EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

Action Plan Guide Overall Instructions Follow the instructions contained within this Action Plan Guide to develop your Action Plan. Develop your Action Plan on the Action Plan Signature Assignment template.

Introduction

In this section, refer to your approved EDD9951 Signature Assignment to provide a brief introduction to your EDD9953 Signature Assignment: Action Plan. Use the Preliminary Site Information, the Statement of the Problem, and your Approach to the Problem of Practice from your EDD9951 Signature Assignment to craft the introduction. (Maximum of 250 words)

NOTE: The problem and project you describe must be the same one that was approved in your approved Signature Assignment in EDD9951.

Action Plan Provide a paragraph (3–5 sentences) that introduces the sections of the Action Plan. The action plan comprises the following sections:

• Purpose of the Project

• Stakeholders and Participants

• Description of the Applied Project

• Implementation Plan

• Guiding Questions

• Data Collection Plan

• Data Analysis Plan

Purpose of the Project

In this section, provide a statement of purpose. You may use the following formulation and add

a few sentences of clarification if desired.

The purpose of the project is to implement [insert your intervention] to improve [insert area to be improved—be sure it aligns with your problem statement and guiding questions]. Example: The purpose of the project is to implement a professional development program to improve the instructional leadership skills of district principals. (The problem the professional development program addresses is that teachers do not receive feedback and coaching that lead to improvement of instruction. The root-cause analysis identified one of the problem’s causes: inadequacy of district principals’ classroom observation and coaching skills.)

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

A program evaluation project might be formulated slightly differently: Example: The purpose of the project is to implement an evaluation of ABC school’s science curriculum to inform a comprehensive revision of the science program. (The problem the evaluation will be used to addresses is poor student achievement in science. One of the problem’s causes identified in the root-cause analysis was an outdated curriculum.)

Stakeholders and Participants

In this section, briefly describe the project’s stakeholders and their roles. Use two subheadings—one for stakeholders and one for participants.

1. Identify and describe the key stakeholders of your project, including their role(s) in the organization and why they would be impacted by your project.

2. Identify and describe the roles of the people you anticipate will participate in your applied improvement project and include their approximate number. These participants will include people who will participate in your project’s activities and from whom you will collect data to evaluate the intervention or solution.

3. Provide a rationale for the size and makeup of your participant group.

Local conditions will dictate, in part, who and how many participants you will have. You will need at least a minimum of five participants for your Applied Improvement Project (AIP). The number of participants will vary from AIP to AIP but you will need a sufficient number of participants to support the analysis you intend to use, particularly for quantitative analyses:

• For parametric statistics, sample must be > 30

• Nonparametric statistics are used for samples of 11 to 29.

• For a qualitative analysis the sample should include 5 to 10 participants. Notes

Stakeholders and participants are not necessarily the same people, but they could be the same. Stakeholders have a stake in solving or improving a problem and are involved in providing necessary input to define a problem and consider ways to address it. This input happens during the planning phase before beginning the implementation of the intervention. Collaborating and communicating with stakeholders are essential in of change management, which is what an AIP will involve. A project participant is someone directly engaged in implementing and evaluating the intervention. Data should be collected about the implementation from participants, including their perceptions of the implementation as well as their perceptions of the evaluation of the intervention.

It is possible for stakeholders to be participants in the improvement project. It is also possible that some stakeholders may not be project participants. For example, a school principal may be a stakeholder in a process to define a problem with student achievement or teacher performance but would not be a participant in a project that provides instructional coaching for teachers. Both teachers and a school principal, however, could be stakeholders with whom you collaborate in the planning stages of the study.

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

Description of the Applied Project

In this section, you will give a detailed (step-by-step) description of your applied project. In

EDD9951, you shared a general description of the approach you propose to take to address the problem of practice. In this course, your goal is to design an action plan that you will follow to implement your project.

