PROJECT CRITICAL

Presented by: Mr. G. Roehm

Wadleigh Secondary School

New York City, NY

It was just like any other day. 8^th Period was finally over, and having survived the tedium of Mr. Beam’s end-of-the-day English class, Alex was happy to be on his way home. As he headed down the stairs towards the exit, he encountered three older boys who he had seen looking at him earlier in the cafeteria. Alex tried to pass them, but they blocked his attempt. The three surrounded Alex and attacked him to the point of serious injury. When he awoke in the hospital, he learned that the boys had stolen his cell phone, his I-pod and his heavy winter coat.

Violence is a reality for school-age kids today. Fights occur regularly for a wide variety of reasons. The Department of Education believes that children cannot learn in an environment where such violence occurs. They are creating a task force to research the causes and effects of violence in schools today. You have been hired as an adviser to School’s Chancellor Joel Klein to investigate school violence in the United States and, more specifically, New York City. The Board of Education needs to know the following: What are the causes of violence in school? What are the effects? In what ways could we change the school system in order the decrease the number of incidents of violence that occurs each year? You have been given broad powers by the Department of Education and the City of New York to establish a new set of public policies that will make our schools safe. You have become a PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST!

Just think! What if your child was the one to awake in the hospital after being attacked? You have an opportunity to help children feel safe. Do not let them down!!!!

- Once you have gathered all the information, your group (groups of three) will write a position paper to be presented to the City Council. Your group will use the SIX-STEP PUBLIC POLCIY ANALYST as an outline for your products

- When you complete your position paper you will present your findings to the Education Committee of the City Council. The Council will vote on whether or not to implement your policies.

Position Paper Format:

- Two pages, typed, double spaced, 12 pt. font, Times New Roman

In your position paper you must do four very specific requirements:

o Identify the problem

o Identify the cause of the problem and its effects

o Identify existing policies

o Propose a new set of policies in order to rectify the problem

o Choose the BEST policy

These are the steps of the famous Public Policy Analyst

- To help you complete these four tasks, we will learn a new way to analyze information. You will all become Public Policy Analysts. You will complete the six worksheets, using the PPA and use them as resource material to complete your task:

1) Define the problem

2) Gather evidence

3) Identify causes

4) Evaluate a policy

5) Develop solutions

6) Select best solution

After reading the information, you must complete the worksheet (MSWORD) found at the bottom of each one of the preceding links. These worksheets will help you research the topic, establish ideas and organize your thoughts for your position paper. As you can see, these six steps are quite similar to the four goals you must accomplish in your position paper. Each group member will be looking at a different set of websites to research this issue. Therefore, each student must complete all six worksheets individually. Once they are complete, the group will come together to share the information that has been found and begin to write the position paper. Group members will decide on what to include and what to cut, but at least one research point from each group member must be included. Although the group members can edit their position paper collectively, each group member must write at least one paragraph for the position paper.

When presenting your position paper to the Education Committee, each group member will read part of the position paper aloud. When you are finished, you will be required to field questions from Committee Chairperson Robert Jackson (if he cannot attend, then you will field questions from a representative). Your ability to orally defend your research and your conclusions will constitute a portion of your grade on your position paper.

With the help of your teacher, you will establish a “Group Coordinator.” This group member will have the added responsibility of making sure that the group meets all deadlines and completes all tasks.

(Instructor Note: Differentiation through varied source material)

- Group Member #1

o http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/nyregion/06crime.html?ref=nyregion

o http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/DOEData/AnnualSchoolReports/default.htm

o the challenge of school violence – word doc. (link required)

- Group Member #2

o http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/nyregion/06crime.html?ref=nyregion

o http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/DOEData/AnnualSchoolReports/default.htm

o http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2007/

o http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/Student%20Counseling%20Violence%20Prevention.pdf

- Group Member #3

o http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/nyregion/06crime.html?ref=nyregion

o http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/DOEData/AnnualSchoolReports/default.htm

o http://cecp.air.org/guide/files/1.asp

o http://www.preventschoolviolence.org/resources_assets/CPSV_Fact_Sheet-1-Overview_of_School_Violence_Prevention-March-14-2008.pdf

o http://docs.nycenet.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-101/Disc%20Code%202006.pdf

- ALL GROUP MEMBERS (Tables and Graphs)

o http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2007/section4/table.asp?tableID=730

o http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2007/figures/fig_06_1.asp?referrer=report

o http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2007/section4/table.asp?tableID=729

o http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2007/figures/fig_06_3.asp?referrer=report

o http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2007/figures/fig_06_2.asp

Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing

Web quest Position Paper and Presentation

Name: ________________________

Teacher: Mr. Roehm

Date : ___________________

Title of Work: ___________________

Criteria

Points

	1	2	3	4
Group Work	Students do not collaborate. Students work individually or fail to compromise on group issues. Not all students complete task.	Students occasionally collaborate and compromise. Almost all students participate.	Students collaborate and compromise. All students participate.	Students work well with one another, collaborate and compromise frequently and all complete individual and group tasks	____
Research - PPA Worksheets	Research is of poor quality and does not logically support argument	Some research is appropriate and supports argument	Research is of good quality and supports argument	Research is of high quality and clearly supports argument	____
Writing - Analysis	Position Paper is woefully unclear or does not support argument	Position Paper makes logical analysis of some research and proposes simple solutions	Position Paper makes logical analysis of research and proposes thoughtful solutions	Position Paper makes complex analysis of research and proposes thoughtful and sophisticated solutions	____
Writing - Conventions	Writing is of poor quality. Improper use of conventions makes writing difficult to understand.	Some portions of the assignment are clearer than others. Assignment demonstrates developing skills.	Writing is clear and conventions are used properly.	Writing is sophisticated, demonstrating mastery of conventions	____
Presentation	Few members participate. Members do not present their position forcefully. Members are unable to respond clearly to questioning.	Some arguments are presented more forcefully or clearly than others. Some members are able to respond to questioning.	Most members present arguments clearly and forcefully. Most members can respond logically to questioning.	All members present arguments in clear, concise and cogent manner. All members can respond logically and forcefully to questioning.	____
				Total---->	____

GRADING SCALE: 18-20 = A, 16-17 = B, 14-15 = C, 12-13 = D, 0-12 = F

- By completing this project, you have gained a greater understanding of the issue of school violence. By using the PPA methodology, you will develop research and analysis skills. You now understand the role of the Public Policy Analyst in our democratic society. Further, by applying these skills and proposing real world solutions, you develop a greater understanding of your own powers of citizenship.

Let’s hope you made a difference!

LANGUAGE ARTS

Standard 1:

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Standard 3:

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Standard 4:

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Standard 5:

Civics, Citizenship, and Government

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

Standard 4:   Economics

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the United States and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and nonmarket mechanisms.