Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ Evaluate 4 Samples as - Good or Bad - Acceptable or Not

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ I will look at what effect after school programs have on improving math TAKS scores of my low socio-economic students. SAMPLE #1 PROBLEM STATEMENT YES - Good NO - Poor Acceptable? Evaluate 4 Samples as - Good or Bad - Acceptable or Not

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ I will look at what effect after school programs have on improving math TAKS scores of my low socio-economic students. SAMPLE #1 PROBLEM STATEMENT YES - Good NO - Poor This is a Statement of Purpose… … it is what YOU intend to do. I will look at… And, written in FIRST PERSON voice… <<< always wrong. I will look … …of my…

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ Why are minorities and low socio-economic students dropping out of school before graduation? SAMPLE #2 PROBLEM STATEMENT YES - Good NO - Poor Acceptable?

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ Why are minorities and low socio-economic students dropping out of school before graduation? SAMPLE #2 PROBLEM STATEMENT NO - Poor This is a QUESTION… >> its not a statement of anything. Why are… … besides, when else are students supposed to drop out if not before graduation?

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ Students fall behind in math and have to repeat their grade level because their parents are not involved in their school work. SAMPLE #3 PROBLEM STATEMENT YES - Good NO - Poor Acceptable?

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ Students fall behind in math and have to repeat their grade level because their parents are not involved in their school work. SAMPLE #3 PROBLEM STATEMENT NO - Poor Students fall behind in math have to repeat their grade level parents are not involved in their school work. Because… Compound Problem >> just pick one problem. Pure Speculation >> no need to explain why even if you can support it. Research is about finding answers not suggesting them in advance.

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ Students are not passing TAKS tests in math and need remedial instruction. This puts too much stress on teachers. PROBLEM STATEMENT SAMPLE #4 YES - Good NO - Poor Acceptable?

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ Students are not passing TAKS tests in math and need remedial instruction. This puts too much stress on teachers. PROBLEM STATEMENT SAMPLE #4 NO - Poor Not Passing - or - needing remediation? Convoluted… What EXACTLY is the problem? Stress? … Too much stress? … or - the fact that the stress is experienced BY TEACHERS?

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ Students are not passing TAKS tests in math. Students fall behind in math achievement. Students are not learning math well-enough for adulthood. Students need excessive remedial instruction. Students have to repeat their grade level. Minority students tend to drop out of school. Many low socio-economic students do not finish school. Teachers experience unreasonable stress. Parents are not sufficiently involved in their childs school work. … from Preceding Samples … Each one is Acceptable PROBLEM STATEMENT YES - Good … simple, direct, short, - states what is wrong.

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ PROBLEM STATEMENT Students are not passing TAKS tests in math. Students fall behind in math achievement. Students are not learning math well-enough for adulthood. Students need excessive remedial instruction. Students have to repeat their grade level. Minority students tend to drop out of school. Many low socio-economic students do not finish school. Teachers experience unreasonable stress. Parents are not sufficiently involved in their childs school work. … What does it NOT say ? … Not about learning more. Not about grade-level fit. Not about prep. for lifes needs. Not about advancement in grade. Not about learning better. > Only about a passing score.

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ PROBLEM STATEMENT Students are not passing TAKS tests in math. Students fall behind in math achievement. Students are not learning math well-enough for adulthood. Students need excessive remedial instruction. Students have to repeat their grade level. Minority students tend to drop out of school. Many low socio-economic students do not finish school. Teachers experience unreasonable stress. Parents are not sufficiently involved in their childs school work. … What does it NOT say ? … Not about passing TAKS tests. Not about understanding math. Not about math problem solving. Indirectly about lifes needs. Indirectly about advancement. > About learning - more/better/too little.

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ PROBLEM STATEMENT Students are not passing TAKS tests in math. Students fall behind in math achievement. Students are not learning math well-enough for adulthood. Students need excessive remedial instruction. Students have to repeat their grade level. Minority students tend to drop out of school. Many low socio-economic students do not finish school. Teachers experience unreasonable stress. Parents are not sufficiently involved in their childs school work. … What does it NOT say ? … Not about passing TAKS tests. Not about test scores. Not about math performance. Not about remediation. Not about teaching methods. Indirectly about math understanding. Indirectly about math problem solving. > About lifes demands in adulthood.

