This thesis presents a change project for a High School. The High School is a rural school on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in South Dakota. According to MAPS tests administered during the 2014-2015 school year, a majority of students in the 9th grade had a third-grade reading level. This state of affairs was evidenced when a student was asked to read aloud out of a textbook during class. The low reading level ability was reflected in the low scores a great number of students received in Freshman Science class. Most were experiencing learned helplessness and would not even participate in class which led to discipline problems.
The purpose of an innovation would be to improve reading skills starting at the beginning of the students’ life, and life in school in order for the student to have adequate reading capabilities in high school and beyond. That the teacher can affect the ability to read as early as Kindergarten is a possibility. It was found that a Kindergarten teacher’s affective quality had an influence on working memory, which in turn effects skills in first grade. Most effective was the child’s learning of independence through the way the teacher treated the student.
In another study, it was found that development of the phonological loop aspect of working memory predicted better reading skills for Chinese students. The studies suggest that reading skills in children can be affected even earlier than in Elementary School. The students would benefit from a reading program to improve skills, as well as the teachers who could assign reading assignments and have students read in class, the school would benefit because scores would increase.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Organizational Improvement Change Project.
- Introduction and Overview.
- Change Scenario.
- Obstacles, Impediments, and Supports for Change
- Change Topic Analysis.
- Action Plan
- Leadership Self Reflection
- References.
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This project aims to analyze and propose solutions for improving organizational change within a rural high school on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The focus is on addressing the challenges of low graduation rates, low reading levels, and a high dropout rate, all exacerbated by factors like student poverty, limited resources, and cultural influences.
- Improving student academic performance, specifically reading comprehension and overall achievement.
- Addressing the root causes of high dropout rates, including poverty, cultural influences, and lack of support systems.
- Developing effective strategies for implementing organizational change within the school, considering the unique context of the reservation.
- Exploring leadership roles and responsibilities in promoting positive change within the school environment.
- Analyzing the impact of external factors, such as limited resources and teacher turnover, on the school's ability to implement change.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction and Overview: This chapter introduces the rural high school on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in South Dakota and outlines the context of the project. It highlights the school's challenges, including low graduation rates, low reading levels, and a high dropout rate, and provides data on student demographics and academic performance. It also mentions the prevalence of student poverty, lack of resources, and cultural factors influencing student behavior and educational outcomes.
- Change Scenario: This chapter delves deeper into the specific challenges faced by the school, focusing on the student body's academic struggles, particularly in reading comprehension. It explores factors contributing to these difficulties, including learned helplessness, limited access to resources, and the impact of poverty on student engagement.
- Obstacles, Impediments, and Supports for Change: This chapter examines the various obstacles and impediments to implementing organizational change within the school. It highlights issues such as teacher turnover, limited resources, and the influence of external factors like the reservation's culture and poverty. It also explores potential supports for change, such as community involvement and leadership commitment.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Key concepts and themes explored in this project include organizational change, educational improvement, rural schools, Native American education, student poverty, dropout rates, reading comprehension, learned helplessness, teacher turnover, and community engagement. The project examines the complex interplay of these factors within the context of a high school on an Indian reservation, seeking to identify strategies for promoting positive change and improving student outcomes.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Stephen Grams (Autor:in), 2018, Low reading ability in a High School in South Dakota. What are possible improvement measures?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/458815
