1. An Evaluation of Freshman students that failed Global Perspectives
at Tualatin High School in 2011
Kevin T. McManamon
EDTECH 505-4172
Dr. Ross Perkins
Boise State University
July 26, 2011

2. Table of Contents
Learning Reflection............................................................. 3
Executive Summary.............................................................4
Purpose of the Evaluation....................................................5
Background Information.......................................................6
Description of Evaluation Design.........................................8
Results & Discussions.......................................................12
Conclusions & Recommendations.....................................19
Appendices..........................................................................21

3. Learning Reflection
Evaluation is inescapable. We surround ourselves in a world that measures, weighs,
compares, estimates, appraises, criticizes, rates and forms decisions based on some criteria. It
allows us to process and learn from feedback. That feedback (formative) can then be used to
improve the quality of a program or process while it is occurring. It can also provide numerous
measurements (summative) after a process has been completed compared to preselected
criteria. Evaluation makes possible the assessment of the efficiency, effectiveness and/or
impact of a program. Decisions regarding future funding, processes, goals, outcomes, the
clients that are served, methodologies, and rationale for a program all stem from information
gleaned from evaluations.
Evaluations are capable of providing all of this information that would be useful in
making an informed decision. However, caution must be exercised when creating an evaluation.
The development of how the problem is framed is crucial to what information an evaluation
ultimately delivers to it’s intended audience. A poorly framed problem to be evaluated will leave
the audience no closer to making an informed judgement than prior to the study being carried
out. In fact, it could severely mislead them and cause greater confusion about the reality of the
program in question.
It is my professional desire to apply what I have learned in this course and also to make
use of this evaluation and its findings for the improvement of the student experience in Global
Perspectives in the long range. I intend to continue to collect data relative to this class, inquire
into the reasons behind student failure rates, and access other sources of data not available to
me during the time in which this evaluation was conducted so as to lessen the failure rate
among freshman who take this class in the future.
As an educational technologist, I must be constantly aware of personal biases I may
have when designing instruction for the classroom. School districts are continually acquiring
new technologies for class room use. Technology acquisition on a grand scale comes with
incredible promise and potential for exciting and meaningful student outcomes. Infused into
these potentially positive and well-intentioned expectations are biases, both for and against,
technology itself. I must apply the skills and insights gained in this class to effectively design
instruction that includes elements of technology for undeniable and valid reasons. Effective use
of the methods of evaluation will guide my instructional design to include formative and
summative feedback, valid and reliable data collection tools and assessments, the proper use of
sampling methods and rubrics that appropriately measure either the content, construct or
criteria of student outcomes utilizing the technology made available to them.

4. Executive Summary
This evaluation was conducted in order to determine the causes of student failure in a
freshman level course at Tualatin High School. Global Perspectives is a required class of all
freshman students at Tualatin High School. It has been taught exclusively by the Social Studies
department since 2009. It is designed to fulfill certain state requirements (career exploration
and planning along with future academic planning for both high school and beyond) as well as
provide a successful and smooth transition to the expectations of high school and embed core
research skills students will apply in future Social Studies classes.
Tualatin High School administrators and teachers valued the importance of a smooth
and successful transition from middle school to high school by supporting the creation and
development of the Global Perspective curriculum to achieve those ambitions. As such, failure
to pass this class by any freshman student greatly jeopardized future academic success.
Determining the causes of student failure could help reduce this prospect. This evaluation
investigated the causes of student failures in Global Perspectives in the 2010-2011 school year.
This was carried out in order to help teachers understand the reasons behind such outcomes
and provide them future guidance so as to avoid similar outcomes.
The evaluation collected qualitative feedback from teachers involved in the Global
Perspectives class, other members of the Social Studies department, and other teachers and
administrators at Tualatin High school after the conclusion of the 2010-2011 school year.
Interviews were conducted in late June and early July 2011. Additionally, data was collected on
freshman grades (including Global Perspectives as well as the core classes of English/
Language Arts, Science and Math) from 2010-2011, attendance information, and state test
scores from their 8th grade year.
The interviews strongly link student success in this class with attendance. The higher
the number of absences, the more likely a student was to fail. Teachers responded that
attendance was the biggest factor behind student failure. This was corroborated by the
evaluation of attendance data in that it showed a direct relationship between declining
attendance percentages and declining grades in Global Perspectives. Another finding of the
data was a high percentage of failures among Hispanic students, which could be attributed to
those students not making a personal connection with the class content. Teacher interviews
stressed this component of the class (making a personal connection to the content) as being
secondarily important for student academic success.
Purpose of the Evaluation