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ PROBLEM STATEMENT Students are not passing TAKS tests in math. Students fall behind in math achievement. Students are not learning math well-enough for adulthood. Students need excessive remedial instruction. Students have to repeat their grade level. Minority students tend to drop out of school. Many low socio-economic students do not finish school. Teachers experience unreasonable stress. Parents are not sufficiently involved in their childs school work. … What does it NOT say ? … Not about school policy. Not about demands on teachers. Not about methods of remediation. Not about test scores. Not about teaching methods. Not about students needing special attention. > About students deficiencies. – pervasive & extreme

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ PROBLEM STATEMENT Students are not passing TAKS tests in math. Students fall behind in math achievement. Students are not learning math well-enough for adulthood. Students need excessive remedial instruction. Students have to repeat their grade level. Minority students tend to drop out of school. Many low socio-economic students do not finish school. Teachers experience unreasonable stress. Parents are not sufficiently involved in their childs school work. … What does it NOT say ? … Not about passing TAKS tests. Not about learning more for life. May be about inadequate learning for grade level demands - quantity / quality. Not about demands on teachers. Not about demands on schools. Not about implications for curriculum. Not about becoming drop-outs. May be about policy & options for managing students remediation.

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ PROBLEM STATEMENT Students are not passing TAKS tests in math. Students fall behind in math achievement. Students are not learning math well-enough for adulthood. Students need excessive remedial instruction. Students have to repeat their grade level. Minority students tend to drop out of school. Many low socio-economic students do not finish school. Teachers experience unreasonable stress. Parents are not sufficiently involved in their childs school work. … What does it NOT say ? … Not about passing TAKS tests. Not about test scores. Not about learning. Not about urban or low socio-econ. Not about African American students. About students educational opportunity. About influences that contribute directly. About direct & real consequences.

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ PROBLEM STATEMENT Students are not passing TAKS tests in math. Students fall behind in math achievement. Students are not learning math well-enough for adulthood. Students need excessive remedial instruction. Students have to repeat their grade level. Minority students tend to drop out of school. Many low socio-economic students do not finish school. Teachers experience unreasonable stress. Parents are not sufficiently involved in their childs school work. … What does it NOT say ? … Not about passing TAKS tests. Not about test scores. Not about learning. Not about minorities. May be about home-environment, family or survival conditions outside of school. About students educational opportunity. About influences that contribute directly. About direct & real consequences.

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ PROBLEM STATEMENT Students are not passing TAKS tests in math. Students fall behind in math achievement. Students are not learning math well-enough for adulthood. Students need excessive remedial instruction. Students have to repeat their grade level. Minority students tend to drop out of school. Many low socio-economic students do not finish school. Teachers experience unreasonable stress. Parents are not sufficiently involved in their childs school work. … What does it NOT say ? … Not about standardized tests or scores. Not about school policy. Not about quality of students. Not about teaching methods. Indirectly about policy. Indirectly about social perspectives. About goals/expectations/assessment of teachers & job consequences. About the physiological & affective consequences of experiencing stress.

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ PROBLEM STATEMENT Students are not passing TAKS tests in math. Students fall behind in math achievement. Students are not learning math well-enough for adulthood. Students need excessive remedial instruction. Students have to repeat their grade level. Minority students tend to drop out of school. Many low socio-economic students do not finish school. Teachers experience unreasonable stress. Parents are not sufficiently involved in their childs school work. … What does it NOT say ? … Not about test scores. Not about student progress. Not about student learning. Not about teaching. Not school policy or environment. > About parents directly in student learning in school & homework.

Dr. Jerry P. Galloway tech.jerrygalloway.com/ A research study addresses a Problem… a need – not a curiosity. Everything is related. Lots of things are problems. Lots of things influence lots of other things. Everything has implications for everything else. A Problem Statement must isolate, within the endless hierarchy of relationships, a specific problem (bad thing) and reduce or narrow the scope of the study to only the most immediate and directly related issues. A Problem Statement defines what is and is not the primary concern of the study. Answering a research question is your studys contribute to problem solution. It does not solve the problem. Summary Conclusions…