Abstract
This action research study evaluated the impact of three targeted instructional modifications designed to address a 9% decline in proficient and distinguished student performance on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Course (EOC) Assessment in High School U.S. History. Building upon district leadership initiatives, an instructional team implemented a triad of evidence-based interventions across 15 units: (a) transitioning from digital assessment platforms to traditional paper-and-pencil testing to protect academic integrity, (b) implementing "Launching with Intent" vocabulary bell-ringers utilizing Frayer models and interactive word walls, and (c) embedding weekly 10-item formative unit quizzes to leverage retrieval practice and memory reconsolidation. Comparative data analysis demonstrated a 10 percentage point increase across internal summative assessments compared to the prior cohort, a trajectory subsequently substantiated by official statewide comparative performance metrics. These findings suggest that pairing paper-based summative testing with structured vocabulary scaffolds and frequent retrieval practice offers a sustainable, highly replicable framework for elevating secondary social studies achievement on high-stakes state assessments.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Swift, Arren
(2026)
"Launching with Intent: How Three Simple Classroom Modifications Raised Assessment Scores by 10%,"
Teaching Social Studies in the Peach State: Vol. 4:
Iss.
2, Article 4.
Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sspeach/vol4/iss2/4
