VI. Formulate Action Research Question

Given the area(s) of concern and the focus group(s) of students, the C.A.R.E. team determines the question that they will set out to answer. This question serves as a springboard for all curriculum, instruction and assessment improvements.

VII. Define Learning Measures

The learning measures or assessments enable the C.A.R.E. team to measure growth in terms of student performance. Although it is not recommended that classroom-generated assessments look and feel like SAT 9, it is irresponsible to usher students into a state-wide exam without acquainting them with the style and content of that exam.

In addition to the SAT 9 or “prompting learning measure”, the C.A.R.E. team selects at least one “primary learning measure”, such as a school-wide or district-wide writing assessment or math problem-solving assessment, that provides a valid, reliable indication of student performance in relation to the identified standard.

To complete data triangulation, each C.A.R.E. teacher also selects at least one classroom-based “progress learning measure” (e.g., student writing portfolio, unit test) that is used to sample student performance in relation to benchmarks. Through the “progress learning measure”, teachers can sample student work on demand and at critical intervals during the year. This process of “dip sticking” is not possible when only “prompting” or “primary learning measures” are used.

Together, the “prompting”, “primary” and “progress learning measures” enable the C.A.R.E. team to triangulate data and develop a comprehensive, valid and reliable picture of student performance in relation to the selected standard. It should be clear that these measures describe the quality of teaching and effectiveness of instructional strategies as well as the quality of learning.

VIII. Develop and Implement Strategies

The C.A.R.E. team then plans what they will do in their classrooms and throughout the school to improve the performance of all students in the academic focus area in relation to the identified standard.

The plan centers on specific instructional and support strategies for students of color that will be applied to the entire class. These strategies will be employed to accelerate the learning of the focus group students and maintain high levels of performance for traditionally high-performing students. While the strategies are specifically designed for the focus group, no instructional strategy is executed for only one group of students.

As C.A.R.E. teachers incorporate culturally relevant instructional practices, the entire team engages in regular reflections about the impact of these strategies on focus students’ performance.