Collection Study 1

Running Head: COLLECTIONS STUDY

 Collection Study 2

Table of Contents
Site Description and Learner Analysis

Curriculum Review

Collection Evaluation

Materials Order

Special Considerations
 Collection Study 3

School Site Description and Learner Analysis

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Greenbrier High School is a non-title I school located 135 miles east of Atlanta in

Columbia County, Georgia. The school has a capacity of 1700 students, yet currently houses

2051 students in grades 9-12. These students are housed not only in the school building, but

also in many of the 16 portable classrooms located on campus. Currently, there are 116

teachers and 5 administrators who work very hard to ensure that each child receives the best

education possible despite the crowded classrooms. The media center houses two full time

media specialists as well as a full time media clerk to attend to the over 19,000 items currently in

circulation.

In the school year 2007-2008, GHS had an attendance rate of 96.02% and a graduation

rate of 88.8%. The school met AYP and received the Gold Award in 2008 for having 97.02% of

its students meeting or exceeding standards on state standardized tests, specifically the Georgia

High School Graduation Test (GHSGT). The scores for GHS are above the average scores for

Columbia County. While Greenbrier’s performance on the GHSGT is exemplary, the average

SAT scores for the score are superb as well. Currently, GHS has an average SAT score of 1491.

This is above the state average of 1453.

GHS is the only high school that houses all special education exceptionalities. Currently,

7.2% of the student population is enrolled in the special education program. Some of these

students are mainstreamed into regular education classes; these students are typically the students

who plan on earning a regular high school diploma, and therefore, must take the same

standardized tests as a regular education student. Other special education students are

completely isolated from regular education students all day and plan to earn a special education

diploma. Therefore, these students are exempt from taking the state standardized tests. If a
 Collection Study 4

student plans on earning a regular education high school diploma, whether he receives special

services or not, he/she must take seven End of Course Tests (EOCT) as well as pass all five

sections of the GHSGT. While the GHSGT is administered during the student’s junior year of

high school, the seven EOCTs are administered at the end of the second semester of the

particular subject that has the test. The EOCT score counts as the student’s final exam grade

(15% of the final average) as well as secures a spot on the student’s permanent record. Three of

the seven EOCTs, (Math, Biology and 9th grade Literature) are given to the student during his

first year of high school. The Biology EOCT has shown to be particularly troublesome for 9th

graders at GHS. In 2008, only 86% of 9th grade GHS students passed the Biology EOCT. While

this number is higher than the county average of 82%, there is still much room for improvement.

Raising the Biology EOCT scores of ninth grade students will be the focus of this collection

evaluation.

Students are enrolled in Biology in the ninth grade based on their CRCT scores from the

eighth grade. If the CRCT scores are not satisfactory, students are placed into Environmental

Science as a ninth grader. While there are a total of 534 ninth graders at GHS only 999 are

taking Biology. Out of the sixteen science teachers at the school, five of them teach Biology.

These teachers teach a total of seventeen sections of Biology. ### of the Biology students are

Gifted while ### are Special Education students.

 Collection Study 5

Curriculum Review
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Students in Georgia are required to take Biology in order to receive a high school

diploma. Students at GHS take Biology in the 9th grade. At the end of the 9th grade school

year, students are required to take an End of Course Test (EOCT) in Biology. This test score

counts as 15% of each student’s second semester average as well as holds a permanent place in

the student’s permanent record. Students taking the EOCT in Biology are tested over the

following areas:

• Cells: 17-18%
• Organisms: 17-18%
• Genetics/Heredity: 25%
• Ecology: 25%
• Evolution: 14-15%

The GPS standard for Biology for the Heredity portion of the EOCT is as follows:

SB2. Students will analyze how biological traits are passed on to successive
generations.
a. Distinguish between DNA and RNA.
b. Explain the role of DNA in storing and transmitting cellular information.
c. Using Mendel’s laws, explain the role of meiosis in reproductive variability.
d. Describe the relationships between changes in DNA and potential appearance of
new traits including
• Alterations during replication.
g. Insertions
h. Deletions
i. Substitutions
• Mutagenic factors that can alter DNA.
g. High energy radiation (x-rays and ultraviolet)
h. Chemical
e. Compare the advantages of sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction in
different situations.
f. Examine the use of DNA technology in forensics, medicine, and agriculture.

After discussing the GPS standards with classroom teachers in the school, it was decided that

this standard is very vague. These teachers have been studying the GPS with other schools, as
 Collection Study 6

well as attending state funded workshops in order to become better familiar with what the

students are expected to know. The science teachers have indicated that students must

understand the following in order to be successful on the Biology EOCT:

• The relationship between DNA and visible traits in organisms creates genetic diversity.

• DNA is the recipe for life.

• Natural variations in the genetic code can be harmful or helpful.

• Spontaneous changes in DNA can affect an organism’s ability to survive.

