Research Proposal Final Submission Rubric Writing Componen

Research Proposal Final Submission Rubric
Writing Components
CATEGORY Unacceptable
(0 points)
Revisions Required
(2.5 points)
Target
(5 points)
Are the focus and purpose clear
and ideas well supported?
Missing thesis; confusion about or
misunderstanding of topic; no sense of
purpose
Simplistic and unfocused ideas; limited
sense of purpose; support is provided, but is
not specific; support is only loosely relevant
to the main points
Developed thesis; represents sound
understanding of the assigned topic;
focused support is provided and is sound,
valid, and logical

Is the writing structured well
organized? Is correct
sentence structure and
proper mechanics utilized?
No paragraph structure; or single,
rambling paragraph; or series of isolated
paragraphs; Contains multiple and
serious errors of sentence structure: i.e.,
fragments, run-ons; unable to write
simple sentences; numerous errors in
spelling and capitalization; intrusive
and/or inaccurate punctuation;
communication is hindered
Organization structure is present, but
is confusing or disjointed; weak paragraph
structure; transitions are missing or
inappropriate; Formulaic sentence
patterns or overuse of simple
sentences; errors in sentence structure;
contains several punctuation, spelling,
and/or capitalization errors (up to 6);
errors may or may not interfere with
meaning
Clear organizational structure;
easily followed; includes transitions;
structured format; Effective and
varied sentences; errors (if present) due
to lack of careful proofreading; virtually
free of punctuation, spelling,
capitalization errors (no more than
3); errors do not interfere with
meaning

Are vocabulary and word
usage varied and
appropriate?
Vocabulary is unsophisticated; or subject
specific vocabulary or sophisticated
vocabulary used incorrectly
Proper, but simple vocabulary used;
subject specific vocabulary used
infrequently
Vocabulary is varied, specific and
appropriate; uses subject specific
vocabulary correctly
Is the source requirement
met and is APA format
followed?
Source requirements for the appropriate
level were not met; there are significant
format errors present; multiple (more
than 6) of APA formatting errors; in the
reference list and/or in-text citations
Meets minimum requirements for
degree level: Masters – A minimum of
10 sources were utilized; Fewer than
6 APA format errors are present in the
reference list in-text; citations; header;
headings; page numbers; etc.
Five (5) sources beyond minimum

requires were utilized; there are
virtually no APA format errors present in
either reference list in-text; citations;
header; headings; page numbers; etc.
Is proper evidence and support
of original work provided in
body of the review?
Safe Assign originality report indicates
match percentage of greater than 25
percent
Safe Assign originality report indicates
match percentage of 15 to 25 percent
Safe Assign originality report indicates a
match percentage of less than 15
percent
Content Components
CATEGORY Unacceptable
(0 points)
Revisions Required
(2.5 points)
Target
(5 points)
Source of data is credible, and
data is representative of the

scope requirements for the
advanced degree being sought
(InTASC 6, 9; CAEP A1.1)
The source of the data is ambiguous or
lacks credibility; data does not allow for
problem/weakness identification
appropriate for required project scope
The source of the data is clear and
credible; data does not allow for
problem/weakness identification
appropriate for required project scope
The source of the data is clear and
credible; data allows for identification
of an of a classroom, multi-
classroom, school or district level
problem/weakness appropriate to
the required project
scope
Signature Project Stage 1 Final Submission Rubric
Graphical representation
of compiled data allows
for easy analysis
(CAEP A1.1)
Graphical format does not present the

data in a clear manner; data is only
partially presented
Graphical format(s) is appropriate
and clearly presents all the collected
data
Graphical format(s) is appropriate; clearly
presents all the collected data; highlights
visible patterns or trends
Identified
problem/weakness is
supported by trends or
patterns seen in the data
(InTASC 6, 9, 10; CAEP A1.1)
Problem/weakness is not clearly
identified or does not align with the
trends and patterns identified in the data
Problem/weakness is clearly
identified; aligns with the type of data
collected, but connections between the
trends/patterns in the data are not clearly
described in the narrative
Problem/weakness is clearly identified;
aligns with the type of data collected;
clear connections between the
trends/patterns are drawn in the
narrative
Best practices are identified
and supported by the literature

as viable responses to
weaknesses and problems
represented by the data
(InTASC 8, 9, 10; CAEPA1.1)
Best practice(s) are not clearly identified;
literature reviewed does not support the
identified best practice(s) as a viable
option to improve achievement
Best practice(s) are clearly identified;
literature reviewed does not support the
identified best practice(s) as a viable option
to improve achievement
Best practice(s) are clearly identified;
literature reviewed supports the
identified best practices as viable
responses to the problem/weakness
identified
Theories and/or trends are
identified and connected with
best practices in literature
(InTASC 8, 9, 10; CAEP A1.1)
Theory or trend is not identified;
theory/trend identified are not connected
with the best practice(s) via literature
Theory or trend is clearly identified;
literature reviewed does not connect the
identified theory/trend with the identified
best practice