Whether your project is to conduct an evaluation, an action research study, or other type of

applied improvement project, you should provide a clear narrative about the project that addresses each component of the project. Do not simply name or identify the activities or tasks. Describe them, incorporating the following into your narrative:

• A description of the actions, activities, and tasks that will be implemented.

• The order in which the activities will be implemented.

• The resources needed to implement the project. Examples of resources include human resources, funding, and materials.

• The approximate duration of the project implementation from start to finish. Finally, referring to your “then” statement(s) in your EDD9951 Signature Assignment, describe the expected outcomes of the applied project. How will your project help mitigate or remedy the problem of practice at your site? (You will need to measure outcomes, so be specific. State the outcomes in ways that will allow you to use data and evidence to show whether your desired outcomes occurred and to what degree.) Notes

Pay attention to and be consistent in your use of language in this assignment. Use the same words to name your intervention (or solution or evaluation) everywhere you refer to it. For example, if you describe the intervention as a professional development initiative in one section, do not refer to it as a training program or workshop series in another section. For a program evaluation you will need additional sections and details. You will need to identify the program’s goals and objectives, the type of evaluation (formative or summative), the evaluation model applied (e.g., CIPP model), guiding evaluation questions, and a complete evaluation plan. There will need to be clear alignment among the program’s goals and objectives, the guiding evaluation questions, and the data to be collected and analyzed.

Important: Your detailed description of the project must match the project proposed and

approved in (EDD9951). If you believe you need to adjust or modify the approach to the problem that was approved in EDD9951 or have any questions about alignment, contact your instructor immediately.

Implementation Plan

In this section, you will build on your description of the project by developing a detailed implementation plan using the template below. Your completed plan, once approved, can be used to guide the project implementation at your site.

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

In addition to the detailed implementation plan, include the following below your completed

template:

• A description of anticipated collaboration with participants and stakeholders as part of the implementation of the project.

• A description of strategies for keeping participants and stakeholders informed of progress, as well as unanticipated challenges during the implementation of the project.

ACTIVITY/ INTERVENTION

TASKS WHO TIMELINE DEADLINE EVIDENCE of COMPLETION (Outputs)

Notes: Use the APA formatted table located within the Action Plan template. Add rows as needed. Delete any unused rows.

Example The following example is an implementation plan for a professional development program for instructional coaches in several schools in a P-12 school district. The problem of practice was that instruction was not improving in classrooms despite the presence of the coaches. Poor instructional practices negatively impact student achievement.

One root cause of the problem was ineffective coaching practices that did not lead to increased understanding on the part of teachers about how to alter their practice. Coaches gave inconsistent, unfocused and, at times, conflicting feedback to teachers. Feedback was not always aligned with district student achievement goals, and their coaching conversations were not based on any particular protocol or coaching strategy. This often led to confusion about what was expected on the part of teachers. Follow-up support was also often missing. A cause of these ineffective coaching practices was found to be inadequate preparation of the instructional coaches.

District leaders, in coordination with principals and instructional coaches, worked to develop a feasible way to address the problem. The implementation plan for the improvement project they proposed is described below:

ACTIVITY/ INTERVENTION

TASKS WHO TIMELINE DEADLINE EVIDENCE of COMPLETION (Outputs)

Professional development on district instructional goals. (Internal)

(For both instructional

Prepare materials with clear goals and expectations for instruction aligned to curricular standards.

Curriculum director

Spring, summer, 20xx

August 1, 20xx

All materials completed.

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

ACTIVITY/ INTERVENTION

TASKS WHO TIMELINE DEADLINE EVIDENCE of COMPLETION (Outputs)

coaches and school principals)

Prioritize instructional strategies to identify the most impactful.

Curriculum director in coordination with research department

Spring, summer, 20xx

August 1, 20xx

Instructional strategies are prioritized across the district.

Prepare timetable for delivery, follow-up strategies.

Spring, summer, 20xx

July 20xx Timetable is completed.

Deliver sessions and provide follow-up communications.

