Charter School TAKS Data Analysis: Comparing charter school students to students transferring from public schools. Is there a difference?
Needs Assessment
The Charter School has recently expanded and was able to double the size of its fourth and fifth grades for the 2010-2011 school year. For example, there are students in fifth grade at the charter school that have attended a public school for the first five years (K-4) and are now in the charter school setting for the first time because of this expansion. This increase in student population provides a one-time opportunity to review and compare the TAKS data for students who have always attended the charter school to students who previously attended public schools and are now in their first year of charter school attendance.
Objectives and Vision of the Action Research Project
After reviewing the results of the TAKS data analysis, the charter school administration will be able to determine if students entering the charter school from a public school setting improved their test scores with different teaching methods when compared to methods and strategies used in a public school setting. This analysis will provide information to assist the administration as they evaluate their teaching methods and prepare for the future.
Review of the Literature and Action Research Strategy
The comparison of charter schools to public schools has generated interest and misconceptions among the general public for a number of years. There are studies and reports that support that charter schools are superior to public schools, that public schools are better than charter schools, and studies that show that students perform essentially the same in either setting (Education Law Center, 2010). The Charter School seeks to determine how their teaching methods compare to those used in public schools within the local community. The charter school administration made the decision to analyze the TAKS scores once the student population doubled in size in fourth and fifth grades. This analysis will allow a one-time opportunity to review the success of their teaching strategies with students who have transferred from a public school to the charter school and to compare “career” charter school student achievements to transfer students.
Education Law Center. 2010. Charter school achievement: Hype vs. evidence. Retrieved from
Articulate the Vision
The interest in the success of the charter school has always been high at the university. At the inception of the charter school, it was still a part of the local ISD. Within the past few years, the charter school has now become a separate entity and is no longer a part of the local ISD. It is an individual charter school that is governed by a separate board and members of the university. It is grant-funded as a separate charter school through the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The interest in the instructional approach at the charter school provided the foundation and vision for this action research project. The results of the analysis will assist the administration in preparing for the future needs of the school by determining if their current teaching methods are providing for the academic success of its students. The vision and the results of this project were shared with board members in a recent board meeting. Table of data and a summary report were provided for their review. Information from the project will be considered when developing future campus improvement plans and professional development at the charter school.
Manage the Organization
This portion of the assignment really does not apply to this particular project. The entire project consisted of my review, documentation, and analysis of all TAKS scores for the fourth and fifth graders. I reviewed the fourth graders’ TAKS scores from third grade and fourth grade and the fifth graders’ TAKS scores from fourth grade and fifth grade. Within this comparison approximately half of each of these grade levels attended a public school for the first year and transferred to the charter school for the second year. The other half of the student population attended the charter school for all (or almost all) of their school career. No additional monies, materials, or people were required to complete this project. While the results involved student learning, students were not directly involved in this project so active student learning and student safety were not issues to be addressed.
Manage Operations
As in the previous section, this portion of the assignment does not apply to this particular project. However, now that the project has been completed, the results of this analysis will be used to determine future teaching methods and will assist the administration in preparing their Campus Improvement Plan and will provide guidance as the plan appropriate professional development sessions needed to meet the CIP’s goals and objectives. These plans will be communicated to the teachers and staff in future faculty meetings. There were no conflicts to resolve with this project.
Respond to Community Interest and Needs
The Charter School has a limited special needs student population and the results of this action research project will not affect them. The student population is diverse in its cultural and ethnic populations, but the results of the data review does not impact one group more than another as it compared overall student populations in an equitable manner. Any future goals or objectives developed as a result of this study will provide for the success of all students fairly and equitably.
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