Chronic Lateness at ditmas i.s. 62

By: Janet DiGeronimo

The Introduction:

On Monday, Sally came to school 25 minutes late because she overslept. On Tuesday, she came to school 40 minutes late. Thursday morning, Sally was two hours late because she had a dentist appointment. In total, Sally has missed over three hours of instructional time this week. In addition to missing class time activities, she was unable to take her Science test.

Chronic lateness is a large problem for many of our students here at Ditmas. Students are missing instructional time, as well as distracting other students from learning. As Public Policy Analysts, it is your job to find a solution to this harmful issue.

The Task:

Use the six steps of PPA (Public Policy Analyst) to solve the issue of chronic lateness at Ditmas. ( Click here to see the six steps in detail.) Within your group, you can choose one of the following mediums to present your project:

- Create a poster

- Create a PowerPoint slideshow

- Write an essay, poem, or song.

(If you have another idea on how to present your project, it must be approved by me before you begin.)

Process:

1. You will be put into pre-selected groups of four. (All members are responsible to contribute equally to the project.)

2. Each group will be provided with data from a student survey which was distributed throughout the school by your teacher earlier in the week. Use this data while working on this assignment.

3. Fill out the appropriate worksheet for each step of PPA that you follow:

Defining The Problem: Worksheet 1

Gathering The Evidence: Worksheet 2

Identifying The Cause: Worksheet 3

Evaluate Public Policy: Worksheet 4

Developing Public Policy: Worksheet 5

Selecting The Best Public Policy: Worksheet 6

4. After going through each step, work with your group members to present your information to the class in an appealing way.

Resources:

1. Click here to read article number one.

2. Click here to read article number two.

3. Click here to read article number three

4. Click here to read article number four.

5. Click here for student survey

Evaluation:

You will graded using the following rubric:

Sections	Grade
We used all six steps of PPA properly.	1 2 3 4 5

We used reliable resources to support our data	1 2 3 4 5


We have identified a feasible and effective solution to the problem.	1 2 3 4 5


Our class presentation was well organized and appealing.	1 2 3 4 5

Conclusion:

The information you have gathered and analyzed about chronic lateness is extremely valuable. The recommendations you have proposed are critical in the effort to ensure that students are receiving the full amount of required instructional time each day. Through your hard work, we can start to make a difference in the educational experience of all Ditmas students.

Common Core Standards:

- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1.b
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.

- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2.a
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.9
Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.3
Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).