Curriculum director, assistants

Mid-August to mid- September

Must be completed by end of September

Professional development was delivered.

Follow-up communications are provided September through December.

Training by external coaching consultants: Two hands-on half- day sessions.

(For both instructional coaches and school principals)

Prework: Engage trainers and determine timeline/dates for workshops by consulting school calendar for next year.

Assistant Director

Spring 20xx August 1, 20xx

Contract agreements completed; dates are set for.

Determine and prepare necessary materials/location for consultants and workshop participants.

Admin Assistant

Upon contract completion until deadline

Three days prior to sessions

All preparations completed.

Deliver training sessions and evaluate training (satisfaction, knowledge assessment).

External trainers

Between mid- September and end of October 20xx

Must be completed prior to end of October

Training was delivered and evaluation of training was completed.

Classroom observations

Conduct and videotape classroom observations. (Specify number of observations expected per coach).

Instructional coaches

End of September to mid- December

End of December

Expected number of observations were conducted.

Follow-up meeting to review classroom video and instructional coach’s proposed feedback focus and coaching strategy.

Principals, instructional coaches

End of September to mid- December

End of December

Follow-up meetings were conducted.

Coaching conversation review

Conduct and videotape coaching

Instructional coaches,

End of September to

End of December

Expected number of

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

ACTIVITY/ INTERVENTION

TASKS WHO TIMELINE DEADLINE EVIDENCE of COMPLETION (Outputs)

conversations, (Specify number of conversations expected per coach).

teachers mid- December

conversations were conducted.

Follow-up meeting to review classroom video and instructional coach’s proposed feedback focus and coaching strategy.

Principals, instructional coaches

Follow-up meetings were conducted.

Coach and school leadership meetings

All coaches observe one videotaped lesson and provide feedback and coaching strategies to build interrater reliability, coaching consistency.

Principals (or designee), instructional coaches

Twice per month, September through December

End of December

Meetings were held with appropriate format to support consistency of feedback and coaching strategies.

Notes: Use the APA formatted table located within the Action Plan template. Add rows as needed. Delete any unused rows.

Guiding Questions

Planning Questions

Process Questions

Outcome Questions

In this section, you need to think about three different types of guiding questions: planning, process, and outcome questions. Planning questions include any unanswered planning questions you still have regarding the process of developing your intervention or solution. These planning questions are not questions for which you will collect data but rather are questions you still need answered in order to ensure your intervention is on track for implementation in EDD9954. The planning questions could include logistical questions that you need to work out with your site in order to implement the intervention. The planning questions could be questions for your course instructor that will lead to a planning discussion. The typical intervention for an Applied Improvement Project (AIP) is professional development training. Keep in mind that the curriculum content for your AIP intervention must be reviewed and approved by your course instructor before you implement the intervention in EDD9954. Typically, you will be the facilitator of the intervention although it is possible that you might use a stakeholder team to deliver the intervention. Regardless, you will need to follow a guide for delivering your intervention. The expectation is that guide will be a Facilitator’s Guide that will