Theory or trend is clearly identified;
literature reviewed connects the
identified theory/trend with all
identified best practices
Proper level of synthesis is
achieved in the literature review
Summaries were given; are not clear or
fail to make clear connections with best
practice(s) and/or theory/trend(s)
identified as viable responses to
problem/weakness
Summaries are clear and concise;
clear connections with best practice
and/or theory/trend identified as
viable response to problem/weakness
may or may not be present
Synthesis rather than summaries of
content presented in the collection
of sources is present, clear connections
with best practice and/or theory/trend
identified as viable response to
problem/weakness present
Description of plan is clear and
easy to follow
(InTASC 7, 9, 10; CAEP A1.1)
Action plan is not described; description

is not clear; steps in plan are not in a
logical order
Action plan description is provided,
but additional detail may be warranted;
steps in plan are outlined, but
additional steps may be needed, or the
order could be altered for better efficiency
Action plan description is provided, and
sufficient detail is included; steps in
plan are outlined; exhaustive list of
steps and sequence of steps allows
for optimal efficiency and outcome.
Project timeline accounts for all
elements in the plan and
allocates appropriate amounts
of time for each element
Project timeline is missing or incomplete;
time allocation is inadequate or too
extensive for one or more elements
included in the plan
Project timeline is provided; all
elements identified in the plan are
included, but additional elements might
be needed for an improved outcome; timing
and/or time allocation could be improved
Project timeline is provided; all
necessary elements are included for
optimal outcome

Variables are identified and
defined
(CAEP A1.1)
Variables are misidentified Variables are identified correctly,
but
with no clear definitions or explanations as
to how they will be measured
Variables are identified correctly, with
clear definitions and explanations as
to how they will be measured
Required data needs are
identified and plans for
retrieving and protecting that
data are clear (i.e., methods)
Data needs are not identified or do not
align with the problem; data retrieval
plans are missing or inappropriate
Data needs are identified; data
retrieval plans are included, but plans
for protecting the data and/or student
confidentiality are not provided or are
inadequate
Data needs are identified; data retrieval
plans are included; adequate plans for
protecting student confidentiality
and/or data are provided

Signature Project Stage 1 Final Submission Rubric
Description of the sample and
sampling techniques are
provided
(CAEP A1.1)
Detailed descriptions of the participants
are not given and/or sampling technique
is not provided
Brief overview of the sample is given,
and sampling technique may or may
not be included
Full descriptions of the participant
sample, sampling technique and
justifications for both the sample
chosen and the sampling technique
are given
Needed resources are identified,
justified, and a leverage plan for
acquiring resources is clear and
supported
(InTASC 5, 9, 10; CAEP A1.1)
Resources are not identified or are
inadequate; no justification for the

resources is provided; unclear how
identified resources might be acquired;
plan for acquiring resources is inadequate
or ill conceived
Resources are identified, but additional
resources may be needed; justification
for the resources is provided, but
leverage plan for acquiring resources is not
clear
Exhaustive list of resources is
identified; justification for the resources
is provided; leverage plan for
acquiring resources is outlined
Justification for how the action
plan will address the identified
problem is clear
No connection between the action plan
and the identified problem is provided
Connection between the action plan
and the identified problem is
provided
Connection between the action plan and
the identified problem is provided;
justification of that connection is
included
Connection between action plan
and impact on student

achievement is clear
No connection between action plan
outcome and student achievement is
provided
Connection between action plan
outcome and student achievement is
provided; justification of that
connection may or may not be
included
Connection between action plan outcome
and student achievement is provided;
justification of that connection is included;
limitations or outside interferences
to improved student achievement
are identified
Do appendices include
necessary documentation?
Most items required in the appendices are
not presented in the appendices; the plan
and necessary steps to protect human
subjects in research are not clear
Most required items are presented in the
appendices; items and plan for ethical
practices in protection of human subjects
are weak
All required items are presented in the
appendices; items clearly demonstrate

ethical practices in protection of
human subjects
THE EFFECTS OF A MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOM 1
The Effects of a Mixed-Ability Classroom on STAR
Mathematics Scores
Felisha N. Cleland
University of West Alabama
ED5049621FA1: Tech of Educational Research
Mrs. Annah Rogers, B.A., M.S.
October 4, 2021
Abstract

