Improving student SAT scores at Bishop Shanahan High School

Analyzing Data and Exploring Research Strategies
Bishop Shanahan High School’s overall objective is to sustain excellence, provide a strong spiritual life, and provide challenging academic and rich extracurricular programs for all its students. While the school has remained relatively successful over the years, it currently finds itself coasting in an unfamiliar territory due to the decline in SAT scores in standardized testing. As a result, the current opportunity for improvement for the school is enhancing student SAT scores in standardized testing. Currently, the school is addressing this issue through backtracking some of the cost saving strategies adopted by the administration, which have been at the expense of students. Based on the insights obtained from the previous modules, this paper analyzes data and explores research strategies for addressing the current issue facing Bishop Shanahan High School. The data is analyzed in terms of data literacy, data analysis, and research, which help to identify a suitable strategy for addressing the opportunity for improvement in the School Improvement Plan (SIP).
Presentation of Data
Bishop Shanahan High School is currently coasting in an unfamiliar territory because of decline in students’ SAT scores in standardized testing. As a result, the opportunity for improvement at the school due to this issue is improving students’ SAT scores in standardized testing. The opportunity for improvement in relation to enhancing students’ SAT scores at the school was identified through examining existing data. Bishop Shanahan High School’s demographics shows a predominantly upper middle class, Caucasian dominated student body. College acceptance drives the school’s strategic plans in order to meet the wants and needs of our parents. As part of its strategic plans, the school tends to focus strictly on SAT scores when addressing needs for change and improvement. The decline in students’ performance in SAT scores in Math is evident through a review of performances between 2016 and 2018 as shown in the figure below.
Figure 1: Students’ SAT Scores in Standardized Testing Between 2016 and 2018
Data Description and Analysis
As shown in Figure 1 above, the dataset used in examining the current area of improvement or issue at Bishop Shanahan High School is students’ performance in reading and Math between 2016 and 2018. Students’ scores in each of these years for both reading and Math shows a significant decline. Bishop Shanahan High School is renowned for setting standards for public and private schools in performance in different subjects (Bishop Shanahan High School, n.d.). This is reflected in its performance in public and private competition. Currently, the school’s public and private school competition averages 65% and 40% respectively.
As of 2016, only 55% of students at the school were scoring >=625 in reading and only 29% were scoring >= 600 in math as shown in Figure 1 above. On the other hand, only 10% of students were scoring below 500 in reading and 23% in Math as of 2018. This demonstrates that there is a significant decline in students’ SAT scores in these subjects, particularly Math. Existing studies have shown a decline in average Math score across the country. According to Gewertz (2018), the average Math score has experienced a steady decline from 20.9 in 2013 to 20.5 in 2018. The decline is despite the role and significance of strong Math skills in science, engineering and technology. Bishop Shanahan High School is one of the affected schools in terms of declining student SAT scores in Math in standardized testing.
However, the school’s declining performance in Math scores in standardized testing is attributable to other factors including removal of tracking being by the Superintendent as part of a marketing campaign to create an illusion at 100% college acceptance. As part of this campaign, the school focuses on moving all students into Honors and AP level learning environments by grade 10. Fear of competition has caused poor judgment at the sacrifice of the students’ true need in the classroom. Additionally, this issue is also brought by increase in class size that results in poor teacher-student ratio and the reduction of track levels and personalized support systems.
Goals for the School Improvement Plan
Based on the data, Bishop Shanahan High School needs to adopt suitable strategies and an action plan that seeks to address this opportunity for improvement. The strategies and action plan should be guided by specific goals that are aligned to school’s vision and mission statements and personal values as a school leader. One of the goals of this improvement plan is to enhance students’ learning experiences in light of reduction of track levels. This is in line with the school’s vision of providing rich academic programs and its mission on improving students’ academic experiences. The second goal is to improve students’ scores in SAT scores in Math in standardized testing. This goal is in line with the vision and mission of the school in terms of promoting better academic performance of all students toward achieving the individual post-secondary goals. Third, this improvement plan seeks to enhance students’ mastery of Math concepts as taught in the classroom. This goal aligns with the school’s vision and mission to prepare all students to be critical thinkers and moral stewards in a rapidly evolving global environment.
Three Strategies Considered
The achievement of the targeted opportunity for improvement in the school’s SIP requires the use of evidence-based strategies. According to Hanover Research (2014), the achievement of the opportunity for improvement target by a school requires the use of evidence-based models and strategies. Based on research conducted in the previous modules, there are three evidence-based strategies that can be utilized to meet the targeted opportunity for improvement at Bishop Shanahan High School.
The first evidence-based strategy under consideration is Daggett System for Effective Instruction, which focuses on improving instruction and instructional capacity through providing adequate support to teachers. This strategy provides a premise through which teachers facilitate learning and adopt a student-centered approach to teaching. Daggett System for Effective Instruction is a suitable evidence-based strategy for the school since it will help improve teaching and learning practices at the school. The implementation of this strategy will entail defining teacher training and evaluation of skills in the subject area, redefining teaching strategies and approaches, and ensuring appropriate teacher-student ratio to ensure personalized support.
Secondly, the targeted opportunity for improvement can be achieved through the use of balanced scorecard model, which has been identified as a highly effective school improvement model (Hanover Research, 2014). Balanced scorecard is a data-driven model that facilitates achievement of targeted improvement opportunities through measuring motivates and enhancing management of the overall educational or instructional process. Additionally, balanced scorecard is an evidence-based strategy that provides a framework for schools to evaluate and measure whether they have achieved their strategic objectives within a specific period of time (Yuksel & Coskun, 2013). The implementation of this strategy would require conducting an internal review or of institutional culture in relation to teaching practices and students’ achievement (Yuksel & Coskun, 2013). This will be followed by reviewing the school’s external rankings, assessment ratios, quality of assessments, and students’ satisfaction ratios. Insights obtained from the reviews are then utilized to formulate suitable strategies and approaches for enhancing teaching and learning in the classroom.
The third evidence-based strategy under consideration is total quality management (TQM), which is approach that focuses on enhancing organizational outputs through ongoing improvement of internal concepts (Farooq et al., 2007). Total quality management promotes awareness and a commitment by everyone, a clear mission, a systems planning approach, collaborative teamwork, empowerment of all stakeholders, a focus on mastery learning, and data-based decision making and analysis. This strategy provides a premise for integration of technology in the learning process, which plays a critical role in enhancing students’ performance in standardized setting. The implementation of this strategy would involve establishing quality control framework or systems as part of shift in management of teaching practices at the school. This would be followed by creating new supervisory practices that would guide teachers and staff members on new paradigms of quality assurance. The school administration should then work in collaboration with other stakeholders to introduce cross-curricular instruction to incorporate three subjects as part of reclassification of students.
Description of Research on Strategy
The selected strategy that would help address the current issue or targeted area of improvement at Bishop Shanahan High School is Daggett System for Effective Instruction (DSEI). As previously mentioned, this model focuses on enhancing instruction and instructional capacity by providing adequate support to teachers. The strategy is considered the most suitable approach to address the problem given that declining students’ SAT scores in Math in standardized testing since it is attributable to instruction and instructional capacity at the school. This model has been the subject of numerous publications and studies that seek to demonstrates its effectiveness in enhancing instruction and students’ performance. An example of a recent study that relatively demonstrates application of the chosen strategy is as follows…
Table 1: Description of Research on DSEI Strategy