5. This evaluation was conducted to determine the reasons students at Tualatin High
School failed a required freshman class, Global Perspectives.
What was the purpose of doing this particular evaluation?
The purpose of this evaluation was to determine the causes of student failures in Global
Perspectives. It is a required course and as such, teachers assigned to teach it, as well as the
school administration, agreed that the goal of the class was to promote a successful transition
from middle school to high school. It is hoped that this will build a strong foundation upon
which future high school academic successes would be built by the students who successfully
completed the Global Perspectives course.
What were the central questions to be answered through the evaluation?
The central questions to be answered by this evaluation are what are causes a student
to fail Global Perspectives? What is the profile of the student that fails Global Perspectives?
What correlative data can be systematically assembled to provide future teachers of this course
with a profile of students at risk of failing this class? Additionally, by interviewing the teachers of
this class, an attempt will be made to determine what the coordinated teaching team was doing
well as far as getting students to succeed academically in Global Perspectives.
Who would be most impacted by the results of the evaluation?
Several groups will be most impacted by the results of this evaluation. The first group
will be the instructors assigned to teach Global Perspectives in the immediate future. They will
be provided with qualitative feedback from teachers who have experienced teaching the class
and the beneficiaries of what their professional assessments are of the reasons behind students
failing the course. Secondarily, the students enrolled in the class in the coming semesters will
be impacted by this evaluation. They will be instructed by teachers who will be made aware of
the reasons behind student failures. By those teachers having gained insight into the causes
of failures in Global Perspectives, the indicators of possible failures will not go unnoticed and
hopefully be directed toward remediation. Teachers of other freshman classes will be given
similar awareness, through the efforts of the Global Perspectives teaching team, of what may
be the factors that lead to failure in their respective classes. Counselors of freshman students,
parents and school administrators will all be made aware of the correlative links of at risk
students in their freshman year of high school as well.

6. Background Information
Tualatin High School is one of two high schools in the Tigard-Tualatin School
District. The district also has an alternative high school completion facility, three middle schools,
ten elementary schools, and cooperating agreement with a K-8 charter school. The school was
opened in 1992 and is situated on a 64 acre campus in Tualatin, OR.The school operates on
an alternating block schedule of 90 minute classes of four blocks that meet every other day.
Students take eight classes each semester.
Tualatin High School had approximately 1,825 students, over 80 staff members and
over 50 support staff for the 2010-2011 school year. The graduation rate has held steady at
over 97% for the past decade. The district provides all students the opportunity to take the ACT
test free of charge and the school routinely scores just above the national average of a 21. The
four year college attendance rate was 52% for the 2010 school year, with a community college
attendance rate adding another 26% for the same year.
The student body composition for the 2010-2011 school year was as follows: White
74.3%, Latino 14.9%, Asian 6.6%, African American 2.4% and Native American .7%. Students
identified as Talented and Gifted (TAG) was 21.76%, students with 504 plans 1.9%, Special
Education 7.2%, Limited English Proficient (LEP) 3.54%, Free and Reduced lunch 31% and
Economically Disadvantaged 22.63%.
What was the origin of the program?
The Global Perspectives class was known as “Freshman Focus” up until the 2009-2010
school year when the decision was made to adopt a name change to more adequately reflect
the class content. The class was incorporated, mostly wholesale, from another area high school
with an eye toward providing freshman with a class specifically geared to the needs of the
student transitioning from middle school to high school.
What are the standards and/or goals of the program?
A number of goals evolved for this program over the years it has been taught at Tualatin
High School. These were very specifically geared to the needs of freshman students. Some of
these address state mandated instruction and experiences, others are academic skills chosen
by staff members that would benefit the students in their remaining years at Tualatin High
School and provide a framework for post high school planning for the students as well.
These are as follows:
● A transition from middle school expectation to high school expectations.
● Understanding graduation requirements.
● Knowing how to access school-wide support systems.
● Providing guidance to will enrich their high school experiences academically, socially
and personally.
● Career information and exposure to resources to plan an educational path that aligns
with chosen career goals. Sub goals include- conducting a career self-interest survey,
career exploration, create a resume, and participate in a mock job interview.