Many schools, including Sand Rock High School, track
students by ability even before
high school when natural tracking occurs. When this happens,
lower-ability students lose the
confidence they need to make progress, and all abilities lose the
opportunity to collaborate with
diverse peers. An alternative to this homogenous-ability
tracking is to create mixed-ability
classrooms. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect
of mixed-ability classes on
students of all ability levels. This proposal intends to
investigate whether a transition from
homogenous-ability classrooms to mixed-ability classrooms will
improve proficiency on the
STAR test in mathematics for 7th-grade students at Sand Rock
High School. This project predicts
that this transition from homogenous-ability classrooms to
mixed-ability classrooms will
improve student confidence and allow unique learning
opportunities such as students being able
to collaborate with diverse peers, which in turn, will increase
proficiency levels on STAR
mathematics scores for these students in 7th grade at Sand Rock
High School. Data will be

collected at the beginning of the experiment and then every 9
weeks for an entire school year
with the teachers changing mid-year.
The Effects of a Multi-Ability Classroom on Mathematics
Scores
Chapter 1: Research Problem
Introduction
At many schools in the United States, students are tracked or
grouped by ability even
before high school. Tracking is the process of grouping students
together by ability. According to
data from a 2017-18 National Teacher and Principal Survey,

nearly half of middle schools across
the country group students based on ability (Standing et al.,
2021). Some schools allow the
teachers do this within a classroom for differentiation purposes,
while other schools group entire
classrooms by ability. Entire classes being grouped by ability
means that students are labeled by
their perceived ability level as either above average, average, or
below average and divided up
into different classes based on these assignments.
At Sand Rock High School, the above-average classes are
generally the smallest in
number, whereas the other classes that contain the students that
need the most one-on-one from a
teacher have the larger class sizes. This is only one negative
from grouping this way. Far too
often, special education students, except for gifted students, get
placed in the average or below
average groups. Also, English Language Learner (ELL)
students, other minority students, and
low socioeconomic status students, and are too often
disproportionately placed in the average or
below average groups (Childhood Education, 2014). This type
of grouping is hazardous for all

levels of ability in that each group of students, once tracked,
tend to stay with that same group
until graduation, with very limited movement between groups
(Harklau, 1994). This deprives all
students of the ability to collaborate with diverse peers. It also
puts the lower ability students in a
classroom where the curriculum typically gets watered down
due to decreased expectations by
the teacher for that class (Losen, 1999).
It has also been shown that grouping by ability early on
negatively impacts students
psychologically. In a case study of 100 low-ability students in
three schools, the students were
asked about their perceptions of their ability to learn. Those
students overwhelmingly responded
with emotional words like “shame”, “upset”, and “inferiority”
(McGillicuddy & Devine, 2020).
Additionally, many high achieving countries use minimal ability
grouping as compared to the
United States.

Statement of the Research Problem
Despite the expansive research that shows the harmful effect on
students in lower tracks
and shows no significant advantages for higher-tracked
students, homogenous-ability classrooms
continue to be a widely used practice in American schools
(Childhood Education, 2014). One
reason for the continued use is the fact that many teachers find
that not grouping by ability is
difficult to do (Ambreen & Conteh, 2021). It has also been
shown that politically vocal parents
of the would-be higher-tracked students, who are
disproportionately likely to be white and well-
educated, stand in opposition to moving away from the status
quo of homogeneous ability
grouped classrooms (Childhood Education, 2014). Sand Rock
High School is no different in
terms of parents wanting to keep the status quo and keep their
students in the higher ability
grouped, nor in the fact that many teachers are fearful of the
required work needed to maintain a
successful classroom that is not grouped by ability.
Regardless of the above-mentioned roadblocks to change, data

