INSTRUCTIONS:
My chair has advised that this is qualitative case study.
Address the following:
Identify a research method and design given what the chair has advised.
Population and Sample
Conceptual Framework
Nature of the Study
Key words for searching Terms, Scope, and/ or Assumptions
Limitations, Delimitations, and Summary
SAMPLE DISSERTATION TITLE: CASE STUDY A Consensus Review of Strategies and Techniques Using Best Practices to Increase Summer Reading Growth by Gretchen Carter Copyright 2021 A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Educational Leadership University of Phoenix IntroductionComment by TIFFANI BATEMAN: Apply the feedback from my previous review to everything. You can take the comments I left and put them in the change matrix. Continue to do that each week and move comments over to the change matrix as you begin to address them. That will allow you to have a clean copy with feedback addressed and tracked in the change matrix by the end of the course. Many students lose academic ground during the summer. Students experience a loss in mathematics, but economically disadvantaged students face a more considerable loss in reading. The academic achievement gap is a significant problem in the United States. Summer learning loss adds to this gap (Alexander et al., 2007b; Heyns, 1978). Summer learning loss is occurring at a traditional middle school in the southwestern United States. The school serves 160 students in Grades 5-6. School leaders need research that explains how to mitigate this loss. This is lacking in the current literature – specific strategies and techniques that can impede summer learning loss. The instructors have received boundless professional development in literacy development over the past two school years. However, this school still experiences summer learning loss among its students, even with the emphasis placed on literacy. Background of the Problem Educators are aware of the concept of a reading achievement gap. The summer reading setback accounts for about 80% of the reading achievement difference, is one factor contributing to this disparity. Extended vacations from formal education take students away from the classroom's regular learning blueprint and into a period when they are less likely to participate in official literacy programs. Parents reading with their children and the "availability and use of reading resources" are all part of a strong home literacy environment (Hillier, 2021). Different degrees of parental participation in a home learning environment that happens, as well as a child's lack of participation with texts during a prolonged vacation, might be useful in evaluating probable variables leading to summer reading setbacks. Conducting a comprehensive literature study, synthesizing the findings, and disseminating the information to parents through a user-friendly guide are the most appropriate methods to address this issue. Problem Statement Proponents of the faucet theorybelieve literacy gaps occur during the summer (McDaniel et al., 2017). Summer vacation inequalities in educational opportunities and outcomes lead to uneven learning gains (Tiruchittampalam et al.,2018). Many parents from higher socioeconomic backgrounds provide reading enrichment and continuous learning for their children during the summer (Tiruchittampalam et al.,2018). Students who do not continue to learn eventually lose acquired knowledge, hence, a decrease in success during the school year. Students who do not continuously learn throughout the summer could potentially lose up to three months of reading progress setting them further behind for the new academic school year (Campbell et al., 2019). The problem is summer reading lossfor students who are not exposed to or encouraged to read at home or in summer programs when school is not in session (McDaniel et al., 2017). Several reasons for student reading digressions during the summer are limited book access, difficulties self-selecting books (Capotosto, 2019), school calendar, socioeconomic status, and the amount of information retained over the summer (Lindley et al., 2016). Further investigation is needed to explore strategies to keep students engaged in reading growth throughout the summer to prevent reading growth loss.Comment by TIFFANI BATEMAN: No italicsComment by Gretchen Stampley: correctedComment by TIFFANI BATEMAN: Here is your purpose, align this clearly:The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore and gain consensus among education experts on practical strategies and techniques to increase summer reading growth throughout the summer months in a school district in southwest MississippiTake out ‘to gain consensus among education experts’ and add the location into the problem. Comment by Gretchen Stampley: corrected Purpose of the Study The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore practical strategies and techniques to increase summer reading growth throughout the summer months in a rural school district in southwest Mississippi. The current literature shows socioeconomic status has a significant impact on summer learning loss, particularly in reading.The school district is a small and high-povertyschool district in southwest Mississippi. Volley (2020)stated that understanding the research dedicated to summer reading loss is imperative when identifying ways to close the achievement gap. In addition, Seawright (2017) affirmed that investigating the predictors of success in reading can improve students' academic achievement. Comment by TIFFANI BATEMAN: I think you should consider bringing in more about reading and SES especially if that is the demographic of the school in the case study.Comment by Gretchen Stampley: correctedComment by TIFFANI BATEMAN: Always past tenseComment by Gretchen Stampley: corrected Reaching a consensus regarding effective practices will provide a foundation for developing the best strategies and techniques for program development. In addition, by interviewing education experts, the researcher can identify different domains to help mitigate summer reading growth loss. Finally, this research can help curriculum directors and school district leaders across the states in K-12 education reach a common framework for a summer program design to increase summer reading growth. Population and