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

include items such as: instructions, sequence, and timeline to be followed during the intervention, Power Point slide presentations, lectures, exercises, handouts, etc.). The Facilitator’s Guide should be developed simultaneously with this course and needs to be ready to submit a draft to instructor by the end of EDD9953. It is okay if you have no unanswered planning questions. If you have planning questions that are answered or resolved during EDD9953, indicate in an assignment submission in this section that the questions were answered, addressed, or resolved. Process Questions are used to collect process data that will be used to tell the story of how your AIP was implemented and evaluated. Outcome questions clarify how to evaluate the outcomes of your project. These questions require that you identify what data will show that the project was or was not successful. For a typical AIP that will uses a first cycle Action Research approach or a cycle of inquiry approach in implementing an intervention, begin with the two standard action research questions listed below. The “To what extent” question is the outcome question. The “How” question is the process question. Depending on the complexity of your AIP, you can add additional process and outcomes questions. See the Additional Information section below. If you use only the two standard action research questions, change your question headings from plural to singular to reflect just one question (i.e., Process Question, Outcome Question) Standard Action Research Questions For an action research or cycle of inquiry approach use the following formula: To what extent will the implementation of X improve Y in Z? How will the implementation of X improve Y in Z? (X = the intervention, Y = the process to be improved, Z = the organization.) The “to what extent” research question is typically a measurement question that will drive the quantitative component but for an action research study (when quantitative data are also collected) but keep in mind that action research is based on the qualitative paradigm. For an action research study in which only qualitative data will be collected the “to what extent” research question can be answered by participants’ perceptions and descriptions of the extent to which they are using or incorporating the intervention training or new process provided. In other words, when only qualitative data are collected, the “to what extent” research question will be answered descriptively with qualitative data. The “how” question is a process research question that will drive the qualitative component to tell the story of how the intervention led to change. The how research question refers to two things: (a) The process by which the intervention does its work (known as process tracking or monitoring) and is answered by telling the story of how the intervention works and (b) the ways in which the problem is changed or improved (known as the assessment of outcomes) when using qualitative descriptive interview and or focus group data. Keep in mind that action research studies overall are qualitative in nature (see Stringer, 2014 p. 36, or Stringer & Aragon, 2020, p. 43) but can include both quantitative and qualitative data, although with very small

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

samples (e.g., fewer than 20 participants), only qualitative research might be used. Keep in mind that your questions will guide your project and will ultimately determine the types of data you collect. The data you collect and analyze will determine what you can infer or conclude from the data. All conclusions and claims you make about the results of your applied project must be supported by your data. If you do not ask the right questions, you will likely not collect the data that will allow you to conclude whether or not your project effectively addressed the problem. Before you begin, read the following, reprinted from the Applied Improvement Process: Using

a Cycle of Inquiry to Plan, Implement, and Evaluate Improvement at: http://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/edd8522element20223/wrapper.asp

Keep in mind that in collecting qualitative data about the implementation process to enable you to explain how the intervention produced the change as evidence and data to support your claim. For example, checking in with participants during the intervention can be rich source of process data and can also lead to adjustments in the intervention. Also, a journal in which you record the intervention steps as they occur, your reflections, casual conversations, “aha” moments, and observations can be a rich source of information to help explain how the intervention or solution was implemented and or why the intervention or solution did or did not prove effective. A journal can also be helpful when conducting either action research, cycle of inquiry or program evaluation as a record of the entire process, which can form the basis of an audit trail.

Additional information regarding Process and Outcomes Guiding Questions. For some AIPs the two standard Action Research questions might not be sufficient. In considering process questions keep in mind that implementation activities involve organizing the ways the proposed intervention or approach will be used, developing training activities for participants who will apply or use the intervention or approach, providing ongoing communication and follow-up information to all participants and stakeholders. Each of these processes can be guided by process questions that require specific data collection procedures to determine that the implementation is appropriate and sufficient. To develop separate process questions, you need to identify specific components in the implementation process that lend themselves the collection of evidence that the components were implemented properly. Additional outcome questions are appropriate when there is an expectation for more than one outcome. If that is case for your AIP, develop an outcome question for each expected outcome. Outcome questions can also specify the criteria that will determine success.

The following example outcome questions clarify how the outcomes of the implementation will

be evaluated or assessed. For example, these questions could clarify if improved perception

outcomes for one or more stakeholder groups or improved outcomes (“y”) for the problem of

practice based on a specific evaluation instrument. Perception data can also be an important

source of feedback about an intervention. Outcome data include an evaluation of the outcome

through actual measurement and/or perceptions of stakeholders and participants. What is

required is the careful collection of outcome data that are clear, precise and interpreted with

care.

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

• What are the perceptions of [name the group] about the implementation of

“x”?

• To what extent did “x” lead to improved outcomes “y”?

• How are outcomes “y” different after implementation of “x”?