from STAR scores at
Sand Rock High School show that change needs to be made.
Proficiency scores on the STAR
test show that the methods used currently at Sand Rock High
School are ineffective. Also, as a
teacher at Sand Rock High School, I have seen the negative
effects on students who are tracked
before high school. Lower-ability students lose the confidence
they need to make progress, and
all abilities lose the opportunity to collaborate with diverse
peers.
Teachers across the country have been making changes to their
ability grouping practices
to be able to meet the needs of all learners without grouping
them by ability (Spear, 1994). The
purpose of this study is to determine the effect of mixed-ability
classes on all students and to
determine if there is a link between mixed-ability classrooms
and increased student achievement.
It is hypothesized that students placed in mixed-ability
classrooms will outperform students who

are separated by ability.
Data Graphic and Discussion
The following table of data shows proficiency and non-
proficiency, as a percentage, in
mathematics at each grade level, 1st grade through 8th grade at
Sand Rock High School for the
2020-2021 school year. This data comes directly from STAR
reports. The data shows that there
is a noted drop in proficiency percentages in grades who initiate
the participation of the
technique of grouping students by ability, i.e., 4th and 7th
grades. It is also interesting to note that
beginning in 4th grade, more students are non-proficient than
are proficient. Prior to this, the
pattern is reversed. This shows that after tracking begins,
proficiency rates drop.

STAR Data (End-Of-Year) FY21
GRADE Students Proficient on
STAR
Student NOT Proficient on
STAR
1st 78 22
2nd 69 31
3rd 63 37
4th 43 57
5th 48 52
6th 55 45
7th 32 68
8th 35 65
Impact on Student Achievement
According to research and personal experience, there are many
reasons as to why a
mixed-ability classroom would be preferable to a homogeneous-

ability classroom for all students
involved. The main topic of opposition to the previous
statement pertains to the high-ability
students in mixed-ability classrooms. Many educators claim that
their desire to not have mixed-
ability classrooms is that these high-ability students will not
make as much progress as they
would in a classroom of just other high-ability students.
Research shows, however, that even
though high-ability students initially perform slightly better in
homogenous-ability classrooms,
the effects are temporary and are diminished in subsequent
years (Abadzi, 1985).
Many researchers discourage homogeneous-ability grouping
since it heavily limits
opportunities for students of all abilities to be able to “enjoy the
cognitive and social benefits of
group work despite sitting in groups for most of the time during
their lessons” (Ambreen &
Conteh, 2021). When students are not diversely grouped, they
lose the opportunity to have

conversations with peers who likely come from differing
backgrounds and may have different
opinions. In a Learner’s Perspective Study in which students
from 14 countries were asked to
identify the main event in a lesson from which they learned the
most. The most common
response from 13 out of the 14 countries was “something
another student said” (Clarke, 2021).
This is an important statement coming from students
themselves. This means that without this
interaction between abilities, lower ability students miss having
the quality of explanations that
come from their peers. Also, as said in many mathematics
classrooms, “If you don’t know it well
enough to explain it, then you don’t really understand i t”. This
is a skill that the high-ability
students miss as it is unnecessary to try to teach another person
how to do a skill or how to
understand a concept if everyone around them is learning as fast
as they are.
Research Methodology
The experimental research plan involves creating three classes
of 7th-grade students at

Sand Rock High School. One class will be selected by random
sampling to create the mixed-
ability class. The sample chosen was because the 7th-grade
year was shown to have a large
decrease in proficiency levels on the STAR test from the
previous year. It was also chosen as the
sample since my position as the math department chair for Sand
Rock High School will enable
me to monitor the validity of the experiment without directly
affecting it as I do not teach 7th-
grade. The sampling technique is stratified random to ensure the
correct proportions of different
ability ranges be included in the mixed-ability class. The
mixed-ability class is pulled first from
each ability grouping randomly. Then remaining students will
be divided equally down the
middle of performance level on the previous year’s STAR test
to ensure two homogeneously
grouped classes by ability. Each student in 7th-grade will be
taught by the same teacher for the
first semester and then transition to a different teacher the

second semester. This will help to
ensure that any differences in proficiency from class to class
will not be related to a difference in
teacher. The two homogenous classes will be taught as normal
while the mixed-ability class will
have the ability to incorporate collaboration activities that are
otherwise impossible in a
homogenous-ability classroom. Students in all three classes will
be randomly assigned numbers
to protect their identities. Informed consent will be obtained
from parents and guardians since the
experiment involves minors.
Summary (of Chapter 1)
The data reflects a problem with proficiency levels on the
STAR mathematics test at
Sand Rock High School. This study will focus on the current
7th-grade class at this school. By
creating a mixed-ability instead of a homogenous-ability class,
it is expected that students in the
mixed-ability classroom will outperform students in the
homogenous-ability classroom. This will
be achieved by incorporating mixed-ability grouping best
practices, which will, in turn, increase

