Action Research Plan

Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation

·         Research which classroom management style produces the best academic results.

·         Determine if there is a pattern between grade levels.

·         Evaluate progress by using classroom observations, surveys, interviews, and benchmarks.

·         Develop a campus wide behavior management plan.

Develop a mentoring program for teachers in need of management strategies.

 Activities to help us reach our goal:

·         A site base committee will meet to analyze benchmark data from previous years.

·         The site base committee and campus administrators will meet to discuss any patterns found between the selected teachers and academic scores.

·         The administrators will conduct classroom observations.

·         The site base committee will meet to discuss the benchmark scores every six weeks.

·         The site base committee will make necessary modifications to the action plan and the assistant principal will make adjustments to the ever changing data.

Resources and tools:

·         Classroom management strategies of teachers with consistently high academic scores.

·         Interviews, observations, and surveys.

·         The most important tool will be the observations and benchmark reports.

·         Communication is vital to this process.

Timeline:

·         Before the start of school the school year the administrators must – gather and analyze data from the previous year, chose the teachers that will be involved in the action research project, and create the surveys that will be utilized.

·         Weekly during the year we must – observe classroom management procedures of the teachers that are involved in the study.

·         At the end of each six weeks the administrators and committee members will meet to discuss progress or problems as well as make any adjustments to the procedures.

·         At the end of the school year – the administrators and committee members must, reevaluate the classroom management procedures of the more successful teachers and create a mentoring program.

Person(s) responsible for the implementation:

·         The principal and assistant principal will conduct classroom observations and interviews with the students.

·         The assistant principal will lead the site base committee and will monitor the weekly academic reports.

·         The site base committee, led by the assistant principal, will generate six weeks, semester and yearly academic reports.

Process for monitoring goals:

·         Data will be broken down each six weeks.

·         The academic performance of the top classes will be documented.

·         Any pattern detected between the high achieving class and the type of classroom management style used by the teacher will be documented.

·         Reports will be cumulative and reported to the principal and superintendent.

Assessment instrument:

·         Our assessment instrument will be data generated from academic reports.  We will use the frequency of referrals to determine success and possible adjustments to the discipline code.

·         We will also look at the time frame from when an issue occurs to when it reaches the assistant principal’s desk as well as when it is acted on.

Reflection

Its been a very busy and productive week.  I can see that it would bery tempting to continue to come up with wondering inquiries instead of focusing on just one.  I will try and not get caught up in all possibilities and focus on the action research inquiry I have chosen.  Discipline.

Action Research

Action research brings about change. Its not simply a review of material or data. You can go beyond what the traditional approach to research could do. Action research is a method that can be used by administrators and teachers to pinpoint areas in need and then use focused discussions to address these areas. In a school setting, the needs tend to change quite frequently. By utilizing action research, the ideas for bringing about the needed change can be altered. The Action Research process doesn't conclude. At any time, the administrator and teachers can take another look at the changes proposed. It can be determined if improvement is detected. If not, then the PLC can reevaluate the suggestions for improvement and tweak where necessary. By analyzing data and asking questions, a broader range of perspectives on the subject can be gained...therefore the administrator is able to solve a plethora of different problems. Analyzing data, collaborative reflection and continual research is used to sustain the chosen solution. When using traditonal research, administrators and teachers struggled with actually making the needed changes. Traditional research doesn't lend itself to actually making the changes, rather it identifies areas of need...without the component to improve the situation.

How ecucationall leaders might use blogs: By using blogs, educational leaders can communicate, share ideas, brainstorm, and reflect on eveything from day to day issues of running a school to more indepth issues like curriculum and student performance.