Proposal: The Sunshine School Evaluation (Research Proposal Sample)

A3 – Final Individual Project: The Sunshine School Evaluation Proposal [Your Name] School of E-Education, Hamdan Bin Mohammad University LEAD 622: Planning and Evaluating Educational Programs Dr. Gretchen Wentzell Lowerison [Date] Proposal: The Sunshine School Evaluation This is an evaluation proposal for The Sunshine School which is one of the most successful private schools in the UAE. Having the vision to achieve excellence in academic fields and a mission to produce learners with a quest for knowledge and skills, the school has secured high ratings on performance standards since its inception in 1995. Key areas of performance standards ratings include the satisfaction of parents and students, learners' engagement, and academic achievement (Grissom et al., 2018). Since 2016, the school confronts a decline in its ratings, which calls for an analysis of the current situation of downfall and proposition of solutions to improve the overall performance. Needs Analysis Introduction Identification and Description of the Problem The Sunshine School has been successful in delivering quality education and learning to students by focusing on certain areas including satisfaction of parents and students, learners’ engagement, and academic achievement. In 2016, the school management opted for a specialized model for education named the flipped-class framework. This framework entails an instructional strategy that does not follow the traditional classroom teaching model (Petillion & McNeil, 2020). The flipped-class framework does not approve of the traditional learning approach that involves direct instructions or lectures by the teachers. It can be considered as a blended learning model that insists on equal participation of the students and teachers in the learning process. Therefore, students are asked to study the course materials at home before having exposure to real-world problem-solving in the classroom. The teacher provides instructions or interactive lectures to students via some online communication platform to enable them to have sufficient free time in the classroom. This free time in the classroom is supposed to be used for problem-solving activities and active learning. The classroom work is primarily conducted through the collaboration of students with each other and supervision and support by the teacher. Flipped classroom instructional approach has certain indirect outcomes for learners including that the learning habits of students change gradually to meet the demands of the modern world, students become independent in learning new things and skills, and students have opportunities to enhance their communication skills significantly. When implemented in 2016 in The Sunshine School, there might have been certain issues with the adoption of the model by the teachers, students, or parents, which led to the decline in the school's ratings on several performance parameters. Hence, it is critical to identify the problem and propose an appropriate solution for enhanced performance. The problem in using flipped classroom model successfully is that the stakeholders find it challenging to get used to this new educational pedagogy. While researching the flipped-class framework and associated problems, it becomes evident that its successful implementation confronts certain challenges that must be met efficiently. First, the teachers find it burdensome to prepare learning materials for the flipped approach to learning. It seems that teachers are bound to put double efforts into delivering classroom sessions and providing the students with learning content and online support to complete their home assignments (Kadambaevna et al., 2021). Second, the students cannot build the required focus on their studies as they work on the assignments at home. The disengagement of students while studying the course content at home can be the major cause of the dissatisfaction of parents as well as students. Studies vary in the findings of the outcomes of traditional and flipped classroom approaches. Some studies found that traditional classrooms have better outcomes for learners than flipped classrooms and vice versa. In the specific context of the UAE, the disadvantages of using flipped classrooms are more evident due to the particular social and cultural activities that engage individuals in collective gatherings more than in other countries. Besides, the readiness of the people of the UAE needs to be assessed regarding the implementation of a new educational approach that contradicts the traditional learning styles people have been familiar with in the past. Therefore, the third reason for the failure of flipped classroom approach in The Sunshine School can be the typical traditional mindset of parents and enhanced engagement of students in the social and cultural activities at home as well as in society. Fourth, the lack of communication to inform the parents and students about the benefits of using flipped classroom framework might have impacted the performance of the school in this regard. Briefing sessions, orientations, programs, and social media communication seem to be missing from the efforts of the school management to make students and parents ready for the new system. Fifth, refresher courses and training programs for teachers have not been arranged to the required extent. Considering the problems stated above in implementing the flipped classroom model in The Sunshine School, it is evident that the school management has to take effective initiatives to ascertain that the model is inevitable in the current dynamic educational environments. Identification of Potential Factors Attendance Rates The attendance rate is a clear indicator of a school’s performance. Therefore, it is considered by investors to provide funds for schools. When a school is performing well, the students show up in classes and engage in learning activities actively. On the contrary, a school that performs low usually confronts decreased student attendance (Hasan & Kumar, 2019). It is a potential factor that should be considered while evaluating a school’s performance and devising solutions accordingly. The Sunshine School is also facing this problem and there may be some reasons for this phenomenon. From the scenario provided for the school evaluation, it is not clear whether the educational program implemented for students’ enhanced learning has been updated over time or not. Hence, the students, teachers, or parents may have been dissatisfied with the program and perceive it to be obsolete, uninteresting, or ineffective. In this respect, it is noteworthy that educational reforms are taking place worldwide to provide students with an improved learning experience. The traditional teacher-centered approach is being widely replaced by the modern student-centered approach (Smith & Shouppe, 2018). Classrooms are being quipped with sufficient technological devices and tools to offer more interactive and collaborative learning to students. Ye, it is not clear whether The Sunshine School is providing the students with these modern facilities or not. As per the mission statement of the school, it is the objective of the educational offerings to students to enable them to engage with the world competently. Therefore, the need for assessing the school’s technological infrastructure, resources, and facilities is obvious in the face of the current challenge of decreased attendance. Student Achievements Students’ achievements prove to be one of the satisfying factors that hold significance in evaluating a school’s performance. It indicates if the students are satisfied with the content, method, and means of learning in the school. It denotes the academic as well as extracurricular accomplishments of the students while carrying out learning and development activities in the school. Students who do not have sufficient achievements while studying in a particular school are less likely to feel happy and contented. Instead, they are mostly feeling anxiety and trouble while performing classroom activities or working on home assignments (Gamage et al., 2021). Besides, they are not able to get good grades, and parents are forced to think about replacing the school for the sale of the students' learning or academic achievements. Currently, schools are opting for the integration of technology and traditional elements of teaching. From the scenario provided, it is not evident if The Sunshine School is acting on the integration of technology and tradition in the educational context. Furthermore, the implementation of an appropriate teaching model is also critical to ensure that the students, teachers, and parents are satisfied with it or not. The flipped classroom framework applied to The Sunshine School may not be the one that is suitable in the particular social, cultural, and educational contexts of the UAE. Or, in other words, there might be some changes to be implemented in the framework to adapt it to the specific internal and external conditions and make it useful for the stakeholders, i.e. students, parents, teachers, etc., of the institution. Teachers’ Satisfaction Teachers’ satisfaction is another significant contributor to a school’s overall performance. If achieved successfully, it leads to the spread of positive word-of-mouth in the community, attracting other people to get their children enrolled therein. Teachers are essential stakeholders of an educational institution who help make the image of the school and develop an exemplary culture that fosters higher learning aptitudes and skills among the students (Madigan & Kim, 2021). Teachers may become dissatisfied with the school due to the inadequate teaching facilities available in the classroom or the school's online portal. The hectic work routines can also decrease their morale to have a keen interest in offering superior learning experience to t...