Final Paper 1

Final Project

Jaclyn Krider, Iman McGilberry, and Kenya Royal

Georgia Southern University

Final Paper 2

Project Implementation Evaluation

The Standards for Mathematics and Problem-based Learning Project, which a new partnership between Braxton County Schools and Great Southern

University College of Education, College of Science and Mathematics, is scheduled to begin in June 2019 and end no later than January 2020. The teachers

participating in this project will be engaging in summer workshops. electronic consultation with Great Southern University faculty, and two post-workshop

meetings. The teachers will visit Braxton County businesses and industries, which utilize mathematics, to establish meaningful contexts for the learning

experiences they create. During the Fall 2019 school year, the teacher participants, who are 6, 7, and 8 grade math teachers, are to create and utilize authentic,

mathematics learning experiences, which incorporate the Georgia Standards of Excellence for Mathematics and available instructional technologies.

An assessment of need for this project was conducted, that included a discussion with Braxton County Schools’ personnel, a survey of Braxton

County mathematics teachers, and an examination of recent student Georgia Milestones data. A meeting between Great Southern University personnel, the

Braxton County School Superintendent, the Assistant Superintendent for Student Achievement, and the Director of Early Academics was held to discuss the

project. A need for this project was expressed both by the Assistant Superintendent of Student Achievement and the Braxton County School’s Director of

Professional Learning, Ms. Carla Lawton. The initial participants for the project are 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math teachers with participation of other Braxton

County Math teachers as space permits.

Some questions to be considered throughout the project are:

1. Who will participate in the project?

2. What are my strengths and weaknesses as it pertains to incorporating Georgia Standards of Excellence in Mathematics (MGSE) and available

instructional technologies within my lessons?

3. What can I learn from Braxton County businesses and industries that will help establish meaningful contexts of the learning experiences I create.?

4. How will the workshops with mathematics experts, other participants, instructional design and technology experts, and an expert on the Georgia

Standards of Excellence help create and use mathematics problem-based learning (PBL) modules?

5. How will the feedback from observations conducted by Great Southern University help to improve the areas of weakness in mathematics PBLs?

Table 1: Objectives, Indicators, and Data Sources

Objectives Indicator Data Source

1. Select teachers, businesses, industries, and Great Southern University and Braxton County Braxton County Schools and Great Southern
other experts in mathematics and technology to Schools form a new partnership for the project University faculty
participate in the project.

2. Discuss strengths and weakness addressing Teacher participants attend workshops with Teacher implementation of MGSE and
MGSE and instructional technologies experts to develop ways to incorporate MGSE and instructional technologies
instructional technologies

3. Design new learning experiences Teachers visit local businesses and industries to Participant observation and implementation
learn how to effectively use mathematics for real
world learning experiences

4. Create and use mathematics problem-based PBL modules are aligned with appropriate MGSE Teachers create a sample mathematics PBL
learning (PBL) modules and contain activities that effectively use module
technology

5. Implement and Evaluate PBL Modules Record of implementation Observation and feedback from Great Southern
Record of Evaluation University faculty; Teacher self-evaluation
Final Paper 3

Project Summative Evaluation

As the teachers complete the workshop they will create PBL’s based on the local businesses and industries, which utilize mathematics, and the

teachers will integrate technology. They will have the ability to refine their PBL’s with the Great Southern University staff via email and Wiki before

implementing it into their classroom. The teacher participants will take what they learned during the workshop to create their PBL’s and implement them into

their own classroom.

In the Fall of 2019 the teachers will implement their PBL’s into their classroom. After the teachers finalize their PBL’s the teachers will turn in their

plan for the PBL’s and they will be evaluated using a rubric to show how well the teachers created their PBL’s and how they are aligned with MSGE, were

connect to the local businesses and industries, and how the teacher will implement technology. During the Fall 2019 Great Southern University faculty members

will plan times with the teachers to observe the implementation of the PBLs to see how the teachers decided to implement the PBLs in the classroom, and the

implementation of technology. The parents and students will also be given a survey on Survey Monkey to evaluate the engagement of the students and their

understanding of the MSGE standards. At the final meeting the project staff will evaluate the teacher-created self-evaluation to further check for understanding of

the objectives. The data collected from the rubrics, observations, and surveys will determine the effectiveness of the project.

Table 2: Mapping of Objectives, Indicators, and Data Sources

Objective Indicator Data Source

1. Create PBL Modules based on local businesses Modules draw on content and processes from Rubric of Teacher Made Problem-Based Learning
and industries. local businesses and industries Projects

2. Create PBL Modules addressing MGSE Module content, tasks, and assessments are Rubric of Teacher Made Problem-Based Learning
aligned with appropriate MGSE Projects

3. Integrate Technology into PBL experiences. PBL Modules contain activities that effectively Rubric of Teacher Made Problem-Based Learning
use technology. Projects, and Observations of Teacher
Implementation of PBLs

4. Implement and evaluate PBL Modules Record of implementation Observations of Teacher Implementation of PBLs,
Record of self-evaluation Parent and Student Survey, and Teachers Self -
Evaluation (post)
Final Paper 4

Figure 1: Conceptual Model

Data Collection Summary

Upon completion, the Great Southern University’s College of Education, College of Science and Mathematics will send a survey via email using

Survey Monkey. Prior to the training, the teachers were surveyed regarding their knowledge of the Math Georgia Standards of Excellence.. To determine the

effectiveness of the workshop, the teachers will answer a survey rating their professional knowledge of MGSE from 1-5; 1 lack of knowledge and the highest

being 5 which is extremely knowledgeable. This will serve as qualitative data. The teachers will also rate from 1-5 if the workshop helped increase their

knowledge of the MGSE. In Fall 2019, personnel from Great Southern University’s College of Education, College of Science and Mathematics will observe the

trainees implementation of ie PBL module. Classroom teachers will be notified prior to the visit. The observers will use a checklist highlighting key checkpoints

of the PBL module. Observers will discuss data and represent a pie chart of the findings. Another data collection will be an internal records review of the Georgia

Milestones Assessment given in the Spring of 2020. The Great Southern University’s College of Education, College of Science and Mathematics, will review the
Final Paper 5

data from the math standardized assessment. They will compare this data to the data prior to the workshops. As a result of effective training, data analysis should

display a decline in beginning and developing learners and an increase in proficient and distinguished learners.

DATA COLLECTION SCHEDULE

Evaluation Plan Form

Project Director: ​Nancy Jacobs, Ph.D.

Title of Project Proposal: ​Standards for Mathematics and Problem-based Learning

Data set Date of collection Instruments already Data collected by:

developed?

Survey September 14, 2019 Survey questionnaire via Great Southern University’s College of Education,

Survey Monkey College of Science and Mathematics

Internal Records May 1, 2020 GA Milestones Assessment State of Georgia Department of Education

(Standardized test

scores)

Observation Fall 2019-Spring 2020 PBL Checklist Great Southern University’s College of Education,

College of Science and Mathematics