7. ● Ensure “technological literacy” through exposure to and continued use of current
technologies provided by the school district.
● Support school-wide attempts at developing academic literacy through the use of non-
fiction reading (primarily textbook reading skills).
● Provide a foundation in the correct methods of conducting a high school research project
(identifying and selecting credible sources, using a database for source selection, proper
note taking skills, documenting of sources, presentation of learning in papers, speeches
and electronic presentations).
What did previous programs look like?
Previous incarnations of the class were scattered across many departments in the
school. No coordinated school-wide planning was undertaken. Unfortunately, some sections
of the class were assigned so as to fill holes in the teaching schedules of some staff members
to bring them up to a full FTE. The experiences of students varied from teacher to teacher.
Some staff members embraced the class and sought to make it a meaningful and engaging
experience while others put minimal effort into planning for class activities. Uniformity of
expectations, student expectations and end products suffered as a result from the disjointed
approach the class. Sometimes staff members focused solely on technology instruction, others
just career information and others still on whatever they were most comfortable teaching given
their instructional experiences and backgrounds. The unfortunate byproduct of this was a
negative view of the class by students, staff and parents at the school that effectively drowned
out the few positive and engaging student experience in classes taught by highly motivated
instructors.
The decision was made to put the class solely in the Social Studies department starting
in the 2009-2010 school year. Four Social Studies department members volunteered to teach
the class (myself included) so as to make Global Perspectives an enriching experience that
prepared the students for their futures both at Tualatin High School and beyond. We adopted a
mentality that sought to improve the perceived and actual usefulness of the Global Perspectives
program in the eyes of the stakeholders involved (students, parents, staff members,
administration, and community members). The Global Perspectives teaching team chose
to narrow the curricular scope of the class to include the previously mentioned “career unit”
along with using historical and current event studies as a basis for teaching accepted research
methods.
Who are the people involved in the program?
The staff members who were involved in teaching the Global Perspectives course
starting in 2009 were Mr. Chris Lieuallen, Mrs. Sarah Lundy, Ms. Vanessa Tharp and myself.
The school’s principal, associate principal for instruction and Social Studies department
coordinators were all very supportive and involved in the development of the redesigned
curriculum of the Global Perspectives course. The school’s counseling department and career

8. to work coordinator were also involved in the program, particularly in their outside efforts
with the local business community. They supported the program by arranging local business
volunteers for the mock job interview activity, which was the capstone activity of the career unit
for the students in Global Perspectives.
What are the characteristics of the program? Describe in detail.
Global Perspectives was incorporated fully under the domain of the Social Studies
department starting with the 2009-2010 school year. Only four Social Studies teachers were
assigned to teach the course, which allowed for close collaboration and unified lesson plans. All
of these teachers volunteered to teach this class and it comprised a majority of their teaching
assignments. Close collaboration was carried out informally on an almost daily basis between
all four staff members in the Global Perspectives team. Communication in person or via email
among the team was a constant activity since 2009. Formal collaboration among the Global
Perspectives teaching team took place one a month in a common prep period set aside for
curricular development.
The Global Perspectives course was designed to adhere to the following unit sequence:
● Transition from middle school to high school. High school graduation requirements.
● A career explorations unit.
● Exploring the historical roots of inequality and monitor global current events within the
context of modern history.
● Use the following Social Studies units to introduce research methodologies while
exploring the current events of each region:
○ The interconnected world of the Globalized economy.
○ Modern China.
○ The “new” Middle East.
○ Modern India and its comparative advantage through information technology.
○ Sub-Sarahan Africa.
○ Latin America and the Caribbean.
● Conduct a research project of their choosing and report to the class.
Description of Evaluation Design
The evaluation model chosen for this project was based upon the Goal-Free model.
This model was chosen for two reasons:
A. The Global Perspectives course is not specifically aligned with state education
benchmarks per se; the career unit, academic planning, writing samples, speech
samples, and technological training are all state expectations but are not required to be