Describe the Design Type of the Research:
The study sought to examine data on the training and qualities of effective school leaders including teachers. As a result, the researchers conducted a qualitative phenomenological research.

Identify the Participants:
This phenomenological research was conducted on a sample size of 30 individuals. These individuals comprised 26 teachers and 4 school administrators. This sample size was selected from three primary schools in Gaziantep through the use of purposive sampling technique.

Describe the Research Method:
The research method employed by Dö? & Sava? (2015) is qualitative phenomenological research. This research methodology was chosen on the premise that the issue under investigation is exploratory in nature. Additionally, the researchers used this methodology since they had no in-depth and detailed understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. Therefore, the use of this research methodology and approach provided a suitable foundation and strategy for the researchers to examine the research issue comprehensively.

Describe the Outcome:
The study examined various models that help in establishment or development of effective schools. These models were examined based on the key features of such schools, which include high expectations from students, strong leadership, a systematic school climate, effective classroom management, a well-organized curriculum, high expectations from teachers, and evaluating student success and feedback. Daggett System for Effective Instruction was one of the models examined by these researchers. The study found this model effective toward the establishment of effective schools since it provides the premise for development of strong administrative leadership, frequent evaluation of student performance, focus on basic skills, and establishment of a safe and orderly learning environment. In essence, the system enables teachers and school leaders to work collaboratively in promoting school success and effectiveness. DSEI contributes to effective schools through addressing factors that contribute to desired students’ performance, particularly instruction and instructional capacity.

SWOT Analysis
As a strategy that would help meet the targeted opportunity for improvement at Bishop Shanahan High School, Daggett System for Effective Instruction is characterized by some strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as shown in the table below.
Table 2: SWOT Analysis of Daggett System for Effective Instruction Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats