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 Assessment project might be formulated slightly differently:
Example: The purpose of the project is to implement an Assessment of ABC school’s
science curriculum to inform a comprehensive revision of the science program. (The
problem the Assessment 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One of the problem’s causes identified in the root-cause analysis was an outdated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 Assessment 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 Assessment, 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 Assessment) 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 Assessment you will need additional sections and details. You will need to
identify the program’s goals and objectives, the type of Assessment (formative or summative),
the Assessment model applied (e.g., CIPP model), guiding Assessment questions, and a
complete Assessment plan. There will need to be clear alignment among the program’s goals
and objectives, the guiding Assessment 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,
Helpants
Mid-August
to midSeptember
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 halfday sessions.
(For both instructional
coaches and school
principals)
Prework: Engage
trainers and
determine
timeline/dates for
workshops by
consulting school
calendar for next
year.
Helpant
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
Helpant
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 midSeptember
and end of
October 20xx
Must be
completed
prior to end
of October
Training was
delivered and
Assessment of
training was
completed.
Classroom
observations
Conduct and
videotape classroom
observations.
(Specify number of
observations
expected per coach).
Instructional
coaches
End of
September to
midDecember
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
midDecember
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 midDecember
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 Assessment 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 Assessment instrument. Perception data can also be an important
source of feedback about an intervention. Outcome data include an Assessment 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 Assessment
If you are conducting an Assessment, your process questions will reflect the Assessment’s purpose
and type such as formative or summative, or goal oriented or improvement-oriented Assessment.
As with an action research approach, in an AIP that evaluates a program or process, the
Assessment story is told by answering the process questions. For example, “What happens when
an Assessment of [x] is implemented?” The data you collect will allow you to reflect and report on
what happens during the Assessment each step of the way.
The outcome questions for an Assessment 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, openended 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
Guide last revised September 15, 2021
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
EDD9953: Signature Assignment
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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!
EDD9953: Signature Assignment
Guide last revised September 15, 2021
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 Assessment 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.

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