The title of my applied research is “Recommendations for Improving Minority Students’ SOL Test Scores in Granby Elementary.” The education gap is a considerable issue in the United States that came to the attention of educators and policymakers more than half a century ago (King, 2017). In particular, African American students have lower achievement in K-12 in comparison with their White counterparts. In 2015, the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed that 32% of White Americans performed at or above the proficient level in their 12th-grade exam, while only 7% of Americans could reach the proficient level (Anderson, 2016).
The problem of the achievement gap is present in Virginia, which was confirmed by SOL scores. According to the Virginia Department of Education (VDoE, 2020), African Americans have lower average scores on achievement tests. In particular, in Virginia, the average SOL scores of Whites were 86 in reading, 85 in writing, 91 in history and social sciences, 86 in mathematics, and 89 in science (VDoE, 2020). At the same time, African Americans scored 67 in reading, 65 in writing, 75 in history and social sciences, 68 in mathematics, and 69 in science (VDoE, 2020). A similar problem is evident in Granby elementary.
The purpose of this study is to provide recommendations for solving the problem of low achievement of minority students in Granby Elementary. The research will utilize a multimethod approach using both qualitative and quantitative methods. First, five interviews will be conducted with teachers and administrators who have knowledge relevant to the topic. Second, a Likert scale survey will be developed to understand how can the problem of the achievement gap between minority students and their White counterparts in Granby Elementary be solved. A sample of teachers from the school will be asked to complete the survey in Google Forms. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis will be used to assess the appropriateness and feasibility of the provided recommendations based on teachers’ opinions. The results of the research will be evaluated in light of the findings of previous research. Third, a review of documents from the Virginia Department of Education focusing on Granby Elementary School students’ performance over the last five years on the SOL.
The research is guided by the following research question: “How can the problem of low SOL scores of minority students in Granby Elementary School in Virginia be solved?”
References
Anderson, J. (2016). Addressing racial inequity in curriculum and school culture. Harvard News and Events. Web.
Virginia Department of Education. (2020). SOL test results. VDoE. Web.
King, L. J. (2017). The status of black history in US schools and society. Social Education, 81(1), 14-18.