Sample The specific population will consist of Highly Qualified Teachers and Teacher Assistants who will be selected to participate in in-person interviews or focus group forums. The population for this study will be selected based on the following criterion: years in public school education with at least a minimum of ten years of experience as either a state or national board-certified Reading, English, Language Arts, or English as a Second Language. The sample size for this study will be 12-15 participants. The researcher chose this sample size because the sample size should represent the pool of judgments (Hsu & Sanford, 2007). This study aims to gain a consensus of at least two techniques that could be implemented to reduce reading deficiencies during the summer months. Significance of the Study Summer reading growth loss is becoming a trend for students from low-income families resulting in significantly lower achievement gains during the academic year. Alexander et al., (2014) showed that declines in academic achievement during summer break are more prevalent and consistent for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds compared to students from middle and higher socioeconomic classes. Over time, the breach amplifies and leads to an achievement gap among students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. This topic has caused policy makers, school districts, and other stakeholders throughout the United States to debate formal year-round education for elementary and middle school students (Pedersen, 2015; Shields & Oberg, 2000). The significance of this proposed study will assist district leadership in deciding if summer enrichment programs are beneficial in reducing summer reading growth loss in middle school students from one academic year to the next academic year. The proposed study will also identify predictors of success in reading to assist a targeted school district and others increase academic achievement in schools. Nature of the Study The method for proposed study will be qualitative. The researcher selected a qualitative research method approach for the research process because a qualitative research approach promotes exploration of a phenomenon within its context using a variety of data sources. Qualitative methodologies can be applied to research to develop theory, develop interventions, and evaluate programs. Tools are provided to researchers to study complex phenomena within content and materials. Qualitative research is practical and allows a researcher to create an initial theory based on experiences to organize the study, apply instruments, and collect data (Amankwaa, 2016; Anney, 2014; Baskarada, 2013; Yin, 2014). A qualitative research study methodology allows researchers to explore a phenomenon by applying a collection of data sources (Baxter & Jack, 2008; Gaya & Smith, 2016). The study research may put in perspective the use of specific strategies, techniques, and best practices to reduce summer reading growth loss. Exploration of specific strategies, techniques, and best practices to reduce summer reading growth loss provided by experts in education through a qualitative participative research method aligns with the purpose of this study. Research Questions Borman et al. (2005) posited that students lose academic growth attained during the school months on summer break. The research questions below will help determine if a summer reading program can help mitigate summer learning loss between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. To effectively study the problem of summer reading loss being a prevalent problem for students who are not exposed to or encouraged to read at home or in summer programs when school is not in session, the research question will guide the foundation of this study. RQ1: What is the consensus of the experts on the panel to identify effective strategies that can be implemented throughout the summer to address reading loss deficiencies? SQ2: What is the experts' consensus to identify effective strategies that can increase parental involvement during the summer months to reduce reading loss? Conceptual Framework The conceptual basis for this study is social learning theory and faucet theory. These concepts inform the study of summer reading loss by explaining how children imitate modeled behavior from personally observing others, the environment, and the mass media (Gray &Macblain, 2015) because social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, and environmental influences. The concepts also inform the study by explaining how children have access to learning and reading materials during the academic year, but resources become limited during the summer (O'Connell, 2020) because Alexander et al., (2014) showed that the declines in academic achievement during summer vacation is more prevalent and consistent for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds compared to students from middle and higher socioeconomic classes. Survey results from several rounds of questioning that will be provided by experts may lead to a better understanding of literacy strategies that can be used throughout the summer to address reading loss deficiencies. Social Learning Theory Smith & Berge (2009) based their research on Albert Bandura’s social learning theory from a social context to understand how social learning theory is manifested in a specific format in higher education. Social learning theory consists of four steps: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation (Alexander et al., 2014). Social learning theory focuses on the dynamics of a relationship between the model and observer. Gray &Macblain (2015), posit Bandura’s idea was that anyone’s behavior comes as a direct result of cognitive processes and the environment, through social circumstances and events. Children observe actions taking place in their environment and mimic the actions which contribute to the problem of reading growth loss during summer. Faucet Theory Entwisle et al., (2001) based their research on the faucet theory seeking to explain why poor children do worse academically than children from middle-class and wealthy families while focusing on differences in schools and differences in home environments. The faucet theory indicates that U.S. students of poverty regress