Running head: Action Research 1

Action Research: Purpose, Problem Statement, Questions and Literature Review

Joaquin Torres

American College of Education

Action Research 2

Action Research: Purpose, Problem Statement, Questions and Literature Review

In the United States, teachers and schools push toward making sure that no child is left

behind. Unfortunately, minorities across the states have continuously revealed that they often

are. One of the reasons the learning gap is so great with minorities comes from a lack of

resources and their socio-economic status. Moreover, the same can be said in reference to their

behavior. It has a lot to do with culture and diversity. This can potentially be resolved by

concentrating on proven practices and behavioral methods. Studies suggested that some students

value teachers who are primarily concerned with students' academic performance and place less

emphasis on interpersonal skills, while other students value the opposite. (Tosolt, 2009).

Through personal development training and a well thought out behavioral structure and matrix,

teachers and schools can influence students in a positive manner.

Purpose

The main goal of this paper is to research and examine what practices and plans will help

prepare schools and teachers create a safe learning environment and reduce poor behavior

school-wide. A study found that the more a PBSS was implemented, the more students showed

positive behavior (Noltemeyer, 2019). Therefore, developing a positive behavioral support

system (PBSS) is pertinent in ensuring school behavior improves and is well maintained. The

only way a student will learn and feel safe is by understanding their culture and making sure they

feel safe. Every student has a different learning style and being aware of it can have a positive

impact on his or her learning. Furthermore, making sure that teachers receive the proper training

is just as important to meet their needs.

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Problem Statement

I tried to research information based on the school I work at, but FLDOE did not have

much information on it. The school is relatively small; therefore, I decided to look at the High

School I attended, Barbara Goleman Senior High. The student discipline data by race, ethnicity

and gender states that during the 2018-2019 school year, over 234 minority students were

suspended as opposed to 5 non-minorities. (FLDOE, 2020). The numbers for Miami-Dade

County as a whole had 11,355 minority students who were disciplined with suspension as well.

Prior years based on FLDOE states that the numbers have improved, but are still relatively high.

Naturally, this would mean that there is a struggle with discipline and PBSS’ at these schools,

which include Barbara Goleman.

I believe this is occurring because teachers are not aware of the cultural differences and

fail to establish a rapport with students. Teachers who are able to do this and provide positive

behavioral support will be able to not only improve behavior, but improve grades overall. In

addition to the curriculum, teachers need to be able to support and meet the emotional and

academic needs of students in order to have success. Through research based practices and

strategies, schools, teachers and staff will be able to get a grip on the behavior in their school,

especially those which are predominantly minorities. Additionally, developing a behavioral

matrix and ensuring the entire school enforces it will improve the overall function of the school.

A schools plan will only work if all members are on the same page, which includes everyone

from administration to security monitors.

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Research Questions

 What resources can be provided to ensure the needs of students are met in order for them

to feel safe in the learning environment and close the gap between social and cultural

differences between minorities and other students?

 Will Universal Design for Learning improve student behavior and engagement by

meeting their learning preferences and culture?

 How would a PBSS and a behavioral matrix effect school-wide behavior and growth?

Literature Review

The first article I reviewed is from a 2011 article, which discusses how students are

feeling unsafe in school. The article discusses how parents naturally assume that their children

are safe just because they are at a school, but there are a number of students who feel unsafe

there. Most of this is because they fall victim to bullying, harassment and other forms of violence

or teasing. One of the main factors discussed is that students feel the sense that no one is in

charge and that peers are involved in negative behaviors. (Jacobson, 2011). Other reports include

that students feel unsafe at home or in their neighborhoods. This is in reference to minorities. To

be more specific, students felt most unsafe in places like the bus, cafeteria and gym lockers.

These are all places where adult supervision is minimal. Additionally, text messages have

become an issue because it is easy to get someone’s phone number from a peer and harass a

student.
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There is also a direct correlation to an increase of violence and feeling unsafe when

someone is bullied, in the sense that the victim is more likely to bring a weapon to school. They

usually bring it to protect or defend themselves, but nonetheless, violence is increased and

students begin to feel less safe overall. The results of their research found that students that feel

unsafe are more likely to earn an F in their classes. When asked, Have you felt unsafe in school?

57 of 243 study participants (23.8%) responded sometimes or always. (Jacobson, 2011). That is

more than a fourth or the students surveyed. As a result, school-wide behavior would improve if

teachers were more aware of the cultural differences that cause the bullying. The implementation

of a PBSS could reduce this significantly, especially if staff across the school remains consistent.

