Sample Response

One:  Observation: Students have been assigned to three groups based on Math and Reading levels allowing the three homeroom teachers to departmentalize Math, Reading, Language Arts/Writing.
Research question: Does ability grouping make teaching more productive, as measured by Reading and Math test scores?
Research hypothesis: Putting students in ability groups makes teaching language Arts/Writing more productive as measured by Reading and Math test scores.
Null hypothesis:   Putting students into ability groups does not make teaching Language Arts/Writing more productive, as measured by Reading and Math test scores.

Two: Lower level performing students (as determined by last year's FCAT scores) who are also repetitive discipline problems for classroom teachers and who seem to be having trouble adjusting to the multiple transitions that come with departmentalizing, will be reassigned to their own homeroom (a new unit) and will no longer be expected to transition (they will be a self-contained class). The hope is that this will reduce the time lost in class due to teachers having to stop instruction often to cope with discipline issues.
Research question: Will reassigning key students to a self-contained class increase teaching/learning time for the teachers and students in the other departmentalized classes.
Research hypothesis: Reassigning these students will increase teaching/learning time for the remaining students and their teachers.
Null hypothesis: Reassigning these students will not increase teaching/learning time for the remaining students and their teachers.

Three: Writing students are asked to work with a partner one day a week to edit each other's first drafts of a writing assignment, with teacher supervision and coaching. The goal is to increase the students editing and writing skills through this team effort.
Research question: Will partner editing help students learn editing skills as well as learn ways to improve their own writing skills.
Research hypothesis: Partner editing will help students learn editing skills as well as learn ways to improve their own writing skills.
Null hypothesis: Partner editing will not help students learn editing skills as well as learn ways to improve their own writing skills.

Four: Writing students are expected to listen to classmates while they read their own writing samples. The goal is to let students share what they have written and to have an opportunity for the teacher to point out examples of positive aspects of the students' writing samples. To increase active listening during this activity, the teacher added a requirement for all students to write notes about each paper. The teacher asked for positive comments about what they liked about the paper and suggestions for ways to make the papers better.
Research question: Do students learn ways to make their own writing better by commenting on others' writing samples?
Research hypothesis: Students will learn ways to improve their own writing by commenting on others' writing samples?
Null hypothesis: Students will not learn ways to improve their own writing by commenting on others' writing samples?

Five: Students have a tendency in one of my classes, which is larger than the others, to talk among themselves as soon as my focus is directed toward any other group in the room, which makes helping someone or answering questions about writing assignments frustrating.
Research Question: Would providing a system where students can track and tally their own incidents of positive and negative behavior during class cut down on distracting negative behaviors and increase overall positive classroom behavior?
Research hypothesis: Providing a system where students can track and tally their own incidents of positive and negative behavior during class will cut down on distracting negative behaviors and increase overall positive classroom behavior.
Null hypothesis: Providing a system where students can track and tally their own incidents of positive and negative behavior during class will not cut down on distracting negative behaviors and will not result in an increase in overall positive classroom behavior.