to the operation of a class, study hall, library, assembly, program or other gathering involving pupils or staff members that out-of-school suspension is warranted. Purpose The purpose of this analysis is to design a distance education system which will be titled Out of School Suspension Virtual Program (OOSVP). This program will allow students to continue their coursework while absent due to suspension from Turner Middle School. NCLB asks individual states and schools to develop standards for safety, apply research-based programs, gather and evaluate data, and improve on safety problems identified by schools and states in order to make Adequate Yearly Progress (U.S. Department of Education (USDOE,

4 3 2010). Moreover, USDOE states that schools are is required to conduct an evaluation on the impact of schools funded under Safe and Drug Free Schools. It iterates that programs must demonstrate a reduction in school violence. To ensure school safety, the USDOE is required to access and evaluate schools on their safety. This evaluation is funded under the Safe and Drug Free Schools. With the program in place, USDOE says that schools should show a decline in school violence and unruly discipline. Justification Disruptive behavior at Turner Middle School is a constant problem. There is aggravation from teachers and administrators to follow the No Child Left Behind Act and at the same time run an orderly and non disruptive environment. Since this Act requires that students cannot be suspended longer than 10 days, a virtual out of school suspension program will allow students to attend school longer than 10 days if needed. According to Frank Densler, 2006, students who are suspended from school find themselves doing nothing. By participating in a virtual out of school suspension program, student will be able to stay on task with school work and not fall behind in their studies. This type of program will also make students accountable for their own learning while using 21 st century skills. Context Resources The resources for OSSVP will come from federal, state, and local funds. The funds will provide for salaries, training, distance education materials, and technology. Based on previous year suspension data and resources needed, the resources for the out of school suspension distance program are shown in the table below.

5 4 Resources Staff Financial Physical Technical Description Administrators Out of School Distance Education Coordinator Academic Dean Model Lead Teacher for Technology(MTL) Instructors Media Specialist Counselor Social Worker Administrative Assistant Federal, State, and Local Funds Grants School Partners Office/Classroom Student and Teacher Laptops Digital Camera Projector Software Dedicated Servers Community Kaufman, 2001, says to have a thriving system, input from a variety of partners and stakeholders will be necessary when defining, prioritizing, and achieving successful results, p. 52. This virtual out of school suspension program will service one middle school in an urban district. Currently there are approximately 820 students enrolled at Turner Middle School. Many of the students in the school are considered at-risk with behavior problems. The weekly average suspension consists of five or more students who are suspended 5-10 days (TMS Disciplinary Report, 2010). The stakeholders for this community are either directly or indirectly involved. Direct Stakeholders Indirect Stakeholders Administrators, OSSVP Coordinator Academic Dean, Model Lead Teacher of Technology (MTL), OSSVP Teachers, Administrative Assistant, Media Specialist, Counselor, OSSVP Students Parents, School Partners Hardware and software vendors, educational content publishers,

6 5 Environmental Conditions The OSSVP s office will be located and housed in a classroom in a building which has 55 classrooms. The building has two technology labs, a media center, and a cafeteria. The out of school distance education program s office will also be used for teacher mini offices, physical staff training and meetings, equipment and storage. Elements and Relationships Description of the System A system approach to educational planning and achievement begins with the society as a whole. The analysis begins with the sum total of parts working independently and together to achieve results. (Kaufman, 2001). The OSSVP is a system, which includes the students, administrator leadership, design team leadership, student support services team, and technical support team. The administrators will determine who will be suspended and for how long. The design team, which includes the academic dean and the MTL, the instructors, will lead with curriculum planning. The technical support team will provide students, teachers, administrators, and parents with the technology tools that are need to successfully complete assignments when out of a school environment. The students support services team, lead by the counselor and social worker, will provide personal advice and counseling as needed. OSSVP s mega, macro, and micro communities are shown below in. Mega Community Atlanta Public Schools Macro Community Out of School Suspension Virtual Program Students Micro Community Counselor Media Specialist Instructors Social Worker Admin. Assistant

7 6 Interdependence Interdependence means that parts of the system depend on one another. They are coordinated and linked together according to a plan ( System Analysis and Design, 2010). The OSSVP is a combined system that functions at levels of independence and interdependence. The mega, macro, and micro communities will flow continuously. The resources from the mega community will flow into the macro community which will flow into the micro community, therefore, establishing a functioning virtual system which is the output. Being a part of the Atlanta Public Schools (APS), the OSSVP will govern under the policies and procedures of the school system. In terms of budget operations, the virtual school will also operate on funds from APS and other grants that are written and monies from school partners. The stream of the communities will allow the virtual program to function efficiently. Mega APS Mega APS Macro OOSVP Micro Students, Teachers, Administrative Assistant, Media Specialist, Social Worker Counselor, Learning Paths Along with Turner Middle School students, the OSSVP students will continue their education and instruction despite an absence from school due to suspension. Students will use