the confidence level of lower-ability students. It will also
provide valuable collaboration
activities among for ability levels.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Introduction
The majority consensus in educational literature suggests that
ability grouping is harmful
to students. This is especially true for groups such as ELL
students and minorities, that get
disproportionally placed into the low-ability classes.
Unfortunately, socioeconomic status is also
a predictor of track assignment in public schools (Epple et al.,
2002). In addition, the literature
suggests that regardless of how students are grouped by ability,
achievement gaps are evident
between the tracks (Chmielewski, 2014). This indicates that no
matter how homogeneous ability
grouping was attempted, results were the same. Even for high-
ability students, it has been shown
to only contribute temporarily to the success of those students.

Educational literature about
ability grouping agrees on the wide range of benefits of mixed-
ability grouping to include both
psychological, social, and academic advantages.
Best Practices for Increasing Proficiency
The use of best practices in a mixed-ability classroom is vital
to maximize the learning
opportunities for all students. It is important for the teacher to
transition from teacher-centered to
student-centered instruction (Spear, 1994). Within the student-
centered classroom, there are tools
that the teacher can use to provide the proper support to
struggling students while challenging the
students who are moving through the task at hand at a quicker
pace.
In an article by Doug Clark (2021), he offers several ways to
accomplish this. The first is
to have a quick class discussion throughout the task at hand to
help provide encouragement and
clarification for students who might be struggling. He also
suggests the use of enabling prompts
which are only intended to get students initially on track and
are only used for students who

might need them. Additionally, Clark encourages the use of
extending prompts for students who
have finished the initial task quickly and need a challenging
continuation of the task.
In addition to the above-mentioned tools for differentiation, it
will be helpful for teachers
to incorporate peer tutoring and peer explanation into the
lessons. Many students learn better
from other students, so this is a very good benefit of having
mixed-ability classes. Because of
this, it will also be helpful to provide as much opportunity as
possible for students to work
together on a task so that they can talk through their problem-
solving ideas with one another. The
diversity of students in a mixed-ability classroom allows for a
more enriching group project
experience. In the end, the most important tools a teacher can
incorporate to making a mixed-
ability classroom successful are patience, flexibility, and
maintaining high expectations for all
students.

Chapter 3: Methodology
Introduction
With the population at Sand Rock High School trending
towards more non-
proficient students on the STAR mathematics test than
proficient, it will be important to examine
the link between how students are ability-grouped and these
proficiency scores. The plan for this
study is to compare the STAR mathematics scores of 7th graders
homogeneously grouped by ability
with those heterogeneously grouped by ability. Sand Rock has
three groups of 7th graders who are
typically divided up into three groups of ability: above aver age,
average, and below average. This
study will instead create a class of mixed-ability grouped 7th
graders, with two other classes who
remain grouped by ability. All students will then be assessed at
regular intervals to determine the
link, if any, between grouping practices and proficiency levels
on the STAR mathematics test. It
is proposed that the students who are not grouped by ability will
outperform the students who are
grouped by ability on the STAR mathematics test. It is also

proposed that there will be positive
changes in the students’ social and emotional health. The
impact of the results from this study
could affect grouping practices at Sand Rock High School,
which will, in turn, benefits student
proficiency levels for all grades at the school.
Population
Sand Rock School is a Pre-Kindergarten through 12th-grade
school, however, only 7th
graders at Sand Rock will be participating in this study. This
group was chosen as it is the first
grade considered high school at Sand Rock, therefore, they are
already in a year of transition
from middle to high school. This transition year will be taken
advantage of since doing the study
in other grades would risk interfering with the education of the
students as they are already in a
set routine in the other buildings. This grade was also chosen
because the two mathematics
teachers of students at Sand Rock High School are willing

