Doctoral Student Research Project Assists Elementary School
Shari Levy, teacher at Montvue School
A partnership between La Verne’s College of Education and Organizational Leadership and a Pomona elementary school designated as needing improvement under the federal “No Child Left Behind” program appears to have succeeded.
The project, completed in May, 2009, involved 18 doctorate students working under Lawrence A. Machi, Ed.D., professor of organizational leadership with the College of Education and Organizational Leadership. Under his guidance and that of Drs. William Bearley, Robert Parker, and Barbara Poling, students carried out an institutional case study at Montvue Elementary School.
“One of the things I’m committed to is the university’s mission of contributing to the community,” Dr. Machi said. “I collaborated with Dr. (Barbara) Poling (associate dean of the college) to assist Dean (Mark) Goor and Dr. Emmett Terrell (deputy superintendent – Pomona Unified School District) with a field study to learn about what Montvue School was doing.”
Teacher, Shari Levy and principal, Rachel Heller Monarrez at Montvue School
Working with Principal Rachel Heller Monarrez, students visited the school, interviewing and observing the improvements using questions formulated by the school staff. Data were collected and findings identified, then a final narrative was prepared.
“We simply asked questions about what staff had experienced, what they thought was important, what had changed during the school year and what their next moves would be, then pulled that data together,” Dr. Machi said.
By compiling classroom and other data, researchers could chronicle the initiatives that had been implemented and open the school’s eyes to additional steps that might be taken. One outcome was the re-establishment of a sense of family among staff, parents and students.
“This past year we met our goals,” Heller-Monarrez said. “Their report helped us to see what we want to keep doing, why we’re getting good results in certain areas, and the steps we still need to take.”
Researcher Sharyn Eveland found the experience invaluable.
“I was able to see in action the theories and concepts we were studying and the challenges that come from trying to work through those processes,” she said. “It gave me a very sound foundation for doing this in the future.”
Student Bryan Stoops’ experience was also beneficial.
“It was a lot of work, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way,” he said. “The opportunity to go out and do research under the supervision of the faculty and have that research benefit some caring people doesn’t come along too often.”
Dr. Machi was pleased with the end result. “Was there an impact on the school because the La Verne students were there?” he asked. “I can’t say for sure.” He continued, “Perhaps one indication of our success might be that Montvue invited us back to conduct a more detailed study this year.”
Dr. Poling indicated that the principal’s and doctoral students’ experience will be part of a “turnaround school conference” to be held January 22nd, calling the project a celebration rather than an evaluation. “That is a huge gift, not to be evaluating but to be sharing their good practices,” she said. “I think the research had multiple levels of success.”
Related Posts from the Archives:
- Turning Schools Around
- Drs. Laura Hyatt and Mark Goor publish on faculty research culture
- La Verne Professor Christine Broussard Receives National Institute of Health Grant to Fund Biomedical Research
- University Joins with The Gas Company to Provide Middle School Students Collegiate Experience
- Doctoral Student Invited to OBTS Doctoral Institute