Assignment: Conducting Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Program evaluation procedures can help you identify the needs of a population as you develop programs. They can also help you identify portions of the population who are not accessing services once a program is implemented. In this assignment, you examine issues related to access to services and how program evaluation procedures can be used to address those issues.

To Prepare

Review the Interactive Learning Community’s Community Center and High School in this week’s Learning Resources. Consider the demographics present in the New Harbor High School. Then consider how you could apply research methods to increasing participation in marriage and relationship education programs to one of the largest disadvantaged and/or ethnically diverse families in the community. Use the data from the High School, to choose a population. Finally, consider the measurement and data collection methods presented in the course text and how they could be applied to this issue.

The Assignment (2–3 pages)

• Identify the disadvantaged and/or ethnically diverse population you have chosen in this week’s Interactive Learning Community and why you choose that population to focus on.
• Explain how, as a researcher, you would increase participation of your chosen disadvantaged and/or ethnically diverse populations in marriage and relationship education programs based on their needs.
• The combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to provide more valid, reliable, and generalizable results in research is known as “Mixed Methods” Research. Explain the types of quantitative measures (detailed in this week’s readings) and qualitative data collection methods (detailed in Week 4’s readings) you would employ to obtain more valid, reliable and generalizable results for a program evaluation of the marriage and relationship education programs.

New Harbor Community 

Background Information

New Harbor Community Center offers a variety of services. Services include a food bank, a family recreation center replete with a basketball court, an arts and crafts room, an early learning day care service, a senior club, and a counseling center. Funding for these services are provided by government grants, nonprofit charities like the United Way, and private donations.

Current Situation

A series of marriage and relationship education programs has been provided for residents of the subsidized housing with the intention that these programs may help curb domestic violence and child abuse related issues. However, it has been noted that the programs are not well attended by immigrant families. Staff have begun to review the student population at the urban New Harbor High School to better understand the largest percentages of disadvantaged and/or ethically diverse families that they would like their programs to target.

New Harbor North High School

Background Information

New Harbor North High School is a large public school in an urban neighborhood located in the northern part of the city. It is respected for its traditions of student and community involvement and academic preparedness. The student body is richly diverse in ethnicity and culture: 51% Asian descent, 33% African American, 7% Caucasian, 8% Latino, 1% American Indian, and a newer Arab student presence comprising less than 1% of the student population.

New Harbor North students spend their school years learning with, and about, students of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Thus, graduates, in addition to being high-caliber academically, receive another enriching educational experience—that of community—and learning to live and get along in a complex urban society.

Current Situation

New Harbor North High School has faced significant funding shortages during the past 4 years due to declines in local property tax collections and funds allocated by the state and the federal Department of Education, as well as donor attrition. As a result, teachers have seen salaries stagnate while their health care costs and class sizes have risen. Many senior teachers have taken early retirements, leaving the school with new teachers who lack experience with diverse groups of students. The most recent staff survey clearly shows demoralized teachers and staff, with a 15% decline in overall satisfaction, a 30% drop in support for the current leadership at the school and district levels, and a perceived lack of respect from students and the current principal. Although students are doing well academically, according to the School Report, they are reporting that the increased bullying and intolerance at school is largely being ignored by teachers.

Basketball Coach:  “John Fisher is the husband of Chahana Fisher. He is a Caucasian 33-year-old. He and his wife met in college while working toward degrees in education. They soon married after Chahana became pregnant. Chahana is South Asian and is 31. John finished his degree and found a job at New Harbor North High School teaching math. He also earns additional money as the school’s basketball coach, and he is a popular teacher and coach in the school, working long hours and weekends with the team. Together they have two children: Stuart, who is 6, and David, who is 4. Their son David has some learning challenges. Chahana agreed to drop out of college to raise their two sons until they were older and more established in school. Because of John’s busy schedule, teaching all day and coaching his team until late in the evening, Chahana felt neglected and somewhat frustrated for not completing her degree. John caught Chahana seeking comfort from Sam, John’s cousin. During the encounter, John pushed Chahana to the floor. Police were called, and John was charged with domestic assault and battery. John was placed on leave from work until the charges were adjudicated. After some counseling and a period of separation, he and Chahana reconciled. The assault and battery charges were withdrawn, and both John and Chahana agreed to continue to attend counseling. John was able to return to teaching at New Harbor North High School.”