participants in the study.
Sample
All seventy-five 7th-grade students will be subdivided into
groups of fifteen, separated by
their scores on the previous year’s STAR test. Five students will
be randomly selected from each
of the five groups to form the mixed-ability class. The
remaining students will be separated into
two equally homogeneous grouped ability classes.
Sample Technique
The sampling technique is stratified random. It is stratified to
ensure the correct
proportions of different ability ranges be included in the
sample, mixed-ability class. The mixed
ability class is pulled first from each ability grouping randomly.
The remaining students will be
divided equally down the middle of performance on the
previous year’s STAR test to ensure two
homogeneously grouped classes by ability.
Role of Participants and Impact on Participants
Each student in 7th-grade will be taught by the same teacher
for the first semester and

then transition to a different teacher the second semester. The
two homogeneous classes will be
taught as normal while in the mixed-ability classes, the teacher
will have the ability to
incorporate collaboration activities and best practices that are
otherwise impossible in a
homogeneous-ability classroom.
There is expected to be an immedia te and positive impact on
students who are in the
mixed-ability grouped class. Those students are expected to
gain confidence in their math
abilities and be able to collaborate more effectively with diverse
populations, which in turn will
show an increase in proficiency scores on the STAR
mathematics test. Positive results from this
study will have the ability to impact practices at Sand Rock to
be able to help all other grade
levels of students.
Plan for Protection of Human Subjects
Students in all three classes will be randomly assigned numbers

to protect their identities.
The project director will be the only person who will have
access to the list of students and these
assigned numbers. In addition, although no harm is expected to
come from participation in this
study, informed consent will be obtained from parents and
guardians as this study does involve
minors.
Variables
The dependent variable in this study is the proficiency
percentages of the STAR math
scores of the 7th-grade students at Sand Rock High School
participating in this study as this is
what is expected to be affected by the independent variable. The
independent variable in this
study is the instruction techniques of mixed-ability grouping
that are unavailable in
homogeneously grouped classrooms. More specifically, this
would include collaboration
techniques that maximize the learning of all students.
Timeline
Students will be selected for each class prior to the beginning
of the school year based on

the previous year’s STAR mathematics scores. They will then
be reassessed in the first two
weeks of school to ensure there are no outliers in the grouping
of students. Students will not be
moved at that point; any outliers will just be noted in the data.
Additionally, all students will be
given the STAR assessment two additional times per semester,
at the first nine-week mark and
then at the end of the semester. The students will be assessed on
the same day, except for absent
students. Those students will be assessed on the first day of
their return, when possible. Potential
links between class ability grouping and STAR proficiency
scores will be determined at the end
of the school year.
Constitutive and Operation Definitions
The STAR mathematics test is an online assessment program
that assesses 49 sets of
math skills in 1st through 7th grade and 44 sets of skills in 9th
through 12 grades to determine a

student’s overall math achievement. The three classes of
students will be assigned the letters A,
B, and C. Class A will consist of the mixed-ability students.
Class B will consist of the
homogeneously grouped high-ability students, and Class C will
consist of the homogeneously
grouped lower ability students. The teachers will be assigned
the numbers 1 and 2. Teacher 1
will be the first-semester teacher, and Teacher 2 will be the
second-semester teacher.
Description of Data
The data will come from the STAR mathematics test given to
all 7th-grade students. The
test will be given once at the beginning of the school year and
then once at the end of each nine
weeks for a total of five assessments. Confirmation or rejection
of the hypothesis that the class of
mixed-ability students will outperform either class of
homogeneous ability grouped students will
occur only at the end of the year when all data has been
obtained. The arrival of the confirmation
or rejection of the hypothesis will be obtained from analyzing
the progress of students

individually and by class as a whole.
Reliability and Validity of Instrument
The STAR test is widely used in all fifty states in the United
States to gauge the
proficiency levels of students in grades 1-12. It is also one of
the main instruments in Response
to Intervention (RTI) placement at Sand Rock School. The
STAR assessment will be given to
students on the same day, except for student absences, to limit
different extraneous factors from
student to student. Even though the teacher will change at the
semester mark, all 7th-grade
students will have the same teacher at the same time to ensure
that any differences in proficiency
from class to class are not related to a difference in teacher.
Limitations
Currently, there is a high rate of absenteeism especially due to

COVID quarantines. This
could affect individual student achievement. In addition, any
potential lack of ability of the
teacher to be able to incorporate sound techniques of mixed-
ability classes could also affect
student achievement of the classes. The current teachers of 7th
graders at Sand Rock High School
are willing participants, but if there were any changes to this
scenario, it would be important to
ensure that any teacher participating in this study does not have
potential biases about mixed
ability grouping that could affect the outcome of the study.
References
Abadzi, H. (1985). Ability grouping effects on academic
achievement and self-esteem: Who

performs in the long run as expected? The Journal of
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Appendix A
Consent Form