It would help make students feel safe in a place where they should be.

The next article is based on my second research question. Will Universal Design for

Learning improve student behavior and engagement by meeting their learning preferences and

culture? Based on neuroscience research, UDL is a pedagogical framework that requires teachers

to shift their thinking about students’ learning differences. (Eichhorn, 2019). In other words,

teachers work around the curriculum to make it more engaging for students with diverse

backgrounds. Students need to be able to connect and teachers need to be flexible. If there is no

interest, then students will not learn. Instead, they will grow tired and bored and good behavior

will go out of the window. They will resort to using their phones, talking and playing with their

fellow classmates.

In order for students to pay attention, they have to be engaged. According to the article,

students need to be presented with options. Teachers need to be able to show students that they

have made progress; otherwise, motivation will go down the drain. Once students see their gains,

there effort and conduct will improve as well. Furthermore, teachers must become familiar with
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the different cultures in the classroom in order to connect and build a rapport. It can open a world

that we otherwise would not have seen, which can show us learning difference and disabilities.

Learning about a child’s experience, life anxieties and background is key to correcting issues

with engagement and improving behavior.

This leads me to my third research question. How would a PBSS and a behavioral matrix

effect school-wide behavior and growth? The studies on positive behavior support focus on

creating changes in behavior by identifying environmental factors and making amendments in

environmental factors. [ CITATION Emr13 \l 1033 ]. It is crucial to eliminate the problem before it

even happens. Schools can do this by implementing their PBSS. The article explains how there

are three different PBSS groups, which are school-wide, class-wide and individual. The school-

wide approach is more of a general preventive measure while class-wide considers the students

instructional environment. This is where most issues occur, especially is the students are not

engaged. This further encourages individual misbehavior and results in disrespecting teachers,

speaking out of turn and fights with other students.

Through experimenting with students in a classroom setting, they found that a PBSS has

four main components that are necessary to positively effect school-wide behavior. First, there is

prevention, which is done to stop misbehavior before it happens. They do this by taking away

toys, phones and other irrelevant items for learning. Next, they establish the classroom rules as a

group. This makes the students more involved and they are held accountable. Third, its crucial to

develop a routine and make sure that students know what to expect on a daily basis. Lastly, there

is reinforcement. Without reinforcement and consistency, students will eventually forget and not

care. They will not take the PBSS seriously and misbehavior will ensue.
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The three articles that I examined were able to answer my three research questions. The

one thing all three articles had in common was the fact that keeping students engaged is crucial

in having successful classroom management and positive behavior. Diversity and culture is

another area where teachers need to consider, because of the different learning styles and student

interest. I do feel it is possible to improve achievement gaps based on my findings, especially if

the needs of students are met. The difficult part is closing the gap entirely. It is impossible

because of the different cultures and statuses. Additionally, not all students have the parent

involvement that is necessary for success.

Methodology/Design

The purpose of this research paper was to verify and investigate ways to improve

behavioral issues, especially within schools with diverse backgrounds. Furthermore, I wanted to

verify if UDL and a PBSS had any sort of influence in school-wide behavior. It is my intent to

help teachers, through these case studies, and provide them with more information on effective

classroom management. Teachers will be able to understand that there is a correlation between

behavior and the understanding of student needs. It will help educators observe, implement and

adapt to the plethora of cultures and backgrounds across schools in the United States.

Additionally, this research will help teachers better understand different learning styles and

curves. I intend to consider the issues discussed in these articles and address them if possible at

my school where the 97% of the population are minorities.

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Data Collection Plan

The data I have obtained for this action research paper is mostly quantitative data, but I

will also obtain data from colleagues at the school. I have used the Youth Co-Op Charter School

SIP (School Improvement Plan), assessment data from the FLDOE (Florida Department of

Education) and the YCPS school accountability reports. YCPS covers Kindergarten through 12 th

grade and all grade levels were considered. With this data, I plan on pinpointing patterns and

trends that YCPS has encountered throughout their history and exhibiting this data in order to

answer the research questions listed above. The information I acquire from my colleagues will be

obtained from the SIP. Furthermore, information on the schools history will be collected from

the FLDOE website. This information will reflect the previous seven years of the schools history.