80% 76% 84% 69% 69% 74%

Students taking college admissions
tests (SAT or ACT)

Percent of test-takers passing a
college-level test during HS (AP or
IB)

Students with advanced career
preparation

65% 64% 68%
25%

44% 31%

43% 42% 36% 25% 27% 29%

Student, Family, and Staff School Climate Survey

81%
10th graders proficient on the state
reading test

76% 77% 80% 79% 83% Graduates prepared for a 4-year
college

63% 60% 66% 61% 60% 65%

9th and 10th graders proficient on the
state Algebra and Geometry tests (first
time test takers)

66% 67% 66% 65% 67% 68%
62% 67% 67% 59% 65% 50% Graduates enrolling in higher

education within 1 year

88% 87% 83% 85% 86% 83%

New Harbor North High School
Jennifer Wiley, Principal

School Report for the 2014–2015 School Year

School Results District HS Average

School Results District HS Average
12–13 13–14 14–15 12–13 13–14 14–15 12–13 13–14 14–15 12–13 13–14 14–15

10th graders proficient on the state
writing test

Percent of test-takers scoring above

59%

57%

57%

9th and 10th graders proficient on the 51% 63% 60%
71%

state Biology test (first time test takers)

average on college admissions tests 20% 24% 24%

Graduates taking a college-level 63% 57% 82% 65% 65% 72%
course during HS (AP or IB)

Year-to-Year Growth: Following the Same Students

10th graders who met or exceeded typical
growth on the state reading test

9th and 10th graders who met or
exceeded typical growth on the highest
state math test they took
10th grade English language learners who
met or exceeded typical growth on the
state reading test

45%

58%

47%

62%

63%

60%

54%

47%

55%

54%

58%

55%

Average Positive Responses

Family perceptions of School
Quality

84% 82% 84% 80%

Repeat 9th graders earning sufficient
credit

30%

27%

39%

34%

25%

Student perceptions of Classroom
Instruction

Staff perceptions of Instructional
Practice

55%

60%

51%

62%

57%

65%

56%

59%

Students graduating in 6 years or fewer

86%

87%

86%

75%

77%

81%

* Families responding to survey: 11%; Students responding to survey: 71%;
Staff responding to survey: 66%
:

Attendance Accountability and School Performance
Public Schools Segmentation Level: Level 3

Students with fewer than 10 absences
per year

52% 58% 56% 53% 54% 54%
Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) target for Reading: Below
Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) target for Math: On/Above

Student Demographics Student Proficiency on State Tests
American Indian 1% School average compared to District high school average Reading Mathematics
African American 33%

Latino 8%
School District Avg School District Avg

Asian/Pacific-Islander 51%
White/Caucasian 7%

Arab <1% Free/Reduced Lunch 68%

English Language Learners 19%

American Indian
Black
Latino

Asian/Pacific-Islander
Caucasian

67%
81%
81%
91%

k 9
k13
m 3

78%
68%
75%
82%
93%

k24
k10
k 3
k 2
k 1

44%
60%
82%
79%

m 4
k15
m 1
m10

51% m 1
43% k 5
54% k 2
77% k 1
80% 1

Special Education 10% Arab 85% m 3 50% k14 64% m 5
Advanced Learning Programs

Data as of October 1, 2015 District HS Total

Student Achievement

33% 46%
50% 38% 41% 48%

2014-2015 School Year
# Students: 445

# Teachers: 15 # Other Staff: 9
Average class size: 24

Average daily attendance: 91.6%
Student mobility: 12%

College and Career Ready

79% 77% 80% 74%
Family perceptions of School-
Family Engagement

This measure shows how much growth students have achieved compared to similar
students across the state in the same grade level. The overall metric reported is the
percentage of students whose growth was average or above (50th to 99th growth
percentile) on the state test.