9. demonstrated in any one particular course. Since no specific state mandated criteria
were available to evaluate in comparison to, this model seemed appropriate tool to
evaluate the problem.
B. Multiple factors regarding the Global Perspectives course needed to be accounted for
and therefore fit best under the umbrella of a goal free model for evaluation. The class
was designed to be, and has evolved to become, a class centered around “academic
success” for freshman students. Academic success, as measured by our current
system of school wide evaluation (“grades”) can only be uniformly assessed as getting
a final grade of D (60%) or higher. Each of the four instructors at Tualatin High School,
as previously indicated closely collaborative in their planning efforts, yet they still
maintained a level of academic and curricular independence by individualized their
instruction. The experiences were very similar but not identical as different materials
were used to teach the same units, accordingly points of emphasis varied slightly from
teacher to teacher. Some instructors developed units collaboratively, others were
created independently of the planning team. One staff member required a long term
substitute teacher for maternity leave in which modifications were made during that time
period in which she was out. Two other staff members had student teachers during
this time frame. They modified their curriculum slightly to adapt to the needs of their
respective student teachers who were in different university systems and at different
stages of their respective teacher training programs. One student teacher was required
to teach for several weeks, the other was only required to observe and teach a few
lessons they created with minimal guidance from their master teacher. Therefore, the
only standardized measure of passing or failing was the final grade received by each
student in their respective Global Perspectives class.
The goal free model seeks to evaluate what the actual effects of a program are. The
model allows the evaluator to be freed from a strict set standards or measurements, set down
prior to conducting the program. This does not restrict the determination of how the targeted
audience is being effected. The observer is allowed to collect and record any and all data
relative to the population being served and determine the importance of each. As stated
previously, the Global Perspectives course is not specifically aligned with state of Oregon
education benchmarks, as such the goal free model is an apt tool to apply in this case.
Sources of data
Two sources of data were selected to determine the reasons behind student failures
in this class. One was a detailed interview with all available Global Perspectives teachers
yielding qualitative data, the other was a comprehensive report of final grades of the entire 2011
freshman class yielding quantitative data. Included in the grade data were the following:
● Final grade in Global Perspectives.
● Final grade in Mathematics.
● Final grade in English/Language Arts.

10. ● Final grade in Science.
● Cumulative grade point average.
● Racial designation.
● Special education status.
● 504 status.
● Limited English Proficiency status.
● Attendance percentage.
● 8th grade state reading test score from 2010.
● 8th grade state writing test score from 2010.
● 8th grade state mathematics test score from 2010.
A potentially problematic issue of my own personal bias, as I am directly involved with
this class, was addressed prior to any data being gathered (both the qualitative feedback from
the teachers of the course and the freshman grade report). Efforts were made to minimize the
potential of my own bias impacting the structure of the evaluation prior to its construction. Due
to the fact that I am one of four staff members assigned to teach this class and have been very
heavily involved in the development of the curriculum, the potential for my own predetermined
judgements as to what may cause students to fail was great. After being counseled by Dr.
Perkins, I was able to identify a problem and structure a set of evaluation objectives that did
not reflect my own personal rush to judgement. Before conducting the interviews with the other
teachers of Global Perspectives, several steps were taken to reduce my own personal biases.
They were as follows:
● Before interviews questions were created or finalized, the grade report data was
compiled by our school’s associate Principal.
● Several staff members and school administrators were solicited for suggested questions
to ask of the Global Perspectives teaching team and areas of personal bias I should be
wary to avoid.
● Once a preliminary draft of interview questions was created, they were submitted back to
the same staff members and administrators for final approval.
● The finalized questions were then asked of the Global Perspectives teaching team, the
approved script of questions were asked without deviation and in the same order.
● A synthesized summary of their answers was compiled by myself and returned to the
interview subjects for their approval, corrections or edits.
● As my experiences were to be included in the teacher interviews, I was asked the
questions by a non-educator, neutral third party who recorded and synthesized my
answers. This was done after the Global Perspectives teaching team interviews were
conducted by myself.
The data collection took place in late June and early July of 2011. The school year had
been concluded by this time, therefor direct surveys of students was not possible. Additionally,
one member of the Global Perspectives teaching team was traveling outside the country and
was not available for the interviews. The sequence listed above was followed to minimize
personal biases and should be viewed as a progressive order of events of this evaluation.

