Blazing New Trails - Connexions

140 CRITICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
someone who was recommended by Principal Alpha.) All participants and their schools have
remained anonymous through all aspects of this study.
To select participating teachers, we placed in a bag the names, written on small slips
of paper, of all classroom and special (music, special education, talented and gifted, and
computer) teachers. Then, we randomly drew names from the bag. A goal was to select each
participant from a different grade level and one from special classes. If more than one
potential participant was drawn from the same grade level, names were replaced and another
name drawn. Potential participants from both schools were contacted in person and recruited
with a conversation from a prepared script. If a teacher agreed to participate in the study, a
date and time for an interview and survey were scheduled. That recruitment process was
repeated until the five teachers from both schools were confirmed.
School Context
Both Schools A and B had approximately 750 students and were Pre-Kindergarten
through 6th grade campuses located in an inner city urban setting. Student enrollment for both
schools has shown a dramatic shift in the last four years. The White student population
decreased by 59%; the African American student population decreased by 40%; and there was
a net increase in Hispanic student population of 16%. The demographics of both schools were
similar: Hispanics (86%), African Americans (12%), and White students (3%). More than
90% of the student population was classified as economically disadvantaged, and over 37% of
the students were limited English proficient students. The teacher composition at both
schools, conversely, did not reflect student demographics. About 50% of the teachers in both
schools were White, followed by 30% Hispanics and about 20% African Americans. Overall,
the teacher gender distribution of both schools was about 70% female and 30% male.
Data from published state Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)
academic performance reports from the time the school principals began working in their
particular schools were compared to the district and state averages for the same period. As
noted in Table 1, both schools’ reading and math TAKS passing rates in the last three years
were high and in an upward trend compared to the State and district passing rates for the same
period. Both Schools A and B showed higher passing rates in Reading and Math in 2008 and
significantly higher three-year improvements than the State and district from 2006 to 2008.
Table 1. Passing Rates: Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).
TAKS Passing
Rates Grades 3-6*
*Figures are rounded.
STATE DISTRICT SCHOOL A SCHOOL B
Reading 2008 86% 82% 87% 93%
Reading 2006 86% 81 % 82% 91%
Math 2008 83% 78% 86% 94%
Math 2006 81% 77% 81% 89%
DATA COLLECTION
Three research methods form the basis for qualitative research: examination of
artifacts, materials made by others; observations of individuals or groups as a participant or
non-participant observer; and interviewing others either individually or in small groups (Miles