Presented by: Mr. M. Elliott, Jr.

Frederick Douglass Academy

New York, NY

“There is a solution to every problem and an Idea to meet every Need”

Introduction:

The latest statistics show an alarming increase in the

Dropout rate of African-Americans and Latinos in

New York City. Many students are not making it to

their high school graduations. Many social problems

have resulted from the lack of education and skills.

Moreover, it is highly likely that you know someone who has dropped out of school. However, and what most students do not realize is the catastrophic consequences for such a decision. Dropping out of school impacts academic achievement, family, economic, social and self esteem over the long run. More importantly, it is very likely that this decision will affect future generations to come. The question then becomes, how can we fix this dilemma? First, we must find the root causes for this

“Social problem” and then find a solution that is both feasible and effective.

Therefore, you will take the role of a parent who lives in New York City and you have decided to take a leave of absence from your job in order to do research on this issue. As a result, you will determine the root causes of the social problem of “High Drop Out Rates in New York City and help the New York City Board of Education solve this problem. You will also create new Public Policies to address the problem of Drop outs. You can be an agent of change and help thousands of New Yorkers. Good Luck!

Task:

Students will be required to submit a 2-3 page paper using the six (6) steps as a Public Policy Analyst (PPA). The paper should be typed using MS Word and may contain graphs, charts and illustrations to validate your key ideas. A rubric will be provided to measure your product against expectations. Also, you will be partnered with 2 other students to present your findings and finally, their will be open discussions for each team.

Each group will utilize the Six Step Public Policy Analyst. This process analyzes social problems and finds solutions through a scientific method approach. The steps are listed below.

The six steps of PPA are as follow:

1. Define the problem

2. gather the Evidence

3. Identify the causes

4. Evaluate an existing policy

5. develop Solutions

6. Select the best solution (feasibility vs. effectiveness)

Process:

To complete the TASK above, you will need to do the following:

Step 1: Your teacher will be using an LCD Projector and will model “how” to use the technology, go to the various websites, and give a complete overview of the task. This will be done during class time.

Step 2: Meeting in groups of three, you will discuss the process of the Public Policy Analyst.

Step 3: You will write a 2-3 page paper using the “Graphic Version” of the PPA format of Project Save. There are six steps in this process. They are as follows: Your group will access the links below and complete all questions from the graphics version of the Public Policy Analyst. You MUST include all these steps in your 3 page paper. You may use them as an outline.

You will find the answers to these questions by using the Internet sources listed in the “resource” section of this web quest.

1.What is the problem?

2.Where is the evidence?

3.What are the causes?

4.What is the existing policy?

5.What policies can you create to correct the problem?

What is the best policy to correct the problem?

REMEMBER: Your group will use the steps in the Public Policy Analyst as an outline for your report. ALL parts of the PPA MUST be included in your product!

Step 4: Each group will present their findings to the class during whole group discussion. Students are expected to demonstrate their expertise upon researching their topic. Remember that you are a parent taking time off from work. Time is money but will submit your best work!

RESOURCES:

These are the sources that will help you complete this assignment and make important public policy decisions. They are as follows:

SPECIFIC WEB SITES and Links for students who Dropout

1: DETAILED-REASONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS—(44 PAGE “PDF” FILE)

2: DROPOUT PREVENTION-VIDEO ACCOUNTS

3: STATISTICS ON DROPOUTS

4: REASONS & REMEDIES FOR DROPOUTS (Long PDF file)

LINKS FOR EVALUATING AND CREATING A POLICY

1: THE New York City DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HOME PAGE

2: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION POLICY—APPLYING TO HIGH SCHOOL

3: DOE: NEW YORK CITY--”WELCOME TO HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSIONS”-ADVICE

4: THE BASICS FOR CHOOSING A HIGH SCHOOL IN NYC (MANY LINKS)

5: KEY TIPS AND A PLAN FOR CHOOSING A HIGH SCHOOL

6: FINDING New York City HIGH SCHOOLS (many links)

7: USING HIGH SCHOOL FAIRS 2004

8: NEW YORK CITY HIGH SCHOOL DIRECTORY

9: NYC-SMALL SCHOOLS & CHARTER HIGH SCHOOLS—ARE THEY RIGHT FOR YOU (28 PAGE PDF FILE)

10: SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS

11: QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK

12: CHOOSING BETWEEN TWO SCHOOLS

13: THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

14: SOME GOOD TIPS

15: AN EDUCATIONAL PLANNER

16: HOW THEY DO IT IN CHICAGO

17: WHAT COLLEGES LOOK FOR!