After collecting and presenting this data, my goal is to display the importance and need of a

PBSS and the understanding of culture in order to close the achievement gap. Teachers who

understand and implement different cultures, learning styles and needs tend to be more effective

with student outcomes.

The 2020-2021 school year will be interesting considering the recent effects of COVID-

19. For instance, students did not have to complete the FSA state assessment last year due to the

sudden closure of schools. Regardless, the most recent available data from the school will be

used. FLDOE does include a breakdown of data based on race and ethnicity, sub-groups and

gender. This includes students with socio-economic issues, free or reduced lunch, ELLs and

minorities. Furthermore, the FLDOE reports present learning gains by subject. Administration at

YCPS will be able to verify that YCPS may need better instructional practices to meet the needs

of the students that are falling behind.

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Lastly, the school accountability reports will display where YCPS may have issues and

where they are struggling with learning conditions, enrollment, and attendance and academic

performance. This will reinforce that the school is meeting the sought after mission and goals.

Additionally, the schools demographics, safety and climate, completion rates, and class sizes will

be looked at. The three sources of data will be used to research and analyze YCPS strengths and

weaknesses in order to ensure the academic needs are met. Our low performing students should

be met with the implementation of UDL and a PBSS with positive results, which will be

reflected in my action research plan.

Data Analysis

Based on the FLDOE, there appeared to be a learning gap between Hispanic students and

white students. When comparing how well they scored in English for instance, the Hispanic

population scored a 55% across the state, while white students scored 67%. With mathematics,

the results were similar. Hispanic students scored 57% overall and white students reached 70%.

Out of the Florida student population, 61.4% are considered economically disadvantaged and

10.1% are listed as English language learners. When compared to YCPS, the results are that

75.8% of the school is listed as economically disadvantaged, while a very low 6.1% are

considered ELL. Still, the school remains 93% Hispanic. According to FLDOE, the achievement

levels for Language Arts assessment for YCPS lands 35.5% of the school below a level 3, which

is actually better than what the state scored. Statewide, 43.1% of the state scored below a level 3.

In mathematics, however, the numbers change drastically. YCPS lands at a 56% below level 3,

while Florida at 40.2%. Numbers don’t lie. Although YCPS does seem to have a grip on
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Language Arts, the Mathematic scores are well below the rate of success. There is surely an

achievement gap there.

According to the YCPS SIP plan, the school ended up with a grade of an ‘A’ despite the

issues described above. There are a total of 265 High School students and 36 out of those

students scored a level 1 on the statewide assessments. During the 2018 school year, there was an

ELA achievement gap of 69% as opposed to the 2019 school year where there was a 64%

achievement gap. In mathematics, our school scored a 52% but the district found them at a 63%.

Our school is 97% Hispanic and most of them are considered economically disadvantaged. Per

the SIP plan, the highest need of school wide improvement was “The mathematics and English

Language Arts academic achievement levels of the lowest 25% of students.” (YCPS, 2019). Our

school scored well below the district rate of 51%, which was 46%. As a result, our goal is to

obtain a 70% in both math and reading.

The accountability reports, which is provided by the ESEA, our school was able to test

100% the student population for the 2019 school year. They were tested on a total of 10

components and YCPS scored 630 points as a High School. The graduation rate that year was

94%, which was great but mathematical learning gains was a low 46%. The achievement score

was 49% for the High school. In reference to language arts, the school had a learning gain of

47%. The school was able to achieve a much higher score for language arts than for math, which

was 64%. Additionally, YCPS consisted of 97% minority students and 78.4% of them were

considered economically disadvantaged.

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Force Field Analysis

Goals of Action Plan:

 Ensure staff understands the behavior at their school
 Staff will enforce the PBSS school wide

Objectives:
 Implement kinesthetic learning
 Engage students
 Establish routine and expectations

Driving Forces Restraining Forces

(needs/supports making success more likely) (barriers to success)
 Teacher support  Lack of teacher support
 PBSS so that all staff are on the same  Lack of parent support
page  Poor engagement
 Implementation of Kinesthetic  Culture and upbringing
learning and lesson plans  Educational resources
 Personal Development trainings

Through research based practices and strategies, schools, teachers and staff will be able

to get a grip on the behavior in their school, especially those which are predominantly minorities.

Additionally, developing a behavioral matrix and ensuring the entire school enforces it will

improve the overall function of the school. A schools plan will only work if all members are on

the same page, which includes everyone from administration to security monitors. I will

implement kinesthetic learning to engage students. Furthermore, implementation of a behavioral

matrix or PBSS will help keep the school uniformed with discipline, which will establish a

routine and expectations for the student population.

