Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template Goal:  How does Success Maker 6 (SM6) affect Tier III students’ performance on state assessments? Action Steps(s): Person(s) Responsible: Timeline: Start/End Needed Resources Evaluation 1.  Examining the Work:  Setting the foundation: Meet with my site supervisor and decide on a plan that fits our school/district goals Self Site Supervisor July 22, 2013-July 30, 2013 Intern Plan Approved Action Research Plan 2.  Analyzing Data: Gather data from last year’s STAAR results and RTI data for Tier III at-risk students Self Aug. 1, 2013-Aug. 16, 2013 TEA STAAR results RTI campus tier III at-risk reports Summary of data results from STAAR results and RTI at-risk reports 3.  Developing Deeper Understanding: Survey teachers on interventions currently using Introduce RTI guidelines and interventions Identify at-risk students Train teachers on usage and data collection for SM6 and integrate into lessons Self Site Supervisor will help present RTI information Aug. 19, 2013-Sept. 20, 2013 Survey questions RTI powerpoint for training Universal Screener and computer lab for student at-risk identification SM6 program and computer lab for teacher training Results from survey Teacher feedback, questions and answers Data results, teacher observations Active Monitoring Teacher questions and answers 4.  Engaging in Self-Reflection: Conduct weekly observations in classrooms and meet with teachers.  Discuss program concerns and usage as well as offering ideas on adjusting lessons to meet intervention needs. Self Sept. 30, 2013-to end of action research plan Classroom for meetings data from SM6 on usage and interventions   lesson plans Observation notes Data results and suggested program interventions Collected lesson plans with interventions I will blog concerns and questions as they occur 5.  Exploring Programmatic Patterns:  My site supervisor and I will meet with teachers and students to examine the program and its data to check for any barriers that may be causing problems in implementing the program. What challenges did the teachers having in using the program? Were there any interruptions while using the program?  Did a student have excessive absences?  What problems were students experiencing? Were there any technology problems-outages? Were there any problems with the SM5 program? Self Site Supervisor Sept. 30, 2013-end of research plan Conference room for meetings SM6 data reports Data results Teachers’ reports Students’ reports 6.  Determining Direction:  Site supervisor and I will meet and review all data to see if there needs to be any revisions to the program.  If not, continue to collect data, monitor progress, meet with teachers and students, observe, reflect and report on blog. Self Site Supervisor Jan. 13, 2014-end of research plan Program Data Teacher and Student Surveys Site supervisor satisfaction with progress 7.  Taking action for school improvement: Use formative and summative data information to determine effectiveness of the program. This is the time where we will use all successful interventions so far to prepare for STAAR.   Self Jan. 13, 2014-end of STAAR Classroom assessments, attendance reports, technology data reports, teacher evaluations, student surveys Formative and Summative Reports 8.  Sustaining  Improvement: Evaluate all data Write summary of results Meet with all stakeholders and share results.  Make recommendation about program Self June 2014 STAAR Results from TEA Final Data reports Summary of meeting

What I learned from Week 2 Assignments
The assignments in week two were very helpful to me.  Before these assignments, I found out what action research is, but I had no idea how to choose a topic.  The administrator's nine categories of wondering that I read in Dana's Leading with Passion and Knowledge helped me see what administrators would like to get answered through action plans.  This provided a starting point for my wonderings.  I then viewed the videos from scholar practitioners which helped me dig even deeper into my wonderings as well as get good advice on how to conduct an action plan.  They spoke about using data and others to help in my research. My classmates' posts on the blackboard was very helpful as well because we were able to bounce ideas off of each other, and finally, speaking with my site supervisor helped me narrow my wonderings down to the one topic that I will conduct an action research on.  She talked to me about the advantages and disadvantages in each one of my topics.  I also learned how important it is to our learning community to conduct action research.  Action research will help all participants.

What I learned about Action Research

I learned what action research is and its benefits.  Action research or administrative inquiry as it is also called, is the intentional study of an administrator's own practice and taking action to make changes.  This type of research allows the administrator to recognize her campus' problem, ask relevant questions, analyze data and implement an action plan.  The results call for reflections to help monitor successes and failures in the plan as well as sharing findings with others who share an interest in the school's goal.  Action research provides an effective tool for teachers to improve their teaching and learning.  Reflecting back on actions often, is a way for administrators and teachers to become life long learners.  Teachers will be able to adjust instruction and make necessary changes to promote student learning.  Administrators will be able to make changes to their action plan to promote a learning environment where students can become more successful.

After learning about action research, I started thinking abut my campus and the situations where I can use this research.  I did learn also, that I am on some committees that use action research, without knowing what it was called until now.  One one of the committees that I am on is our technology committee where I see many needs for action research.  As a technology leadership major, I want to focus on the effect our newly implemented software program Success Maker 5 has on student performance on school and state assessments.

Educational leaders can use a blog to share their ideas, issues and concerns with people all over the world, not just in their school or district. It can go both ways, because educational leaders can also get new ideas from administrators, help with issues they are having and get input about their concerns that could help them come up with an action plan for their campus.  Blogging is like collaborating without taking a lot of the administrator's valuable time, but will provide valuable information to him or her.