Eric Lee, Teach for America – Arkansas ’12 Corps Member

Four juniors from Cross Country High School won honorable mention for their poster about sports injuries.

Cherry Valley is a rural town located in Northeast Arkansas about 45 minutes east of Memphis, Tennessee. Similar to most communities in this area, it is not unusual to spot airplanes overhead crop-dusting fields and tractors occupying two lanes on a highway. Located within the 1 square mile city of Cherry Valley is Cross County High School, which contains about 350 students of which 76% qualify for free or reduced lunches. Though many students in this school deal with poverty every day, four of its brightest students have been recognized nationally for their collective achievement.

Juniors Allison Burch, Jordan Johnson, Brianna Lace, and Riley Stephens won honorable mention in the ASA Regional Poster Competition and their work proceeded to receive national attention. Their work examined the susceptibility of varsity athletes to injuries and whether competing in a sport led to more people getting hurt. To answer this question, the group constructed a hypothesis, selected students from each grade randomly to examine instances of injuries, and performed a test to see if there was evidence that athletes are more likely to have serious injuries than non-athletes.

The winning poster board showed a blend of science and statistics in its presentation over a brightly decorated image of a basketball court. When the group was put together, Stephens noticed a connection. “We noticed that all of us play a sport within our school and we have seen friends deal with serious injuries. We wanted to test if being on a varsity team increased the chances of getting an injury,” Riley said.

To capture data, the four juniors randomly selected two samples of 45 students among the student body—one group of varsity athletes and another group of non-athletes. Sustaining bodily damage that impaired a person from daily activities for more than two weeks met the requirement for being injured. The group hypothesized that there would be significantly more injuries in the sample of athletes than in the sample of non-athletes simply because of the intense nature of varsity sports. However, after capturing survey responses and performing a hypothesis test, the group could not find enough evidence to draw a conclusion that athletes are more prone to injury.

Math usually consists of a barrage of math problems and scenarios; however, the ASA Poster Competition generated motivation based on the freedom to explore. This eventually led to students having to dedicate more effort to planning and implementing a thorough study. Lace attributed success to extra nights after school working on the poster with the group. “We worked really, really hard in and out of class. This included inviting my group over to my house and working on the project until midnight,” Lace said. “We had outside feedback from people outside of class. Listening to critical feedback and making revisions helped us become successful.”

While the poster submission required a deep level of understanding in statistics, it also required analytical thinking, technological literacy, and collaboration. These skills are the core values of Cross County High School, a New Tech School, which actively uses project-based learning. Conceptual understanding of various subjects is driven through authentic projects that challenge students to draw connections between what they learn and what they experience. Progress on a project requires each team member to create a plan and identify what the group needs to learn. The result of this effort is a product that demonstrates the application of subject matter and professional skills seen in a work environment.

Carolyn Wilson, superintendent of Cross County School District, has seen the benefits of this curricular philosophy. “Project-based learning has challenged our students to become better communicators, collaborators, and workers. As a result, our students are gaining self-confidence and developing skills that can make them successful in the future,” noted Wilson. “We have set the goal for our students to expect to attend college and we are seeing the fruits of our efforts.”

Jennifer McFarland, principal of Cross County High School, added, “Students are beginning to see beyond the challenges in their lives and it has influenced the culture positively. These challenges should not prevent a student from succeeding, but students need to be given the skills to meet challenges in innovative ways.”

School administration, faculty, and staff members recognize the challenges confronting the students in Cross County. In addition to the majority of students who require free or reduced lunch during the school day, more than 19% of the student population is considered homeless by the State of Arkansas and 13% require alternative or special education. Developing and facilitating projects demands a considerable amount of effort from all who work with the students. Cherry Valley is void of industries or farms capable of offering employment opportunities.

However, in spite of these challenges, the students are capable of reaching extraordinary achievements. From the creation of the idea to the eventual submission, Burch, Johnson, Lace, and Stephens have demonstrated creativity and application of complex statistical concepts. They also have managed to stand out in a region that includes schools from across 40 states in the nation. Upon recognition of the award, parents were first to express their happiness for their children. “I am very proud of Riley. If he was not a part of the school, then he would not have been given the opportunity/challenge,” said Wendy Stephens.

Other parents also have seen the growth the school has caused in their children. Penny Lace said, “Project-based learning gives students a chance to really show their creative side. I think it is wonderful that our small rural school is getting the same education that is found in much larger schools around the nation and our students are just as competitive. I have seen my daughter mature during her junior year. She has become more responsible and attentive to her work.”

Most importantly, the competition introduced a host of new opportunities for the group. Students reach in their college aspirations and expect to achieve more as a result. Stephens expressed during a presentation, “[The award] let us know we can do anything we really want to do.”