What are you teaching curriculums expectations and experiences

Hamline University DigitalCommons@Hamline School of Education Student Capstone Theses and School of Education Dissertations Summer 7-10-2016 What Are You Teaching? Curriculums, Expectations, and Experiences of High School Writing Teachers and First Year Composition Kathryn Elizabeth Fullmer Hamline University, kfullmer01@hamline.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.edu/hse_all Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Fullmer, Kathryn Elizabeth, "What Are You Teaching? Curriculums, Expectations, and Experiences of High School Writing Teachers and First Year Composition" (2016). School of Education Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations.edu/hse_all/4150 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Education at DigitalCommons@Hamline. It has been accepted for inclusion in School of Education Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Hamline. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@hamline.edu, lterveer01@hamline.

WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING? A CASE STUDY OF CURRICULUMS, EXPECTATIONS, AND EXPERIENCES OF HIGH SCHOOL WRITING TEACHERS AND FIRST YEAR COMPOSITION TEACHERS By Kathryn Elizabeth Fullmer A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate in Education Hamline University St. Paul, MN Summer 2016 Dissertation Chair: Terri Christenson Reader: Kristina Deffenbacher Reader: Jennifer McCarty Plucker   2   Copyright by KATHRYN ELIZABETH FULLMER, 2016 All Rights Reserved   3   To my parents who told me I could be whoever I wanted as long as I had an education. To my sister who was my first student. To my nieces who will someday know what Auntie Kate did.

To my grandmothers who are the two strongest women I know. To my students who couldn’t believe I wanted to go to more school. To the women teachers who went before me. And finally, to all students who ever struggled in school.

  4   “Everywhere I go I’m asked if I think the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don’t stifle enough of them. There’s many a best seller that could have been prevented by a good English teacher. -Flannery O’Connor   5   ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to the many professors at Hamline University who took me through this process.

As the saying goes, the days are long and the years are short. Those weekend classes, after a long week of teaching, were more than I could handle most of the time, but now I wonder where the time went. Special thanks to Kristina Deffenbacher and Jennifer McCarty Plucker who agreed to serve as members of my dissertation. I remember thinking, three women with doctorates and one woman on her way towards earning hers—Girl Power! I offer profound thanks to Terri Christenson who served as my dissertation committee chair and provided me with answers, encouragement, and nudges.

I remember our dinner and coffee meetings where this project began and ended. Thank you to the five writing instructors I interviewed and who shared teaching documents with me as well as their passion. Thank you to my colleagues who listened to me complain and who celebrated each deadline and chapter with me. Thank you to all of my students who shared this journey with me.

Homework sure ruins a lot of fun! And finally, thank you to my cats, Whitman and Zelda, who snoozed on piles of books, knocked over stacks of papers, flicked at my pens with their paws, and walked across my computer keyboard.   6   TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: Introduction to the Research Question. 16 Journey to the Research Question. 16 My department’s tensions and questions.

23 Variable use of AP credits. 27 Defining the goals of college-level writing. 29 Preparing high school students for college. 31 Description of Theoretical Foundations.

33 CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review. 35 Writing Curriculum in High School and College. 39 Five paragraph essay assignment. 40 Formulaic writing assignments.

41 Conforming and covering an approved curriculum. 41 Preparing students for college entrance exams. 42 Irrelevant extension activities. 43 Instructional focus on content or conventions.

44 Assessment in writing. 45   7   Role of grammar in assessment. 45 Align assessments with instruction. 45 Expectations of High School and College Writing.

46 Large class size. 47 Resources available and faculty background. 47 Lack of qualified writing instructors. 50 Experiences and Perspectives of High School and College Teachers.

50 Little teacher training in writing. 51 Teachers do not write themselves. 52 High school schedule. 53 Teaching grammar and punctuation.

55 Communication between high school and college. 55 Writing classroom culture. 57 Different departmental focus. 59 Influences on classroom experience.

62   8   CHAPTER THREE: Methodology. 63 Qualitative Research Framework. 69 Setting and Participants. 71 Methodology for Data Collection.

80 CHAPTER FOUR: Results. 84 Materials and standards. 111 Document Analysis and summary. 114 CHAPTER FIVE: Conclusion.

118 High school is everything. 120 PLC and course approval. 122 Five paragraph essay. 122 Rubrics and grades.

125 Effect of others on grades. 126 Context and Schedule. 128 Student development and maturity. 129 Teachers need to read and write.