When the questions of interest have been established, a data plan can be developed to ensure

data are collected to answer them. The chosen course of action, the implementation plan, data

collection, and data analysis must align with each other and with the problem, its causes, and

guiding question(s).

In all cases of process and outcomes questions, your data collection plan will be designed to answer your questions. Questions for a Program Evaluation If you are conducting an evaluation, your process questions will reflect the evaluation’s purpose and type such as formative or summative, or goal oriented or improvement-oriented evaluation. As with an action research approach, in an AIP that evaluates a program or process, the evaluation story is told by answering the process questions. For example, “What happens when an evaluation of [x] is implemented?” The data you collect will allow you to reflect and report on what happens during the evaluation each step of the way. The outcome questions for an evaluation project should flow from the program’s goals and objectives.

Data Collection Plan

In this section, you will use the table below to provide a detailed description of the type of data

you will collect and your data collection procedures (that is, how, when, and from whom or from where it will be collected). In the table, describe each source of data you will gather before, during, and/or after the implementation of your project. List data you will collect to monitor the project implementation and data you will collect to assess its outcomes and answer your guiding questions. List each data source separately.

In a separate narrative, briefly describe the data collection procedures you have outlined in the

table. That is, provide additional detail about when and how you plan to collect the data you have identified. If not otherwise evident, explain why you will collect the data. For example, if you plan to collect focus group data, describe the size of the group, the setting, when during the implementation you will conduct the focus group, and why it is important to collect these data.

Guiding Question(s)* Type of Data to be Collected**

Data Source+ When Collected++

P, O, PO +++

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

Notes: Use the APA formatted table located with the Action Plan template. Add rows as needed. Delete any unused rows.

* Guiding Question: State your guiding question(s), identified in the previous section, one per row ** Data Collection: What type of data will be collected to answer the guiding question(s)? (For

example, survey, interview, meeting minutes, or performance assessment data.) Are the data qualitative or quantitative?

+ Data Source: Who will provide data or where will you find it? (For example, students, faculty,

counseling records, financial office, leadership team minutes, or records database.)

++ When Collected: When will data be collected? (For example, prior to implementation of the

intervention, during the intervention, week “x” of the intervention, or after the intervention.)

+++ P or O or PO Indicate whether the data will be process or outcomes data, or both if the data

will help tell the story of your applied project implementation and assess/evaluate outcomes. An example is when participants are interviewed several times during the implementation. Their perceptions are process data that help tell the story of how the intervention is being implemented or “how it is going” and outcomes data for a guiding question such as “How did [participants] perceive the intervention?” Responses will help tell the story of participant perceptions during the implementation and also provide an answer to the question upon completion of the project.

Add rows as needed.

IMPORTANT

• Attach a copy of each data collection tool you plan to use as an Appendix to the action plan.

• If permission is required to use the instrument, attach a copy of documentation showing permission has been granted.

• REMINDER: any quantitative instrument or inventory used in your project MUST be an existing published instrument. Examples might be a Clinical Anger Management survey, tests of self-efficacy, attitudinal assessments, a climate survey, etc.

Notes

1. Be careful not to make the common mistake of combining the data collection

description and the data analysis description. Be sure this section addresses the data collection plan only.

2. Data are either qualitative (for example, interviews, narrative-type observations, open-

ended surveys or questionnaires) or quantitative (for example, observational data involving quantitative measures such as the duration of an action, surveys using Likert or

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

other scales, performance data, or records data). Both types of data can be collected in an applied improvement project.