11. Finalized Evaluators Plan Description
Program: Global Focus: Summative
Perspectives
course for high
school freshman.
Evaluation Program Objective/ Activities to Data Source
Questions Goals Observe
Why are 9th grade To ensure that 9th Grades of 9th grade Grade reports &
students failing the graders pass Global students enrolled in attendance
Global Perspectives Perspectives. Global Perspectives.
course?
What are the causes Identify the Grades of 9th grade Qualitative data from
of 9th graders failing characteristics of students enrolled in teacher surveys and
Global Perspectives? students who fail Global Perspectives. follow up interview;
Global Perspectives Survey responses. grade reports, 8th
in 2011. grade state test
results & 9th grade
attendance data.
What are actions Explore possible Survey responses. Survey responses
taken by teachers steps teachers can and follow up
that can diminish the take to mitigate 9th interviews.
failure rate among grade failures in
9th graders in Global Global Perspectives.
Perspectives?
Population/Sample Design Data Analysis Audience
Global Perspectives Grades from 2nd Descriptive analysis. The Global
teaching team; 2010- semester for Global Perspectives
2011 freshman class Perspectives, Math, teaching team and
enrolled in Global English and Science. other freshman
Perspectives. teachers.
Global Perspectives Grades from 2nd Descriptive analysis. The Global

12. teaching team; 2010- semester for Global Perspectives
2011 freshman class Perspectives, Math, teaching team and
enrolled in Global English and Science. other freshman
Perspectives. teachers.
Staff members & Survey of staff Descriptive analysis. The Global
school administrators. members using Perspectives
personal interviews. teaching team and
other freshman
teachers.
Results & Discussions
The results of this evaluation will be presented as a synthesis of the qualitative feedback
from the Global Perspective teaching team and of the quantitative data of the 2011 freshman
grade results.
Feedback from Global Perspectives teaching team:
The consensus among the teachers interviewed was that overall, freshman students at
Tualatin High School are motivated, eager to participate, and very adept at understanding the
basics of “how to pass” a class. One teacher characterized freshman as existing along a
continuum, with varying levels of academic skills and or outside support that correlate to
comparable successes in their first year of high school. Another teacher voiced concern that
many students are not interested in deeper learning, that accumulating points in order to pass a
class was the prime motivator of their academic lives. But by and large, they agreed that most
freshman students have relatively good attendance patterns and that they have a desire to
complete the work assigned to them to meet the expectations established by their teachers. In
general, the teachers interviewed felt that while not all freshman students are ready for the
adjustments required of them in high school at the beginning of the school year, the vast
majority will be capable of passing all of their classes in their freshman year well before it is
feasible to do so.
The teachers indicated that the Global Perspectives course is predicated upon providing
a gentle introduction to the demands of high school. They agreed that the course curriculum is
well suited to fostering a longer view of what they may be interested in future schooling or a
career and finally providing basic training in the skills needed to conduct research projects in
future high school courses.
Of the students who have completed the Global Perspectives course, all teachers
indicated that at a minimum they should be adept at locating an electronic database containing
credible articles useful for researching most any high school topic. They should be able to
discern if their chosen articles are applicable to their assigned task, to cite it properly, take notes
from it and generate some type of report (either oral, multimedia or written) in which they
demonstrate subject mastery of the content. If students are unable to perform these tasks, in in

13. the judgement of the teachers interviewed, they stood very little chance of receiving a passing
grade in Global Perspectives.
In the opinion of the teachers of the class, students who are successful usually have
high attendance rates. They unanimously agreed that the more frequent contact they had with
students, they less likely they were to be in jeopardy of failing the class. Being in class on a
regular basis avoided confusion of class expectations, provided opportunities to work with peers
and to seek clarification from the instructor. According to the teachers this lead to another
factor of success, that of student engagement in at least one of the many units taught in the
class. Teachers remarked that for most students that were successful in Global Perspectives,
they exhibited a genuine fascination with at least one unit (more often, many units) covered in
the class. A strong personal connection to content was cited as a correlated factor for students
getting passing grades in Global Perspectives.
The interviews yielded feedback that points to higher than average absenteeism as
being directly related to academic difficulty with the class. When asked to identify the number
one reason students end up failing and the dominant characteristic of students who fail Global
Perspectives, all teachers responded that non-attendance was central to both questions. Some
teachers indicated that there may be a relationship with outside social factors (family discord,
interpersonal relationships, lack of same-age friendships, etc.) that could be contributing factors
in the puzzle of student absences. Overall, respondents indicated that if the student was absent,
despite the best efforts of the teacher to overcome that (posting assignments on a class blog,
emails sent home, homework sent to the office for family pick up, phone calls home, etc.) there
was a high probability that they would score very poorly (if at all) on those given assignments.
Thus a high rate of absenteeism likely resulted in not accumulating enough points to pass the
class.
Finally, the surveys revealed that teachers believe that students who lack a personal
connection to the school (participating in extra-curricular activities, language or cultural barriers,
little or no social network of same-age friends, etc.) were at risk of failing Global Perspectives.
Teachers responded that if the student didn’t establish a connection to the general propose of
the class (as a launch pad for future academic success in high school), due to absenteeism or
other factors, the potential for failure was greatly increased.
2011 Freshman grade synthesis:
After collecting the data of final grades for the freshman class in 2011, a picture
emerged of the characteristics of the student that fails Global Perspectives. One objective of
this evaluation is to determine a profile of the student who has failed Global Perspectives and
therefore may heighten the awareness of teachers in the near future of students who may be
at risk of failure. This evaluation of the quantitative data has yielded the following numerical
picture of the freshman class in 2011.
While the overwhelming majority of students received an A or a B in Global Perspectives
(46.2% and 24.1% respectively), 7.9% of the 457 freshman failed the class. Those that failed
had an average total GPA of 1.04. Grade distribution for Global Perspectives and overall GPA
are presented in the tables below.

