EDU599

Nancy Saladik

Action Research Project Proposal

My proposal for my action research culminating project will encompass research on

developing a choice-based arts curriculum using differentiation strategies in regard to an

at-risk student population. At this point, my title (subject to change) will be Art for At-
Risk Youth in the 21st Century: Exploring the Value of a Choice-based Art Education
Approach in Alternative Education.
My passion and experience has always been working with at-risk youth. My teaching
experience includes more that 12 years teaching at-risk populations. I find that offering art
as a safe outlet for self-expression for the at-risk population has been extremely rewarding
as well as challenging.
This topic appeals to me since I am currently an art teacher at New Life Academy,
the academic program associated with New Life Youth and Family Services (nlyfs.org),
located in Schwenksville, PA. New Life is a non-profit organization offering at-risk youth
(grades 6-12) an educational, behavior-management, and therapeutic program as well as
residential facilities for adjudicated youth and students in need of shelter facilities.
The at-risk population brings many challenges outside of the regular classroom. The
term at-risk denotes a student who is in need of support in some way. This support may
be in the form of emotional, learning, behavioral, life skills, among various other reasons
deemed needed for support.
There are many challenges faced by alternative program educators. The most
prominent questions I ask myself are:
1. How do I structure a class with several age groups together in one class?

2. How do I structure a class with several skill/developmental levels together in

one class?
3. How do I maintain order/structure/behavior with students with differing
issues?
4. How do I structure a class with students arriving or discharged mid-marking
period?
5. How do I structure a class of students who do not necessarily want to take art?
6. How do I structure a class with students with varying interests?
My focus of this action research project is to answer these questions through
actual implementation of differentiation strategies including designated centers of
activity, reorganization of the physical classroom space, observation, professional
input and documentation.
I believe that I have the perfect setting for my research as I have been given
much freedom at New Life Academy to organize my classroom and curriculum to
research this model.
I have approached several colleagues and administrative staff at New Life who
have agreed to be critical friends and will allow me to interview each to gather
their thoughts and insights on the topic. Kate (in our EDU599 class) has also agreed
to be a critical friend and a great resource as a fellow arts teacher in alternative
education. John Heusser, an Arcadia art education instructor will be my mentor and
advisor for the project. We will meet weekly to discuss.

I have already found many articles on choice-based art education. I hope to

couple this research more in-depth with how it relates to at-risk students. My real-
life observation and journal will document this journey.
At the end of the semester, I will present to an Arcadia Art Education class and
reveal my findings through a Powerpoint and photos. It is my hope that my findings
may reveal thinking opportunities for use in the regular classroom as well as
alternative education.
I am excited to begin my research and approach, tackling the challenges and
working out the kinks hopefully my findings will make a positive impact on my
current and future students.