8 7 the elearning Software, Elluminate, so that they are able to collaborate with teachers synchronously. The curriculum team will develop pacing guides for courses so that it coordinates with the student s classes. Furthermore, teachers will complete a professional development training course. In this course, teachers address the pedagogy of virtual learning and instruction as well as the policies and procedures of OSSVP. Supported Learning Theory Curriculum Constructivism calls for the elimination of a standardized curriculum (Tam, 2000). Instead, it promotes using curricula customized to the students prior knowledge. Also, it emphasizes hands-on problem solving. According to Mehner (2009), constructivism learning theories are important when developing education environments. The six key elements to implementing constructivist theory into courses are interactive learning, collaborative learning, facilitation of safe learning environments, authentic learning that has real world relevance, learner-centered learning, and high quality learning that causes learners to determine the authenticity and quality of information received (p. 32). Therefore, the constructive learning theory is the primary underlying principle for the OSSVP. With online learning, this school creates a genuine, collaborative learning environment that provides distance education services to students. Another key theory is Bruner s theory of behavioral or operant conditioning. Behavioral conditioning (learning) occurs when a response to a stimulus is reinforced (Skinner, 1938). In other words, operant conditioning is a simple reaction system. When reinforcements or rewards are given, responses are more likely to occur. Children with behavioral problems tend to respond to this very well (Skinner, et al.). OSSVP students will be rewarded with prizes such as homework coupons, food and treat coupons.

9 8 Mega Community Society The mega community is where the system lives or resides. The Atlanta Public Schools is a large urban district with 49,300 students. Most students come from a low socioeconomic background and face many challenging issues. However, it is considered one of the topperforming urban school systems in America (Atlanta Public Schools, 2010). APS prides itself on nontraditional schools. Presently it has two gender schools, Coretta Scott King Young Women s Leadership Academy for girls and Business, Engineering, Science and Technology Academy for boys. The leaders in the school system believe in reform models and any environment that will increase students academic performance. The physical address for the school system is 103 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia. The offices are located in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Kaufman, et al., 2001, says the mega level identifies outcome we are committed to achieving as well as explaining how stakeholders want students to be successful. Mega Input-Process-Output Input Process Output Federal Funding State Funding Local Funding Grants Policy and procedural implementations APS Leadership Budgeting Procedures Functional virtual out of school suspension program Successful student completers Boundary There are boundaries with the federal and state funding. With drastic cuts in education at the state and local level, there are boundaries with local funding for the extra programs at individual schools. Also, there should be effective communication between all the communities to make sure that suspended students are participating in the program.

10 9 Macro Community A macro community is an education institution with various members (Kaufman, et al., 2001). The OOSSP represents the macro community. So that students may continue their education during suspension from school, the OOSSP will be established. The community includes administrators, out of school distance education coordinator, and the academic dean, and the MTL. Hierarchy of Authority The OSSVP is an extension of Turner Middle School which is under direct supervision of Atlanta Public Schools. The virtual program is monitored by the administrators (principal and assistant principal). The program has a leadership team, curriculum team, technical team. Atlanta Public Schools Turner Middle School OSSVP Leadership Team Principal Assistant Principal Curriculum Team OSSVP Coordinator Academic Dean Technology Team MTL of Technology Macro Input-Process-Output Input Process Output Funding Strategic Plans Technical Team Curriculum Planning Staff Development Monitoring Modified Plans Functional virtual out of school suspension program

11 10 Boundaries There are boundaries in terms of budget restraints. State funding may be limited, therefore, limiting local funding. In addition, effective communication is essential between all the communities to make sure that the macro community is able to operate. Immediate Stakeholders Micro Community The micro level contains direct and indirect stakeholders. The direct stakeholders are the administrators, OOSVP coordinator, academic dean, MTL, instructors, counselors, teachers, media specialists, administrative assistant, and students. The indirect stakeholders are parents, school partners, hardware and software vendors, and educational content publishers. The most immediate direct stakeholders are the students. Immediate Spheres of Influence The immediate spheres of influence include all of the personnel who contribute to the developments of the procedures for the out of school virtual program. Turner Middle School is under direct leadership of the principal and assistant principal who also directs the leadership team. The leadership team is responsible for planning specific programs and curriculum. The spheres of influence include the teachers, counselor, social worker medial specialist, and administrative assistant. Micro Input-Process-Output Input Process Output Instructors Students Counselor Administrative Assistant Social Worker Media Specialist Lesson Planning Instructional Strategies Student Counseling and Support Functional technology Successful, on task students Independent, thinking students Functional out of school suspension program.

