A Flow Map

I tried to map out the path of my thinking around this dissertation today. I know I still need to immerse myself in the literature, however this map will guide my literature search, so I found it a worthwhile activity.

It also raised questions for me- places to stop and possibly apply research.

1. The Achievement Gap (I wish I could use my sketching here)
2. The Mental Models
3. The Use of Goal Setting & Data Folders
4. The Impact on Mental Models and on the Achievement Gap

1. So for the first point I wondered how to focus-
Academically: Math
By Gender: Male
By Grade Level: (3-5)
By Ethnicity: African American
By SES: low SES

2. I wondered if we have studies that show the mental models A.A. boys in 3rd grade have of school, themselves as students, and their teachers.
I also wondered if there is a tool in use that can measure a school's "warmth" towards the students above.

3. I wondered if there were aspects of a data folder design that motivated students more than others. Is it important to have a reflection piece? (We could create two prototypes and test them against each other) I also wondered if these tools shift student's mental models. Then I wondered if it shifted the teacher's mental models (or the families from the student-led conferences).

4. This could be answered earlier in point 2 or 3.

So this step seems important to me because the dissertation can develop out of several places here. I want the focus to beon these data tools at the student level because I think they hold a key to closing the achievement gap. Does it make sense to focus then on these tools? Am I adding too much by including the focus on A.A. boys achievement in math?

I do believe that this phenomenon (the achievement gap) is a form of injustice. This now moves beyond academics for me. I feel just like the chemist researching cures for cancer. I want to work on potential solutions to this problem and if they work- GREAT! if they don't then we can study the next theory.

As a 3rd grader I experienced a system that turned my educational journey around. It was based on goal setting and putting data in my hands. I want to see if this practice helps others like it did me and then begin to get this practice into our schools.