The driving forces behind this action plan includes the fact that teachers can provide the

support that is needed by administration. If all staff are on the same page and enforce the rules,
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the students will know it’s a line they cannot cross. Kinesthetic learning can be done in any and

all classes and research shows that it is the most engaging. Some teachers may not have a clue or

may need to implement it in their classes a bit more. Therefore, personal development classes are

always there to help teachers grow and become better educators. Unfortunately, with every plan

there are restraining forces as well. For instance, there is always the teacher that tries to do the

minimum just to get by. Parents are often not around for support or are always siding with their

child, despite the fact that their child is in the wrong. In the age of information and technology,

students tend to get bored unless they are engaged with the latest content that is out there.

Imagine telling them to use a landline when they own a smart phone. In other words, they need

to be interested and engaged with the latest lessons and technology. Lastly, there is culture and

bringing as well. It is difficult to change their way of thinking and behavior if their parents

brought them up that way. I have seen plenty of male students for instance who disrespect female

teachers because their fathers taught them that. Its unfortunate and the student can be

reprimanded, but their views may not change if that is their culture or upbringing.

Future Action Plan

Miami-Dade County is primarily a Hispanic population. Even then, YCPS consists of

97% Hispanic students, who are below the achievement gap. Most of the students are lacking in

mathematics skills or scores. The language arts scores are not that high either. However, it is

difficult to say they are understanding the mathematical concepts when it could indeed be that

there is a language barrier. The achievement gap has existed for decades and even though the

Hispanic population is improving in terms of scores, white students are improving as well.

Therefore, the gap is still there. Implementing UDL and kinesthetic learning will shrink the gap
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and I believe it will prepare the Hispanic population for the future. Giving them the ability to

express themselves in a way that is easier for them will improve their learning, and hopefully the

achievement gap.

In reference to the action plan I would like to implement, there are two aspects that I feel

would improve this issue that YCPS is facing. The first one would be to look at our PBSS, re-

evaluate based on the most recent behavioral issues experienced at YCPS and provide training

for our teachers. In this training, the importance of a uniformed structure would be expressed and

enforced. Consequences for students would be implemented and taken accordingly. If the

consequence calls for a suspension, then the student will be suspended. In the past, parents have

called and requested that their child be allowed to return earlier, but I do not feel the child will

learn if allowed. Additionally, the parent will not learn either. Both parent and child will grasp

that they will be forgiven and forgotten. Referrals must be processed and students need to know

that it will indeed affect them and stay in their file or records. If the behavior calls for expulsion,

the student should be considered for it as well. Additionally, detentions need to taken more

seriously by both student and staff. Most students do not mind receiving a detention and know

that they can get away with completing it during their lunch break. It does not seem to bother or

affect them. I would say if students receive two or three detentions, they would be excluded from

specific school activities indefinitely. Ensuring that students are held accountable for their

actions should improve behavior and therefore improve engagement and learning.

The second action I would implement within our school to help improve scores is add

more kinesthetic learning. Studies show that most of the school population excels through

kinesthetic learning, and they prefer a “hands on” or “doing” approach to build understandings.

(Nepean, 2020). I have not taught what I would consider for a long time, but in the four years I
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have taught, I noticed that the hands-on approach is by far the most effective. Students are

extremely engaged when they “do” as opposed to listening or watching. Yes, it is important to

incorporate all styles, but I believe we need more kinesthetic activities and learning. They have

shown to be more successful when they were hands on. Additionally, they work in groups when

they work hands on and they have the ability to communicate findings and results with one

another. Most find it fun and if they do not understand a concept, there is always someone in the

group, or the teacher, that can reinforce the topic and understanding. There will always be the

visual and auditory learners, but the neat thing about kinesthetic learning in groups is that they

don’t necessarily have to be hands on. They can watch and listen if that is what works best for

them.

Conclusion

The intent behind this action research was to understand and strategize a way to improve

the low assessment scores at YCPS. The scores in question are specifically mathematics and

language arts. The issue not only applies to YCPS, but to the Hispanic student population as

well. By improving student engagement, students will learn and grasp concepts in a way that will

improve assessment scores and build their skills. The issue that YCPS faces is that students are

not engaged with the lessons provided. Most teachers only teach from a power point and never

bother to implement hands on learning in their classes. Additionally, discipline and behavior is

not enforced as well as it should be and the student population never learns that there are

consequences to their actions. The three research questions I identified were as follows:
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1. What resources can be provided to ensure the needs of students are met in order for them

to feel safe in the learning environment and close the gap between social and cultural

differences between minorities and other students?