3. Improvement projects involve two types of data collection: process data and

outcomes data. Process Data: First, data are collected throughout the implementation of the project to monitor and make adjustments in the implementation as needed based on data and information that are collected and analyzed during the implementation. Remember that in applied improvement projects or cycles of inquiry, telling the story of the intervention is just as important as reporting the results of the intervention. “Telling the story” of the implementation is essentially a process analysis of how the implementation unfolded. Keeping a journal of reflections as well as notes of informal or unplanned conversations and observations during the implementation is important. Memory alone will prove unreliable and cannot serve as a source of data. A journal should be listed as one of your data sources. Process monitoring data will help you explain how the intervention brings about change and provide insights into why the intervention did or did not bring about the anticipated results. These data will also help you respond to your broad “how” or “what” guiding question. Outcomes Data: The second type of data is collected to answer the guiding questions about the expected outcomes or stated objectives of the intervention. The data to be collected depend, of course, on the guiding questions and the expected outcomes or success criteria of the intervention and may include, for example, interview data, focus group data, meeting minutes, student work or performance assessments, observational data, or attendance data. Outcomes data enable you to assess the outcomes of the study and determine whether the project improved the situation. For example, did the implementation decrease a performance gap? Do the data indicate a positive difference when comparing pre-and post-implementation data? Outcomes data are most often collected at the conclusion of the intervention to determine and evaluate outcomes that were achieved as well as the perceptions of participants about the intervention, its implementation, and its outcomes. TIPS:

• Be realistic. What is feasible?

• Identify data that would be available and possible to collect at your organization.

• The key is to identify data that are aligned with your guiding questions and the purpose of the project.

Data Analysis Plan

In this section, list each type of data you will collect (for example, teacher interviews,

department survey, or meeting minutes.) exactly as listed under Data Collection. Use the same language to identify a particular data source throughout the Action Plan. For example, do not, refer to an instrument as a “survey” under Data Collection and as a “questionnaire” under Data Analysis.

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

Use the table below to describe your data analysis plan. Use one row for each data source. Perform the following tasks:

• Describe how you will organize and prepare your raw data for analysis.

• Describe the process you will use to analyze your qualitative data and the statistical tests (if any) or descriptive statistics you will use to analyze your quantitative data.

• Describe how you plan to store and protect your data.

Notes

Use the APA formatted table located with the Action Plan template. Add rows as needed. Delete any unused rows.

The table above will provide a brief explanation of the data analysis. Below describe the data analysis in a detailed narrative. Do not describe the data or explain how or why it will be collected in this section. Instead explain exactly how the data will be analyzed. If there is both quantitative and qualitative data collected and analyzed write about the analysis in both sections below. If only qualitative data will be collected and analyzed, delete the quantitative data analysis heading. Follow the table with a detailed narrative below of how the data will be analyzed. Cite the literature to support your data analysis strategy. For qualitative data analysis we recommend Merriam and Tisdell’s (2016) Chapter 8 as a guide. The Merriam and Tisdell book is available as an eBook in the Capella library.

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Wiley.

Detailed Quantitative Data Analysis Plan Detailed Qualitative Data Analysis Plan

Type of Data Analysis Procedures/Plan

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

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ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Limitations, Validity, Ethics

Provide a paragraph (3–5 sentences) that introduces the additional considerations section of the assignment. Limitations of the Project’s Design In this section, describe in depth any limitations of your project that are currently apparent.

Indicate any areas of your action plan that need to be clarified or improved before implementation, and how you will improve them. In some cases, limitations of a project design cannot be improved. Identify areas of your action plan that cannot be improved and give reasons for not redesigning your plan to address these limitations.

Notes Limitations reflect weaknesses in the proposed project design, particularly the alignment of problem, purpose, action plan, and data collection and analysis that could potentially impact the credibility of your results. Consider your instruments and data collection strategies, your sample, your analysis, or any other aspect of the proposed project for which there might be an inherent or potential weakness.

Ask yourself:

• What are potential weaknesses of the study as I have designed it?

• Are there any threats to validity (or credibility or dependability) that are unavoidable or difficult to minimize?

• Are there limits to the type of data I can collect?

• Are there risks to the project implementation that might present challenges once underway and decrease the effectiveness of the intervention?

• Are there restrictions that limit who is able to participate?

• What are some ways I might overcome these weaknesses by revising my action plan?