• DNA of organisms can be purposely manipulated to obtain desirable characteristics.

Teachers have also indicated that the following skills are necessary in order to be successful on

the Biology EOCT and GHSGT:

Students will be able to…

• describe the building blocks of DNA

• replicate a strand of DNA

• compare and contrast the structure and function of DNA and RNA

• apply Chargaff’s rules to a strand of DNA to determine complementary strands of DNA

and RNA

• analyze an original strand of DNA to determine the resulting polypeptide chain

• analyze DNA to determine the presence of a mutation and/or genetic disorder

• compare and contrast various types of mutations

• discuss and debate current issues surrounding DNA technology

 Collection Study 7

• use on-line sites to research a genetic disorder

• communicate to others about a genetic disorder

• discuss and debate the use of DNA technology

At the end of the school year, students are required to take the End of Course Test (EOCT) in

Biology. The following chart outlines a sample of the various types of assessments used by

teachers when teaching the Heredity unit to the students at GHS. In addition to the

activities/labs, etc. listed in the chart, teachers also use the following websites to enhance

classroom discussion during this unit:

• http://www.classzone.com (This is the website that accompanies this student’s

textbook. There are practice games, online quizzes, test practice, virtual labs, etc.

available for use on this site)

• http://www.unitedstreaming.com (This is used to show various videos on Heredity)

• http://www.cnn.com (This website is used to show the students videos of current

items making the news.)

• http://www.cellsalive.com (This site contains information, pictures, activities,

tutorials, etc. about cells)

The teachers at GHS have indicated that media center resources are rarely used as the media

center does not have much to offer on Heredity. This will be addressed in the Collection

Evaluation.

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 Collection Study 8

Public Service Announcement

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Goal:
• Your goal is to create a television commercial in the form of a public service
announcement to heighten the awareness of a genetic disorder.
Role:
• You are an intern at an advertising firm.

Audience:
• The audience is the general public.

Situation:
• You have been asked by your superiors to write the manuscript and draw the storyboard
for a commercial informing the general public of a genetic disorder.

Product Performance and Purpose:

• You need to create a written script for a genetic disorder informing the general public of
the causes, effects of, symptoms, and treatments of a certain genetic disorder You will
also need to include a storyboard that illustrates the timeline of the script. You will
present your idea for this public service announcement to your superiors.

Standards and Criteria for Success:

• Your script should include dialogue which shows…
- the name of the disorder
- cause(s) of the disorder; include type of mutation and cause of mutation
- effects of the disorder
- treatments of the disorder
- explain if this disorder is harmful and/or helpful
• Your storyboard should include…
- a minimum of 3 panels that reflects the significant points you see from the script
- a description underneath each panel detailing exactly what is taking place in each
panel
 Collection Study 9

Performance Task 2
Who’s the Daddy?
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Goal:
• Your goal is to help a mother and a group of potential fathers understand the
process of determining the paternity of a child.

Role:
• You are a biotechnologist hired by The Jerry Springer Show.

Audience:
• The audience is a group of men who could be the father of a newborn child and
the mother of the child.

Situation:
• You have been asked by your superiors, the executives at The Jerry Springer
Show, to design the test that will be used to determine the paternity of child for the
show titled “Who’s Your Daddy?”.

Product Performance and Purpose:

• You need to design the experiment that will be used to test for the paternity of the
child and then create an informational brochure that educates your audience of
how the paternity of the child will be determined.

Standards and Criteria for Success:

• Your brochure needs to include:
- your experimental design of the paternity test
- potential complications and safety concerns from performing this test
- information on how to interpret the results of the test
 Collection Study 10

Collection Evaluation
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 Collection Study 11

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 Collection Study 12

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 Collection Study 13

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Name of Assessment Type of Teacher/Department Media Center
Assessment Materials Currently Resources Currently
Utilized for Instruction Used
Various Quizzes Quiz Paper/pencil None
• Cell Cycle
• DNA structure
and function
• Protein
synthesis
• Mendelian
genetics
• Genetics
disorders
• Genetic
engineering
Various Tests Test Paper/pencil None
• Cell Cycle Test
(including DNA
structure and
function)
• Protein
Synthesis and
Meiosis
• Mendelian
Genetics
• Genetic
Engineering
Meiosis/Mitosis Lab Microscopes and accessory None
Microscope Lab equipment
Building a DNA Lab Various colors of pipe None
Model cleaners and beads
DNA Extraction Lab Strawberries, extraction fluid None
Building and Lab None Computer Lab
Analyzing a Website
Karyotype
Gel Electrophoresis Lab None Computer Lab
Lab Virtual Lab
Protein Synthesis Lab Lab Paper, pencil, glue and None
scissors
Public Service Performance None Computer Lab
Announcement Task (Internet Search and
Word Processor)
“Who’s the Daddy” Performance None Computer Lab
Task (Word Processor)