14. Figure 1
Figure 2
An emerging picture of students who fail Global Perspectives further develops
when linked with attendance data. The Global Perspectives teacher interview responses
stressed the relationship between attendance and the rate of failures of freshman. As the graph
below will demonstrate, a correlation between attendance percentage and grades in Global
Perspectives can be seen. Students who received an A had attendance rates slightly over 97%
while students who received an F had attendance rates just below 86%. This was an area
specifically identified by the the Global Perspectives teaching team as having the strongest
potential to cause students to fail the class.

15. Figure 3
The data also revealed a telling relationship between failing Global Perspectives and
the other “core classes” they took in their freshman year. Core classes are Math, Science and
English/Language Arts. Of the students who failed Global Perspectives, 4 students failed at
least one core class, 18 failed at least two other core classes and 10 failed three other core
classes. As indicated in the table below, students failing Global Perspectives also had very low
GPA averages in core classes.
GPA averages in Core Classes of Students Failing Global Perspectives
Students Failing Global Perspectives
Average Math GPA 1.06
Average Science GPA .53
Average English/Language Arts GPA .16
Figure 4
This is significant in that the teacher surveys indicated that the majority of the Global
Perspectives class is centered around academic skill building. These skills, while not identical
or coordinated with the Science, Math or English/Language Arts departments, are exceedingly
similar in their nature and application in all four classes. Difficulty with a skill in one class could

16. lead to similar difficulties in Global Perspectives (non-fiction reading, determining relevance of
sources, analyzing skills, writing, reading and oral presentation skills).
All respondents to the interviews suggested a potential for failure might stem from the
student not establishing a personal connection with the content. One responded indicated that
cultural and/or linguistic barriers might be a cause of this, others responded that interference of
outside forces in the students personal lives might be to blame for this lack of connection. While
unable to survey student’s attitudes due to school not being in session at the time of this
evaluation, one aspect of the data was interpreted to reveal a statistical anomaly formed along
racial identification of the freshman student. A disproportionally higher rate of Hispanic students
made up the pool of those who failed Global Perspectives (see Figure 5 below). Although they
comprise only 15% of the general population at Tualatin High School, Hispanic students failed
Global Perspectives at a rate just over 20%. Only 2 students failed Global Perspectives that
were classified as Limited English Proficient (LEP), yet the cultural and linguistic subtleties of
the course might prove to be a barrier to the larger Hispanic student population. This also
applied to students identifying as Asian students as well, their failure rate was over 9% despite
only numbering just 6% of the school population.
Percent of Racial Groups Failing Global Perspectives 2011
Racial Group Percentage of Students Failing Global Perspectives
White 3.57%
Hispanic 20.2%
Asian 9.09%
Figure 5
The grade data revealed another picture of the student who fails Global Perspectives,
that of state test scores on Math, Reading and Writing tests recorded in their 8th grade year. As
demonstrated in Figures 6 and 7 below, a strong relationship exists between test scores and the
grade received in Global Perspectives one year later. Students earning a grade of D or higher
in Global Perspectives performed better on the state tests taken in their 8th grade year than did
students who failed the class. While scoring an average of approximately 1% lower on Math
and Reading tests, students who fail Global Perspectives scored an average of 5% lower on the
Writing test than students who have a D or higher.