Most projects have limitations, which must be identified and discussed to reflect an awareness of the limitations and to examine as important information for those impacted by your project’s implementation and findings. The limitations set boundaries for the project and influence the inferences that may be made based on your implementation and the data you will collect. Be careful not to confuse limitations with issues of scope. In an applied improvement project, the scope is defined by the local situation you are trying to improve. It is not, for example, a limitation that your project does not involve participants outside of your local project site because the purpose of your project is to address a problem of practice that involves the specific local conditions, resources, and people at your site. Credibility, Dependability, Transferability

In this section, present a strategy to ensure credibility, dependability, and potential transferability of your applied improvement project. Discuss specific measures you took

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to maximize the credibility (validity), dependability (reliability), and transferability of your study. How were participants and the organization assured they can trust the study was conducted in a trustworthy manner? What strategies were implemented to assure stakeholders they can trust the results as fair and valid? Review Stringer (2014) pp. 92- 93 and determine which strategies you will apply.

Address each of these constructs separately using a subheading for each and cite sources

to support your discussion. Credibility Dependability Transferability Notes

Recall that these constructs are the qualitative analogues to the concepts of validity, reliability, and generalizability in inquiry research, and should be used instead of the conventional inquiry terms. For example, various strategies such as member checking may be used to increase the credibility of your project’s findings. Check resources such as research texts from your previous courses (for example, Action Research by Stringer) and other library resources on validity measures for qualitative and action research.

Ethical Issues, Regulatory Issues, and Risk to Participants In this section, describe any ethical aspects of your project and any regulatory or accreditation

considerations. Describe any risks to the participants, and what you will do to mitigate these risks. Ethical considerations include:

• Bias.

• Potential conflict of interest.

• Recruitment.

• Potential coercion.

• Confidentiality.

• Privacy and Anonymity.

• Informed Consent.

Consult and cite literature to support your discussion.

Notes Ask yourself: What are potential ethical issues related to the project as designed? Please note: Every applied improvement project has potential ethical issues!

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Are there regulatory or accreditation considerations to evaluate before finalizing my project design?

Review the CITI Training and the IRB Capstone screening process you will complete later. Do not hesitate to contact the IRB with any questions related to the implementation of your project. Now is the time to consider issues that could delay or prevent IRB approval of your project.

For example, if you are the supervisor of the participants in your applied project, you might temporarily move your supervisory role to another leader in your organization. You might further assure participants that their participation, including their performance during their participation, will have no bearing on their performance reviews. These steps could help mitigate a potential risk of coercion. Your direct reports might, otherwise, feel compelled to participate (i.e., feel coerced) for fear of possible negative repercussions should they decline to be part of your study.

If you are conducting an action research or evaluation study, you may need to ask participants to provide informed consent. If so, you may decide to ask a colleague to explain the project to participants can collect the informed consent forms. The IRB review will determine whether this is necessary or not.

IMPORTANT NOTE Alignment and Consistency of All Assignment Components A final criterion is included in the signature assignment scoring guide that addresses the alignment of all components of the assignment. The criterion addresses the need for all components to be described in a consistent manner throughout the assignment. For example, the problem of practice would be described in the same language and with the same scope wherever it is referred to in the assignment. Additional aspects of the problem would not be introduced in the Description of the Applied Project, the Implementation Plan, or other sections of the assignment. The criterion also refers to the need for all components of the assignment to be aligned with each other. This means, for example, that the Problem of Practice statement and the Purpose of the Project are clearly aligned with the Description of the Applied Project—the project that will be implemented to address the problem. The Implementation Plan is aligned with the Description of the Applied Project. The Guiding Questions are aligned with both the problem and the intervention and dictate the data to be collected. The resultant coherent, logical design enables the improvement project to be studied during and after the implementation to determine if and how it made a difference. Alignment and consistency of the sections of the Action Plan are important because applied improvement projects must exhibit clarity of design, precision of language, and logical consistency to be credible. The Action Plan, which emerged from the needs assessment assignment completed in EDD995, serves as a formal doctoral project proposal that must be approved prior to implementation. For the Action Plan to be approved, any ambiguity that results when different parts of the assignment are inconsistent or misaligned must first be resolved.