On-Track for Graduation
81% 84% 85% 88% 88% 88%

First-time 9th graders earning sufficient
credit

Student perceptions of School 57% 51% 65% 64%
Environment

Students graduating in 4 years or fewer 79% 75% 74% 73% 74% 72%

School Plan & Budget for the 2013-2014 School Year

The mission of New Harbor High School is to graduate students who have achieved academic excellence and
who look forward to sharing their expertise, understanding, and compassion to create and increasingly
peaceful and productive society.

One of the goals of having School
Reports is to support families as
critical partners with us in a
student s academic success. To
get involved, please share this
with your friends and neighbors,
visit the school, or consider
talking to the teacher or principal
about joining the school’s
Building Leadership Team or
Parent Teacher Student
Association to shape your
school’s improvement plan.

The mission at New Harbor Public Schools is to ensure every student graduates ready for college, career and life.

Invitation to Participate

School
Goals

1. Increase the number of first time 9th graders earning 5 or more credits at the end of the year from 84% to
88%
2. Raise student passage rate on Algebra EOC from 84% to 85% 3. Raise HSPE Reading Scores from 77.5 % to
80%.

2014-2015 Percent of School Funding
Annual
Budget
Report

Special Ed
14%

Basic & Voc
Ed
74%

Grant &
Other
6%

ELL
6%

Total 2014-
2015 School
Budget:

$9,022,553

Projected
2015-16
Student

Enrollment:
445

Per-Student
Funding:
$6,678

All financial data are from the 2015-16 recommended budget.

School
Mission

Statement

District
Mission
Statement

New Harbor Public Schools

Staff Survey Results — Spring 2015 — School Summary

The ‘District’ column shows the average across all High Schools in the New Harbor
PublSchools.
Prepared by Research, Evaluation, & Assessment on 7-Jul-2015 Page 1 of 4

New Harbor North High School

a. The principal is strongly committed to shared decision making. 3.25 3.80 3.45 3.78 2.70 3.79

b. Useful information to make informed decisions is readily available to
teachers.

3.40 3.64 3.59 3.65 2.44 3.65

c. The principal participates in the professional development activities of
teachers.

3.84 3.89 3.70 3.95 2.57 3.80

d. Our stance towards our work is one of inquiry and reflection. 3.60 3.63 3.34 3.69 2.16 3.70

e. The principal is a strong leader in school reform. 3.73 3.72 3.86 3.84 2.44 3.75

f. The school staff is committed to helping students learn. 3.97 4.24 3.91 4.28 2.74 4.29

g. The principal ensures that student learning is the “bottom line” in this
school.

3.71 3.85 3.69 3.88 2.38 3.79

h. In this school we take steps to solve problems; we don’t just talk about
them.

3.13 3.33 3.42 3.46 2.73 3.48

i. Assessment of student performance leads to changes in our
school’s curriculum.

3.32 3.39 3.31 3.38 2.82 3.38

j. The principal sets high standards of teaching. 3.45 3.75 3.58 3.78 2.83 3.76

k. I feel supported by colleagues to try out new ideas. 3.71 3.94 3.63 3.94 3.52 4.06

l. The faculty has an effective process for making group decisions and solving
problems.

3.13 3.32 3.27 3.45 3.12 3.50

m. Resources are distributed equitably within this school. 3.19 3.41 3.22 3.42 1.96 3.37

n. The resources available to me are sufficient for me to do my job. 2.92 3.25 3.20 3.37 2.14 3.48

o. Communication between students and staff is open and reflects mutual
respect.

3.19 3.58 3.35 3.66 2.75 3.75

p. Our building’s budget is aligned with the building’s academic achievement
plan.

3.43 3.45 3.47 3.61 2.59 3.49

q. The students are treated fairly. 3.69 3.86 3.72 3.87 3.02 3.88

Note The score is based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 equal to “Strongly Agree” and 1 equal to “Strongly Disagree”.

a. Are continually learning and seeking new ideas. 3.58 3.82 3.60 3.83 3.03 3.92

b. Are engaged in systematic analysis of student performance data. 3.43 3.51 3.45 3.50 3.02 3.65

c. Are encouraged to experiment with their teaching. 3.64 3.78 3.47 3.76 2.78 3.82

d. Trust each other. 3.05 3.41 3.22 3.45 2.87 3.67

e. Feel responsible to help each other do their best. 3.22 3.52 3.34 3.57 3.24 3.73

f. Share ideas and teaching practices. 3.70 3.77 3.56 3.79 3.17 3.91

g. Take an active role in school-wide decision making. 3.45 3.65 3.40 3.65 2.71 3.64

Note The score is based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 equal to “Strongly Agree” and 1 equal to “Strongly Disagree”.