17. Figure 6
Figure 7
How good were the results of the program?

18. Since one of the informal goals of the program was to promote academic success for
freshman, with a failure rate just over 7% the results of the Global Perspectives program could
be categorized as “promising.” This is not to imply that the failure of any student should be
accepted but when compared to school’s overall trend of graduation rates being in the 97%
range for the last decade (a 3% failure rate), the success rate of the Global Perspectives
program could be acceptable given the much lower stakes present as compared to graduating
high school. Additionally, it is generally accepted that freshman are less mature than seniors,
are more prone to rash behavior and less likely to seriously contemplate the long-term
consequences of their actions. As a result, a success rate of 93% could understandably be
considered promising, admittedly with room for improvement.
Are there any other possible explanations of the program results?
Having not worked closely with middle school teachers or administrators, it is possible
that some success could be, and more than likely is, attributed to the academic training and
exposure these students received as 8th graders and before. District writing and reading
programs at the middle school level are unknown to the evaluator and may account for a solid
basis upon which the research skills and other academic requirements of the Global
Perspective curriculum are situated upon. Additionally, specific writing and reading skills taught
in the freshman English/Language Arts class are also unknown to the evaluator and may have
contributed to some of the academic success of the students.
What are the benefits associated with the program?
Benefits of the program are as yet hard to quantify, but clearly perceptible. The course is
the closest thing to a “freshman homeroom” experience for these students. Numerous school
districts have struggled with ways to successfully transition students from middle school to high
school. The academic, social, and emotional changes in expectations can be very challenging
for some freshman. A goal of the Global Perspectives course is to minimize the stress and
anxiety of entering high school. This is difficult to quantify without extensive student surveys
and tracking of grade data as well as social and emotional surveys throughout their high school
careers. However, based upon feedback from the teachers interviewed and my own personal
experiences in teaching the class, it can be said that Global Perspectives is generally a safe,
shared experience for freshman in which they can express their concerns and experience the
transition to high school securely among their peers.
Conclusions & Recommendations
Part I Immediate Conclusions
Attendance issues

19. ● Attendance is a strong correlative factor for being at risk of failing Global Perspectives.
Students with excessive absences (4 to 5 days missed in a semester) are in jeopardy of
failing the class.
● Open lines of communication between teacher and parents of students who are prone
to absenteeism. Alert school counselors and administrators of concerns over specific
student attendance rate.
● Work with school Attendance office to clarify absences as being either excused or
unexcused. After two unexcused absences, make parent contact and enlist support of
associate Principal for Student Affairs.
Hispanic students and Academic Achievement
● Identify Hispanic students who may be struggling early in the semester so as to avoid
the possibility of failure.
● Once the Hispanic students in need of extra academic support are identified, alert the
school based “Strategic Tutor” to work individually with them over the course of the
semester to improve their grade in Global Perspectives as well as any other classes
needing assistance.
Core class failures/low grades
● Closely monitor minority students with low grades in any core classes; refer to Strategic
Tutor for academic support.
● Create a bi-weekly grade check activity as a part of the class curriculum as taught by all
Global Perspective teachers. Use this activity to identify students early in the semester
with low grades in core classes.
8th Grade State Test Scores
● Gather 8th grade State test scores for Writing, Reading, and Math and alert the school’s
Strategic Tutor to monitor students with low scores.
● Alert counseling department to the students identified with low state test scores to be
sensitive to early dips in their overall GPA.
● Pay particular attention to low Writing scores as the data from 2011 freshman indicated
a larger gap in scores between students who earned a D in Global Perspectives and
those who failed. Establish contact with the English/Language arts teacher of students
with low Writing scores for strategies that may be helpful in helping students with the
required writing aspects of the class.
Part II Long-Range Planning
● It is recommended to establish an monthly attendance report so as to identify students
who may be heading toward a critical point deficit as a result of excessive absences that
may prove to be impossible to correct in time to avoid a failing grade.
● In an attempt to mitigate the negative effects of student absences, urge teachers of
Global Perspectives to create a simple web page or blog in which absent students and/
or parents could be made aware of assignments and activities they may have missed.
Advertise this feature extensively to the parents of freshman students (notices sent
home, in the signature of school email account, on school web page, in school news
letter, handouts at open house and parent conferences).