EDD9953: Signature Assignment

Guide last revised September 15, 2021

References

References go on a separate page. Include a properly formatted list of references cited in this assignment. References go on a separate page. Include all references cited. Ensure references are in the hanging indent format and are properly APA formatted. Refer to APA Publication Manual 7th edition (2020) Chapters 9 and 10 for guidance and examples.

Write two pages Responding to the following question. In your essays, please be sure to incorporate a thorough discussion of the passages provided Below the question.

Question: What kind of society did the Franks build in the territories they conquered in the Levant? What sort of picture do twelfth-century Arabic sources paint of the Franks and the character of Muslim-Christian interactions in the so-called “Crusader States”?

Excerpt A from the Travels of Ibn Jubayr (describing this Spanish Muslim’s brief sojourn in Frankish-controlled territory in the Levant on his return journey home to al-Andalus from a pilgrimage to Mecca)

“Our way lay through continuous farms and ordered settlements, whose inhabitants were all Muslims, living comfortably with the Franks. [God protect us from such temptation.] They surrender half their crops to the Franks at harvest time, and pay as well a poll-tax of one dinar and five qirat for each person. Other than that, they are not interfered with, save for a light tax on the fruits of trees. Their houses and all their effects are left in their full possessions. All the coastal cities occupied by the Franks are managed in this fashion, their rural districts, the villages and farms, belonging to the Muslims. But their hearts have been seduced, for they observe how unlike them in ease and comfort are their brethren in the Muslims regions under their (Muslim) governors. This is one of the misfortunes afflicting the Muslims. The Muslim community bewails the injustice of a landlord of its own faith, and applauds the conduct of its opponent and enemy, the Frankish landlord, and is accustomed to justice from him. … … we came to the city of Acre – may God destroy it. We were taken to the custom-house, which is a khan prepared to accommodate the caravan. Before the door are stone benches, spread with carpets, where are the Christian clerks of the Customs with their ebony ink-stands ornamented with gold. They write in Arabic which they also speak. … The merchants deposited their baggage there and lodged in the upper storey. The baggage of any who had no merchandise was also examined in case it contained concealed (and dutiable) merchandise, after which the owner was permitted to go his way and seek lodging where he would. All this was done with civility and respect, and without harshness and unfairness. We lodged beside the sea in a house which we rented from a Christian woman. … Acre is the capital of the Frankish cities in Syria … a port of call for all ships. In its greatness it resembles Constantinople. It is the focus of ships and caravans, and the meeting-place of Muslim and Christian merchants from all regions. Its roads and streets are choked by the press of men, so that it is hard to put foot to ground. Unbelief and unpiousness there burn fiercely, and pigs [Christians] and crosses abound. It stinks and is filthy, being full of refuse and excrement. The Franks ravished it from

Muslim hands … Mosques became churches and minarets bell towers, but God kept undefiled one part of the principal mosque, which remained in the hands of Muslims as a small mosque where strangers could congregate to offer the obligatory prayers.”

Excerpt B: from Usamah ibn Munqidh’s Memoirs: “Among the Franks who had been taken to my father’s house [as captives] was an old woman with one of her daughters, young and well formed, and a stalwart son. The son became [a Muslim] and his [belief] was of a high standard as far as one could judge from his prayers and fasting. He learnt the art or working in marble …. Then, his stay there being prolonged, my father married him to a woman of a religious family and gave him everything that was necessary for his marriage and to set him up. His wife bore him two sons who grew up in the midst of us. They were five or six years old when their father, the workman Raoul, whose joy they were, set off with them and their mother, taking all he had in his house, to rejoin the Franks at Apamea. He became Christian again, together with his children, after years of [Islam], prayer, and faith. May Allah the most high cleanse the world of this race.”