2. Will Universal Design for Learning improve student behavior and engagement by

meeting their learning preferences and culture?

3. How would a PBSS and a behavioral matrix effect school-wide behavior and growth?

The feedback to each of these questions was obtained by administration at my school,

anonymous students surveys and my personal observations at YCPS. Most students expressed

that they do not feel unsafe when it comes to their language barrier, but a few did advise that

they stray away from participation because of it. Students who use a dictionary also advised that

it does not help much and sometimes even adds anxiety; especially when they are testing. Few

teachers try to close the gap between social and cultural differences and as a matter of fact, they

are often not allowed to write or speak in their native tongue. This pushes them away. UDL has

proven to be a positive thing with these students. When working in groups, they are able to grasp

a better understanding from their colleagues since they tend to translate for them. Realistically,

that is something that not every teacher is able to do. As a result, students prefer the

implementation of UDL because it gives them choice. Many students report they feel school

wide behavior would improve, which is my opinion as well. The reason being is because

engaging lessons will keep them entertained. Math tends to be the most boring class in their

opinion and most teachers ignore culture and focus solely on numbers. Considering culture can

lead to student growth in mathematics and other areas will benefit from the implementation of

culture-sensitive material as well.

Action Research 16

References

Noltemeyer, A. (2019, January 1). EBSCO. Retrieved July 29, 2020, from Disciplinary and

Achievement Outcomes Associated With School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and

Supports Implementation Level: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?

vid=5&sid=a15c0f3a-b292-4bd8-b0d5-aae004cf104b%40sdc-v-sessmgr03

FLDOE. (2020, August 1). FLDOE. Retrieved August 18, 2020, from School Environmental

Safety Incident Reporting (SESIR) System - District & State Reports: http://www.fldoe.org/safe-

schools/discipline-data.stml

Jacobson, G. (2011, April 1). EBSCO. Retrieved August 18, 2020, from Students Feeling Unsafe

in School: Fifth Graders’ Experiences: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?

vid=9&sid=94f67b2f-f0e1-4882-a15a-a93733875c79%40sdc-v-sessmgr01

Tosolt, B. (2009, October 1). EBSCO. Retrieved August 18, 2020, from Middle School

Students^ Perceptions of Caring Teacher Behaviors: Differences by Minority Stat:

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=9ea2134c-acf1-451e-894c-

124d081f033c%40sessionmgr4007
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Unlu, E. (2013, October 1). EBSCO. Retrieved August 23, 2020, from Class-wide Positive

Behavior Support Plan on Adhering to the Classroom Rules :

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=1a1081df-d967-4cc1-a26d-

6dbd3e359445%40pdc-v-sessmgr02

Eichhorn, M. (2019, January 1). EBSCO. Retrieved August 23, 2020, from Increasing

Engagement of English Learners Through Universal Design for Learning :

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=77052236-40b0-4f4f-bf9e-

f1a906bd85e5%40sessionmgr4007

Fesseha, E. (2020, July 1). EBSCO. Retrieved August 28, 2020, from Investigating Math

Achievement Patterns over Time Among Ontario Elementary School Students with Different

Language and Literacy Characteristics: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?

vid=9&sid=8bb5c6ec-10d7-405d-b19f-0563e7f15294%40sdc-v-sessmgr02

Hemphill, C. (2011, June 1). NAEP. Retrieved August 31, 2020, from Acheivment Gaps:

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED520960.pdf

Neapean Tutoring. (2016, August 1). Nepean Tutoring. Retrieved September 1, 2020, from

Benefits of Kinesthetic Learning: https://nepeantutoring.com.au/benefits-of-kinesthetic-learning/

Swanson, L. (2020, April 1). EBSCO. Retrieved August 28, 2020, from Can Difficulties in

Language Acquisition and Specific Learning Disabilities Be Separated Among English

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Learners?: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=8bb5c6ec-10d7-

405d-b19f-0563e7f15294%40sdc-v-sessmgr02

Szymanski, A. (2019, November 1). EBSCO. Retrieved August 28, 2020, from Educator

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