20. ● Collaborate with the Middle Schools from which Tualatin High School gets most of their
freshman from to identify Hispanic students who struggled academically up through the
8th grade.
● Work in concert with the counseling office and the online grading system present in
the school district, to monitor student grades in other core classes in order to identify
students at risk of failing Global Perspectives. Work with district IT department
personnel to create a notification system of student grades entering the critical zone
of less than 70% in any class (the school is generally on standard 90% 80% 70% 60%
grading system).
● Establish collaborative planning activities between teachers of Global Perspectives and
English/Language Arts teachers to work on common strategies concerning reading and
writing skills to bolster students skills in those respective areas as the two classes share
many academic traits (and a corresponding failure rate- refer to Figure Four).
Part III Evaluation Insights
Given the opportunity to conduct this evaluation again, I would undertake it while school
was in session. Not having any opinion or attitudinal feedback from the students enrolled in
Global Perspectives was a limiting factor in determining all of the likely causes of student
failures. Surveys could be conducted using a Likert scale to gauge student opinions and
attitudes relative to the class. Students could be interviewed using sampling techniques (simple
random samples or perhaps strategic sampling based upon 8th grade test scores or current
grades in Global Perspectives if carried out after a significant passage of time) to determine
their views of the class while it is progress. Other surveys could be conducted of former
students (current 10th, 11th, or 12th graders) who had previously taken Global Perspectives.
Data could be collected as to how well the research skills they were exposed to have retained
by them, as well as tracking their grade from Global Perspectives and what they have earned in
successive Social Studies and English/Language Arts classes.
Taking advantage of school being in session would also allow me to survey the rest of
the Social Studies department, other teachers of freshman classes, the counseling department,
the entire administrative team, and parents of current and former freshman. Gaining their
feedback on what may cause freshman to fail in general may be illuminating when trying to
focus on why freshman students fail this class in particular.

21. Appendix A.
Finalized Timeline
Date Day Task
● 6/27/2011 Collect data with Asst. Principal
● 6/30/2011 Create qualitative data survey
● 7/1/2011 Create qualitative data survey
● 7/4/2011 Get feedback on Survey
● 7/5/2011 Get feedback on Survey
● 7/7/2011 Finalize interview questions and submit back to survey recipients for approval.
● 7/11/2011 Administer interview to GP teaching team members.
● 7/12/2011 Administer interview to GP teaching team members.
● 7/14/2011 Provide synthesized summary to interview subjects for edits/corrections.
● 7/15/2011 Be interviewed by neutral 3rd party.
● 7/16/2011 Align and analyze Student data and Staff feedback.
● 7/17/2011 Align and analyze Student data and Staff feedback.
● 7/18/2011 Align and analyze Student data and Staff feedback.
● 7/19/2011 Purpose & Background sections
● 7/20/2011 Methodology section
● 7/21/2011 Results section
● 7/22/2011 Discussion & Conclusion sections
● 7/23/2011 Conclusions & Recommendations section
● 7/25/2011 Executive Summary section
● 7/26/2011 Revise & proof read
● 7/27/2011 Final project
● 7/29/2011 Submit Final project

22. Appendix B
Interview Questions for Global Perspectives Teaching Team
1. Describe the typical freshman student.
2. How would you describe what the GP course is?
3. If you were asked to specify them, what are the objectives of the GP course?
4. What is the scope and sequence of the way you taught GP?
5. is your grading system based on a cumulative assignment grade or proficiency?
6. What things, specific to GP, should a student be able to demonstrate at the end of the
school year?
7. If a student cannot perform a majority of those things by the end of the class, what is the
likelihood they will pass GP?
8. What are the characteristics of the typical student that is successful in GP?
9. Are the factors of successful students in GP as a result of course content or what they
bring to the class?
10. If you had to choose the number one reason why students are successful in GP, what
would that be and why?
11. What are the characteristics of the typical student that is unsuccessful in GP?
12. What do you think are the causes of student failing GP?
13. In your opinion, were more failures a result of non completion of course content or poor
performances?
14. In your opinion, were more failures a result of non completion of major project(s) or from
poor performance on the major project(s)?
15. If you had to choose the number one reason that cause students to fail GP, what would
that be and why?
16. If you asked most students who failed your GP course “why” they failed, what would they
say?
17. What other school related indicators would you identify as being predictive of students
who may be at risk of failing GP?
18. Any individual comments, insights or suggestions?