Action Research Plan

Goal: To improve student scores and discipline referrals through increased student motivation within the classroom.

Step 1:

Action Steps: Creating a committee to monitor and discuss progress of action research project.
Person Responsible : Amanda Collins
Time Line: Throughout the Year Beginning August 2010
Need Resources: Representative from each grade level and administration members
Evaluation: Meet monthly to discuss concerns or adjustments that need to be made to project. Including creating a plan of action for students that fail to learn or teachers that need extra support within the classroom.


Step 2:
Action Steps: Review and disaggregated TAKS data from 2008-2009 and 2009-2010
Person Responsible: Administration and Testing Coordinator
Time Line: **Review as needed. September 2010, but done previously
AEIS and AYP results for 2008-2009 and 2009-2010
Needed Resources: TAKS data from 2008-2009 and 2009-2010


Step 3:
Action Steps: Review discipline referrals for 2009-2010 looking for trends. Evaluate school continuum for addressing discipline concerns
Person Responsible: Amanda Collins and Committee Members
Time Line: September 2010
Needed Resources: Discipline Records and referrals


Step 4:
Action Steps: Professional development opportunities for teachers on classroom management and effective teaching strategies
Person Responsible: Teachers and Administration/Staff Development
Time Line: We have already received initial trainings in the 2009-2010 school year. Throughout the year 2010-2011
Needed Resources: Region IV staff development opportunity resources and Handouts for sessions
Evaluation: Teachers are required to have 25 hours per year. Principals collect your professional development hours at the end of the year. Our school has made it mandatory to attend two classroom management sessions such as Building Better Relationships.

Step 5:
Action Steps: Random walkthroughs to evaluate student learning within the classroom.
Person Responsible: Principal, AP’s and Instructional Facilitator
Time Line:Began 2009-2010 and Continuing throughout the year
Needed Resources: Walkthrough Forms
Evaluation: Use walkthroughs for staff members to self reflect on learning taking place within the classroom.

Step 6:
Action Step: Review Benchmarks and Check Points
Person Responsible: Classroom Teachers
Time Line: Ongoing beginning August 2010
Needed Resources: Benchmark scores and testing data provided by district software program.
Evaluation: Place results and findings on school staff drive for access and use by administration and committee members.

Week Two Reflection

This week was an interesting one for me I really enjoyed listening to the interviews provided and seeing how their wondering lead them to action research topics. I also thought about the 9 areas in which you could focus on for action research it was neat to see where each topic had relevant research topics. This made me think deeper and look at my internship plan from a new perspective I am really interested in the topics that I have as a possibility, now to get my supervisor on board.

Action Based Research and Blogging

Action based research is something that I believe makes sense to me as an educator and my personal educational philosophy. Action based research allows leaders to take ownership through finding issues that they feel are relevant to campus improvement and working with other colleagues to find solutions that increase student learning and achievement.

Action based research is cyclical in nature and allows for administrators to find a problem, gather data, interpret the data, evaluate results and completing next steps to improve the student learning. Action based research allows you to think reflectively about the process and outcomes. I really think that this is one of the reason is why it is so beneficial. It allows us to stop and see what is working and what is not working, making adjustments as needed. Focusing that all of the reflection is not only self reflection, but also reflecting as a group. Collaborating so they can create a plan of action and begin to implement new stratifies that are more effective.

Leaders and blogging can be an area that may not be used effective by leaders within the educational realm. Using blogs to effectively communicate with fellow educators about philosophies and allow for a greater audience for discussions. Blogging also can be beneficial in communicating with parents and staff members, creating an open dialog that might not other wise take place.