Informed Consent Form Dear Parents, For my Final Research Project in my masters program at West Chester University, I will

be conducting a study of the AVID Program here at Springer Middle School in order to assess its effectiveness in improving student achievement. I am hoping to examine what is working and what changes need to be made for next year to ensure that the program increases the academic levels and college rediness of each student involved in AVID. I am writing to ask permission to use the data I collect from your child during this process. Participation in this study involves only regular classroom activities. You may contact me at any time regarding your childs participation. My email is caitlin.gibbons@bsd.k12.de.us and the school phone is 302-479-1621. Our school principal, Mrs. Biggs is also aware of and has approved this study. Again, the purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of AVID in increasing academic levels and college rediness of its student participants. The study will take place at Springer Middle School in the students AVID elective and Language arts classrooms and will last from now until the middle of April. Throughout this research study, I will be collecting various forms of data to determine whether the AVID program has been successful. I will be examining marking period grades, fall and spring DCAS testing scores, and writing assessment scores of all of the Team Coyote students, including those involved in AVID. I will also be observing students using AVID strategies in their language arts classroom and participating in AVID tutorial sessions in their AVID elective class on a weekly basis. Finally, the students will complete surveys and interviews of their feelings and opinions of the AVID program as a participant. Benefits of participating in this study include identifying areas of student personal improvement, as well as areas where they struggle and are in need of additional support. This study will also provide the school with ways to make the AVID program even for successful for its student participants in future years. Only the AVID site team will have access to the data collected in this study. Your childs participation in this project is strictly confidential. Only I, Caitlin Gibbons, will have access to your childs identity and to information that can be associated to your childs identity. Use of data from your child is voluntary. You may contact me at any time if you do not wish to have your childs data included in the study. Thank you so much for your assistance in my research. Sincerely, Mrs. Caitlin Gibbons Please check the appropriate box below and sign the form: I give permission for my childs data to be used anonymously in this study and photographs of my child to be used in the presentation of the study. I understand that I will receive a signed copy of this consent form. I have read this form and understand it. I do not give permission for my childs data or photograph to be included in this project. ______________________________ Students Name ______________________________ Date ________________________________ Signature of Parent/Guardian