18: http://www.idra.org/Newslttr/1996/Aug/Lalo.htm

19: http://www.mcps.k12.mt.us/DistrictProfile/failurerate.htm

20: http://vms.www.uwplatt.edu/~ceya/96projects/montello/M4.HTML

21: http://www.queenscourier.com/archives/1999/lead111199a.htm

22: http://www.ncsu.edu/per/SCALEUP/FailureRates.html

23:

GENERAL WEB SITES

1: WWW.GOOGLE.COM

2: WWW.YAHOO.COM

3: WWW.ASK.COM

EVALUATION:

Rubric

CATEGORY	4 EXCELLENT	3 VERY GOOD	2 SATISFACTORY	1 UNACCEPTABLE
Writing - Organization	Essay has a clear beginning, middle, and ending.	Almost all of the essay has a clear beginning, middle and end.	Most of the essay does not have a clear beginning, middle and end.	Almost all of the essay does not have a clear beginning, middle and end.
Writing - Grammar	There are no grammatical mistakes	There are 1-2 grammatical mistakes	There are 2-3 grammatical mistakes	There are 3-4 grammatical mistakes
Writing - Vocabulary	The author correctly uses several new words and define words unfamiliar to the reader.	The author correctly uses a few new words and define words unfamiliar to the reader.	The author tries to use some new vocabulary, but may use 1-2 words incorrectly.	The author does not incorporate new vocabulary.
Writing - Mechanics	Capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout the essay.	Capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout the after feedback from an adult.	There are 1-2 capitalization and/or punctuation errors in the essay.	There are several capitalization or punctuation errors in the essay even after feedback from an adult.
Content - Accuracy	All facts in the essay are accurate.	99-90% of the facts in the essay are accurate.	89-80% of the facts in the essay are accurate.	Fewer than 80% of the facts in the essay are accurate.
USE OF PPA	Fully uses the six-step public policy analyst as a framework for the essay	Uses MOST of the six-step public policy analyst as a framework for the essay and uses the steps	Uses the steps of the PPA as a framework for the essay but uses the steps inaccurately	Does not use the six-step PPA as a format for the essay of uses most of the steps inaccurately

Web Quest REPORT will be graded according to the following rubric

	60-64	65-75	76-88	89>	Score
Web Quest	Beginning 1 No knowledge	Developing 2 Little Knowledge	Accomplished 3 Acceptable	Exemplary 4 Superior knowledge
Websites Research	Few links	Enough links	Many links	Excellent variety of links
Microsoft word Draft	Incomplete but followed format	Complete, too Few analyses of PPA analyses	Complete sufficient analyses acceptable standards	Superior Understanding of PPA format
Use of other Sources (Books)	Does not use other sources	Few sources besides websites	Uses other sources	Many sources accurately

CONCLUSION:

At the conclusion of this Web quest, you should have learned how to collaborate and solve problems using the PPA format. Moreover, students will follow instructions and complete the above task from beginning to end. By investigating the issues surrounding high dropout rates among minorities and working on this issue as a parent, it demonstrates the seriousness of the topic and the sacrifices that are made when dealing with difficult circumstances. More importantly, the goal is to motivate students to finish high school, earn a Bachelor’s Degree and become a productive member of the community and society at large. You became a “public policy analyst”. Let’s hope you made a difference.

You have accomplished a great deal—CONGRATULATIONS!

STANDARDS ADDRESSED:

English Language Arts

Standard 1:   Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read, and write 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 that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Standard 2:   Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.

Standard 3:   Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will listen, speak, read, and write 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 use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Standard 4:   Language for Social Interaction

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English 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 4:   Economics

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN THE United States operates and can structure American society.

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.