131 Teachers enjoy teaching. 131 Lack of pedagogical knowledge. 132 Technology and plagiarism. 135 Sample size and type.

136 Implications and Suggestions. 138 For high school. 139 For professional development. 140 For other stake-holders.

144   11   APPENDICES APPENDIX A: Document Analysis (National Archives) APPENDIX B: Modified Document Analysis for Writing Curriculum APPENDIX C: Interview Questions APPENDIX D: Consent Letter APPENDIX E: Consent Signature Form   12   TABLE OF TABLES 2.1 2010 Minnesota Academic Standards for English Language Arts 2. 2010 Minnesota Academic Standards for English Language Arts 4.1 Summary of Data Addressing the Writing Curriculum 4.2 Summary of Data Addressing Expectations in the Writing Classroom 4.3 Summary of Data Addressing Teaching Experiences in the Classroom 4.4 Summary of Data Addressing Instructional Documents 5.1 2010 Minnesota Academic Standards for English Language Arts 5.2 Remedial Education Rates for Minnesota Students   13   Abstract Fullmer, K. What Are You Teaching? Curriculums, Expectations, and Experiences of High School Writing Teachers and First Year Composition (2016) The purpose of this study was to explore the teaching of writing in high school and first year composition. In depth interviews and document analysis were employed to allow five writing instructors to detail their curriculums, expectations, and experiences of teaching writing.

Findings suggest that the teaching of writing is nuanced and is affected by many outside variables. Implications for future research include the possibility of developing better communication between high school and colleges, more and better professional development for writing instructors at both levels, and an evaluation of current practices at the high school and college level.   14   Definition of Terms ACT (American College Testing)--This is a standardized test that high school students take to determine college readiness and college admissions. They are tested on reading, grammar, math, science and reading.

The College Board produces it. Advanced Placement classes (AP)-- In the 1950s the College Board developed a series of classes for advanced high school students to earn possible college credit. Today, high school teachers teach these classes and students can earn college credit by taking a test in May. They are often combined with high school English content.

For the purpose of this dissertation, AP refers to AP Literature and Composition and AP Language and Composition. AMA –American Medical Association--A writing style used primarily in the medical field. APA – American Psychological Association-- A writing style format used primarily by the social sciences. ASA –American Sociological Association--A writing style used primarily in the sociology field.

Chicago--A writing style used primarily by history departments. College Board--an organization that prepares and administers standardized tests that are used in college admission and placement. Common Core State Standards (CCSS)--Corestandards. These learning goals outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade.

The standards were created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live. Forty-two states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) have voluntarily adopted and are moving forward with the Common Core.” Communities of Practice (COP)--According to Wegner, McDermott, and Snyder (2002), a community of practice is a group of people who engage in a process of collective learning. They are also groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.   15   First Year Composition (FYC)--for the purpose of this dissertation, First Year Composition (FYC) is any freshman level English class.

Other descriptors might be English 101, Freshman Comp, and Introduction to College Writing. This class might fall under the English department, the rhetoric department, the General Studies Department, or as its own department. Five Paragraph Essay (FPE)--an organizational pattern for essays. It includes an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion Minnesota Academic Standards for the English Language Arts (MNELA Standards)-- include reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, media literacy, and language standards, were revised in 2010.

All schools must implement the 2010 standards by the 2012-2013 school year. The standards will be reviewed again during the 2018-2019 school year. MLA (Modern Language Association)-- A writing style format used primarily by English departments and other humanities. SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)--Similar to the ACT, it is a standardized test that high school students take to determine college readiness and college admissions.

They are tested on math, critical reading, and writing. The College Board produces it. Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) –is a movement within contemporary composition studies that concerns itself with writing in classes outside of composition, literature, and other English courses. Minnesota Academic Standards for the English Language Arts (MNELA Standards)— include reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, media literacy, and language standards, were revised in 2010.

All schools must implement the 2010 standards by the 2012-2013 school year. The standards will be reviewed again during the 2018-2019 school year.   16   CHAPTER ONE Introduction to the Research Question All teachers want to help students learn academic skills, be prepared for the next level, and be good citizens of this planet. As a high school English teacher, I want to help my students communicate well and be prepared for the next level—college English.

Is it possible for high school writing teachers to prepare students for a variety of colleges with differing expectations and an even more diverse college writing curriculum? In this study, I am interested in bridging the gap between high school writing and first year composition (FYC). I want to explore the curriculums, expectations, and experiences found in both high school and college composition courses. This dissertation will seek to find commonalities and differences that will help to inform and align instruction in the writing process. In this chapter, a presentation of the primary research question will provide the foundation for the work and its three related areas of literature.

This chapter will also include my research journey and my personal experience as a writing teacher. A rationale for the research question will be presented and a conclusion will close the chapter with ideas leading to the literature review. Journey to the Research Question Teaching has been wrought with conflict ever since Horace Mann (1796-1859) decided to take on the task of uniting America’s fledgling schools. What should be taught? Who would teach? What kinds of students? What is the purpose of our public   17   schools? The curriculum conflicts continued through the twentieth century as John Dewey (1859-1952) and Edward Thorndike (1874-1949) argued, then Sputnik was launched and scared Americans about their education (Ravitch, 2013).