12 11 Boundaries Effective communication is essential between macro and micro communities. Also, laptops should be accessible for students who do not have the required technology at home. Assessment Systems The OSSVP will continuously be evaluated by the administrators and the leadership team. The macro community will look at the effectiveness in terms of student achievement data. Data from weekly assessment, monthly benchmarks, and the state s comprehensive exam will be collected and disaggregated. Students, teachers, and parents will be surveyed on the validity of the program. The data from both segments will be gathered to substantiate the program. After the data has been formulated, the administrators and leadership team will determine the progress of OSSVP. Therefore, the need for an out-of-school program can be justified. Change Procedures OSSVP, along with Atlanta Public schools, realizes that change is very important and is a fundamental part of a well functioning system. APS is constantly using best practices and incorporating reform models to meet the need of every student. Summary OSSVP is a virtual program which is an extension of Turner Middle School. If is for students who have been suspended out of school. This program will allow students to participate in synchronous and asynchronous distance learning. The learning path of the students will never alter because they may complete their lessons and continue to meet objectives and standards. OSSVP will focus on the theories of constructivism and behavioral conditioning. These theories will drive the learning paths for students enrolled in the virtual program. The mega, macro, and micro communities flow constantly between each other, and they are interdependent. The inputs lead to successful outputs. Assessments are in place to make sure that the virtual

13 12 program is reaching its objectives. Disruptive students are more likely to participate in 21 st learning activities that will allow them to return to school on task and with no breaks in their learning process.

14 13 References Atlanta Public Schools. Inside APS-about APS. Retrieved from Denzler, F. (2006, September 14). School suspension program. Russville. Republican Newspaper. Retrieve from Georgia Department of Education, Georgia school safety laws. Retrieved from /safety/school_safety_laws.pdf Kaufman, R., Watkins, R. and Leigh, D. (2001) Useful educational results: identifying, prioritizing and achieving. Lancaster, PA: Proactive Publishing. Mehner, Jason (2009). Applying cognitive theory in curriculum. Retrieved from in_curriculum_pg3.html?cat=4. Skinner, B. F. (1938). The behavior of organisms. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. System Analysis and Design (2009). Retrieved from Tam, M. (2000). Constructivism, instructional design, and technology: Implications for transforming distance learning. Educational Technology & Society, 3(2), Turner Middle School Disciplinary Report, U.S. Department of Education, Retrieved from accounts/nclbreference/page pg 31.Html

15 Appendix A 14

16 15 Reviewer 1 Heather Allen hallen@kumc.edu Why did I choose Heather? I chose Heather because her child has participated in an online program. Although, her child has never participated in an out of school suspension program, he is considered and at-risk child. When I spoke to her about this assignment, she felt that it was a program that could really benefit her child. Below are exchanges asking Heather to view my paper.

17 16 Phone Conversation, Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. Furthermore, Heather is a technology distance education student at Kansas University. She employed by Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City Kansas... Heather said that the draft look pretty good formatted. She found some typographical errors which I corrected. Heather questioned the list of the micro community. There was some discussion about the administrators and academic dean being in this community. She felt that they should be part of the macro community. Once I deeply thought about it, I agreed with her.

18 Appendix B 17

19 18 Reviewer 2 Vivilora Thompson vivilora@nova.edu Why did I choose Vivilora? Vivilora and I begin the doctoral program together. So, she is very familiar with the type of work that I can do. She is always willing to provide constructive criticism. Furthermore, Vivilora has four boys who can be rambunctious at time. Although, they have never been suspended from school, one of her child has received in school suspension before. She was very interested in the systems that I developed. Vivilora is an educator in Dekalb County Schools, Decatur, Georgia. She is presently a student enrolled in this class, completing a doctorate in Instructional Design and Distance Education. Exchanges

20 19 Phone Discussion about draft: Phone Conversation, Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. Suggestions: Vivilora gave more suggestions for input in the macro community. She felt that I should list more about the funding. I took her suggestion into consideration. She also felt that the justification should be more detail and should include what would be the output once the system had been put in place.