1. Consider the professional climate in your school. To what extent do you agree
or disagree with each of the following statements about general school climate? School District

2015
School District School District

2. Now consider the teachers at your school. To what extent do you agree or
disagree with the following statements?

2015
School District School District School District

New Harbor Public Schools
Staff Survey Results — Spring 2015 — School Summary

The ‘District’ column shows the average across all High Schools in the New Harbor
PublSchools.
Prepared by Research, Evaluation, & Assessment on 7-Jul-2015 Page 2 of 4

New Harbor North High School

a. Encourages teachers to try new methods of instruction. 3.95 3.83 3.61 3.82 2.81 3.82

b. Promotes parental and community involvement in this school. 3.66 3.98 3.57 4.02 3.05 4.07

c. Works to create a sense of community in this school. 3.69 3.89 3.58 3.93 2.56 3.96

d. Takes a personal interest in the professional development of teachers. 3.68 3.81 3.51 3.77 2.23 3.76

e. Is strongly committed to shared decision making. 3.20 3.68 3.22 3.62 2.09 3.63

f. Supports and encourages teachers to take risks. 3.56 3.71 3.34 3.70 2.67 3.67

g. Takes a positive and active role in resolving conflicts within the staff fairly
and quickly.

3.33 3.68 3.29 3.59 2.50 3.62

Note The score is based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 equal to “Strongly Agree” and 1 equal to “Strongly Disagree”.

a. Setting discipline policy. 2.98 3.11 2.90 3.01 2.58 3.12

b. Determining the content of in-service professional development programs. 3.39 3.53 3.55 3.46 2.52 3.47

c. Hiring new full-time teachers. 3.17 3.54 3.31 3.61 2.61 3.37

d. Deciding how the school budget will be spent. 2.78 3.42 3.33 3.45 2.43 3.35

Note The score is based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 equal to “A Great Deal of Influence” and 1 equal to “No Influence”.

5. To what extent do you feel respected by the following individuals or groups? 2013
School District

2014
School District

2015
School District

a. Your principal. 3.44 3.47 3.16 3.39 2.57 3.44

b. Your district administrators. 2.57 2.57 2.51 2.44 2.05 2.32

c. Students in your classes. 3.43 3.50 3.38 3.53 2.75 3.60

d. Parents of students in your school. 3.25 3.43 3.33 3.48 3.11 3.50

Note The score is based on a scale from 1 to 4, with 4 equal to “To a Great Extent” and 1 equal to “Not At All”.

3. Now consider your principal’s leadership for reform. To what extent do you
agree or disagree with the following statements?

2015
School District School District School District

4. How much actual influence do you think teachers have over school policy AT
THIS SCHOOL in each of the following areas?

2015
School District School District School District

New Harbor Public Schools
Staff Survey Results — Spring 2015 — School Summary

The ‘District’ column shows the average across all High Schools in the New Harbor
PublSchools.
Prepared by Research, Evaluation, & Assessment on 7-Jul-2015 Page 3 of 4

Certificated Teachers Only

New Harbor North High School

a. Share ideas on teaching with
other teachers.

1.7% (1) 11.9% (7) 23.7% (14) 33.9% (20) 28.8% (17) 59

b. Observe another teacher
teaching.

32.2% (19) 37.3% (22) 16.9% (10) 6.8% (4) 6.8% (4) 59

c. Be observed by another teacher. 35.6% (21) 39.0% (23) 11.9% (7) 1.7% (1) 11.9% (7) 59
d. Teach with a colleague. 44.6% (25) 33.9% (19) 10.7% (6) 5.4% (3) 5.4% (3) 56
e. Discuss with other teachers

what you/they learned at a
workshop or conference.