Consent Form
Felisha Cleland
The University of West Alabama
Research Proposal Title: The Effects of a Mixed-Ability
Classroom on STAR Mathematics Scores
1. What is the purpose of the study? The purpose of this study
is to determine the effect of mixed-ability classes on all
students.
2. How was I chosen? You were chosen because you are a 7th
grader at Sand Rock High School. The 7th grade class was
chosen
to participate due to their being a noted drop in proficiency
levels in this grade in the past.
3. What will be involved in participating? You will be placed
in either a like or mixed ability class of students. Selection for
these groups is random, and you will not be informed as to
which group you are in. You will also be given 5 STAR math
assessments throughout the year. These assessments are not due,
but this is the data that will be used in this study.
4. Who will know what I say? You will be assigned a random
number at the beginning of research. Only Felisha Cleland, the
research director, will be aware of your specific number. That

way, anything you say will be associated with your number
instead
of your name. Also, any of your STAR scores will only be
associated with your number, not your name.
5. What risks and benefits are associated with participation?
There will be very little risk to you as you as every effort will
be made to ensure that your education is not hindered by this
study. However, it may be found that by your participation in
this
study, changes will be made at Sand Rock School to ensure that
learning is maximized for all students at Sand Rock.
6. What are my rights as a respondent? You may ask any
questions regarding the research, and they will be answered
fully. Your participation in the study is voluntary; you may
withdraw at any time.
7. What will be published? Following the completion of this
research proposal, I plan to maintain my records for use in
future
publications and scholarly presentations. I plan to publish my
findings as articles in professional journals, with the ultimate
goal
of publishing a book or a chapter in a book.
8. If I want more information, whom can I contact about the
study? This study has been approved by the University of West
Alabama’s Internal Review Board for the Protection of Human

Subjects. This board can be contacted through the office of
Mrs.
Patricia Pratt. In addition, my research advisor, Mrs. Annah
Rogers, can be contacted at [email protected]
__________________________
___________________________________
Felisha Cleland, Project Director Respondent’s
signature, Date
This consent form has all the required information from Federal
law.
Appendix B
Authorization for a Minor to Serve as a Subject in Research
Authorization for a Minor to Serve as a Subject in Research
I authorize the service of _____________________ as a subject
in the research investigation entitled: The Effects of
(name of minor)
a Mixed-Ability Classroom on STAR Mathematics Scores.

The nature and general purpose of the research procedure and
the known risks have
been explained to me. I understand that
_____________________ will be given a preservice
(name of minor)
explanation of the research and that he/she may decline to
serve. Further, I understand that he/she may terminate
his/her service in this research at any time he/she so desires.
I understand the known risks are the possibility of reading
scores not increasing or being given behavior
modification when it is not needed.
I understand also that it is not possible to identify all potential
risks in an experimental procedure, and I
believe that reasonable safeguards have been taken to minimize
both the known and the potential but unknown risks.
I agree further to indemnify and hold harmless the University
of West Alabama and its agents and
employees from any and all liability, actions, or causes of
actions that may accrue to the subject minor as a result of
his/her activities for which this consent is granted.
Witness_____________________________
Signed_____________________________

(parent or guardian)
Date_______________________________
To be retained by researcher
Appendix C
Permission to Conduct Research
Permission to Conduct Research
Felisha Cleland, Teacher
40 Quail Drive
Centre, AL 35960
October 4, 2021
Mr. Ben East, Principal
Sand Rock High School
1950 Sand Rock Ave
Sand Rock, AL 35983

Dear Mr. East,
I would like to conduct a study using the 7th Grade classes of
Sand Rock High School. The study
proposes to research the effects of a mixed-ability classroom on
STAR mathematics scores. The results
of this study will improve the educational practices of teachers
and the school. It will also impact the
mathematical proficiency of the students at Sand Rock School.
The study will take place from August 1,
2022 to May 31, 2023. It will be conducted by me, Mrs. Felisha
Cleland, a current mathematics teacher.
I feel that this research study is a very worthwhile endeavor for
our students and school. Please
review the enclosed information in order to make a decision
concerning our school’s ability to conduct
this research. A consent form has been included.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Felisha Cleland
Mathematics Teacher
Sand Rock High School

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