10.2% (6) 47.5% (28) 25.4% (15) 13.6% (8) 3.4% (2) 59

f. Analyze student work with
other teachers.

13.6% (8) 35.6% (21) 32.2% (19) 13.6% (8) 5.1% (3) 59

g. Discuss particular lessons that
were not very successful.

15.5% (9) 32.8% (19) 34.5% (20) 8.6% (5) 8.6% (5) 58

h. Discuss beliefs about teaching
and learning.

8.5% (5) 25.4% (15) 30.5% (18) 18.6% (11) 16.9% (10) 59

i. Discuss how to help students
having problems.

1.7% (1) 13.8% (8) 29.3% (17) 31.0% (18) 24.1% (14) 58

j. Discuss common challenges in
the classroom.

3.4% (2) 11.9% (7) 25.4% (15) 32.2% (19) 27.1% (16) 59

k. Work together to develop
teaching material or activities
for particular classes.

16.9% (10) 23.7% (14) 32.2% (19) 15.3% (9) 11.9% (7) 59

l. Discuss and attempt to solve
program- or school-level
problems.

6.8% (4) 22.0% (13) 37.3% (22) 25.4% (15) 8.5% (5) 59

6. Please indicate the frequency with which
you do each of the following:

A Few Times A Once or Twice Once or Twice Almost Daily Total
a Month a Week

New Harbor Public Schools
Staff Survey Results — Spring 2015 — School Summary

The ‘District’ column shows the average across all High Schools in the New Harbor
PublSchools.
Prepared by Research, Evaluation, & Assessment on 7-Jul-2015 Page 4 of 4

What is your position at this school? District

New Harbor North High School
Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents

Gender School District
Female 39.2% (31) 48.3% (265)

Male 35.4% (28) 33.2% (182)

No Response 25.3% (20) 18.6% (102)

1st Year 12.5%

(2)
5.6% (31)

6 to 10 yrs 12.8% (18) 21.5% (118)

No Response 17.7% (14) 14.6% (8

Teacher 58.2% (46) 61.0% (335)
Other Certificated Support Staff 7.6% (6) 6.9% (38)
Instructional Asst. 8.9% (7) 7.7% (42)
Office Staff 7.6% (6) 4.0% (22)
Other Classified Support Staff 2.5% (2) 2.9% (16)
Custodial Staff (0) (0)
Lunchroom Staff (0) 0.2% (1)
Principal/Assistant Principal 1.3% (1) 0.9% (5)
Other (0) 0.9% (5)
No Response 13.9% (11) 15.5% (85)

2013 2014 2015
School District School District School District

Survey Respondents 65 532 100 584 79 549

Total Staff* 96 929 103 1,014 103 1,014

Response Rate 67.7% 57.3% 97.1% 57.6% 76.7% 54.1%

* Total Staff is based on October count. In some cases, when staff are assigned to a school after October or if part-time staff complete the survey, the
total responses may exceed the total staff count.

How long have you been with New Harbor North H.S. (counting this year)? District

2 to 5 yrs 44.1% (19) 24.2% (133)

over 10 yrs 12.9% (26) 34.1% (187)

New
 Harbor
 Quick
 Facts
 

 
Leadership: New Harbor North High School has one Principal. The Principal is responsible for all
hiring, teacher performance appraisal and reviews, and operational management of the school
budget. The Vice Principal position is vacant due to a resignation.

School Staff: The senior teacher/librarian position is vacant and being left unfilled to date. A
vacant part-time physical education teacher position has been filled the past year by temporary
staff.
The staff/student ratio is 1:36.
The guidance counselor/student ratio is 1:390.

Special Education and Additional Support: The school offers support for ESOL students and
students with special needs. Additional staff positions are funded through state funds for students
with special needs. Per their state contract, additional staff does not participate in extra-curricular
activities; they work only classroom and support hours.

School fund-raising activities are committed to student-focused extra-activities. All learning
resources are funded through the New Harbor School District.

 

NEW HARBOR SCHOOL DISTRICT

New Harbor School District is a relatively small district, currently
enrolling approximately 1,000 students. New Harbor’s current budget is
$12 million — a figure that’s been dropping significantly for several
years.

However, New Harbor’s population has shifted in recent years. It now has
a significant number of students who require additional services and
supports. There are now 50 English language learner students; 100
students with a disability; and 250 students in poverty in the New Harbor
School District.

Calculating the cost of services and supports for these students shows that
New Harbor’s English language learners require double the amount of services
and supports above a base cost; students with a disability require one-and-a-
half times more; and students in poverty 50 percent more.

Because New Harbor is a small school district and because there’s a lack of
tax base within the district, it has to spend even more to provide basic
services.

If New Harbor used an accurate, fair, and transparent education funding
formula that addressed the necessary resources required by its student
population, it would look something like this:

Base Cost 5 Total Student Enrollment

5 1.1 for higher costs of operating a small school district

5 1.1 for districts located in a region with a low property tax base

+ # of ELL students 5 Base Cost 5 2.0

+ # of students with disabilities 5 Base Cost 5 1.5

+ # of students in poverty 5 Base Cost 5 0.5

Plugging in the numbers listed above — using $10,000 as the Base Cost —
shows that New Harbor’s current cost to provide services and supports for its
students is $15.85 million. That’s the adequacy goal or target.

5 5 =

New Harbor’s adequacy goal is $3.85 million
beyond its current budget of $12 million. The
$3.85 million gap is known as the funding
gap.

How is New Harbor going to close the gap?

States that use sound funding formula components — an accurate base cost, student
and district factors, and an adequacy goal — typically take a measured approach to
reaching their adequacy goal.

That often means phasing in funding increases to reach the adequacy goal over time,
rather than appropriating the entire dollar amount of the gap in one year. Characteristics
of a school district, such as community wealth and local tax effort, are often used to
determine whether the state or the local district should provide a greater percentage of
funding to close the gap.

New Harbor, because it already has a high tax effort but relatively low property values,
would likely need the state to provide a larger share of funding to close the gap. Without this
extra help from the state, the district could never generate enough local funding to provide its
students with an equal opportunity to learn compared to children living in more wealthy
communities with fewer high-cost students.

Additional formula calculations would be necessary to establish the actual percentage
increase provided by the state and by the district. The school board and state leaders have not
been able to develop a long term funding formula.

–

New Harbor Community Center Operating Budget

Note this does not account for approximately 114 volunteers across the various programs and
shared services.

Revenues Current Next Fiscal YR Projections
Government grants $ 66,000 $ 400,000
Other grants $ 70,000
Unsolicited funds $ 60,000 $ 20,000
Special events $ 25,000
Diocese $ 25,000 $ 25, 000
Conferences — Churches $ 1,000
ABC Construction $ 50,000 $25,000
United Way $ 2,500 $2,500
Solicited funds $ 103,700 $200,000
Total $ 403,200 $ 672,500
Operating expense
Salaries
Executive director $ 40,000 $ 45,000
Administrator / Accountant $ 30,600 $ 40,000
Community programmer — $ 35,000
Staff $ 133,000 $ 208,000
P/T Staff $ 73,000 $ 108,000
Payroll taxes $ 17,000 $ 28,000
Employee benefits $ 9,000 $ 14,000
Continuing education $ 2,000 $ 3,000
Insurance $ 12,000 $ 25,000
Vehicle operating expense $ 5,000 $ 6,000
Professional fees $ 6,000 $ 11,500
Fund raising expense $ 15,000 $ 25,000
Administrative expense $ 6,600 $ 10,000
Non-donated food $ 2,500 $ 9,000
ELC program $ 6,600 $ 13,600
ECEDC program $ 8,000 $ 15,800
Buildings and grounds/repairs $ 15,000 $ 17,000
Insects and rodents $ 1,200 $ 1,500
Trash removal $ 1,200 $ 1,500
Furniture and equipment $ 1,000 $ 2,000
Utilities $ 15,000 $ 20,000
Security $ 1,000 $ 12,500
Total $ 370,700 $ 500,000
Income statement
Revenue $ 403,200 $ 672,500
Expenses $ 400,700 $ 668,900
Gain/loss $ 2,500 $ 3,600