My Action Research Plan

Action Research Plan

Goal:  Through action research, determine if same gender classrooms can benefit student learning.

Action Steps:	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline : Start/End	Needed Resources:	Evaluation:
Request list of students	Jan Cowan Jana McClane	March 2011	Counselor’s time to generate list	Feedback from counselor
Segregate list for different middle schools	Jana McClane Carla Williams	March-April 2011	Counselor’s time	To assure proper separation of students
Research data from TAKS scores in 6th grade	Jana McClane Carla Williams	April 2011	Time Access to past records	This will provide data on the gender year instruction
Pull test scores from previous years TAKS	Carla Williams	April - May	DMAC program provided by school district	To assess scores before same gender classes
Check benchmark scores from current school year	Carla Williams ELAR teachers	May – June	Staff time to access records	To check progress
Receive TAKS writing scores from the state	Carla Williams Laurie Perry	May - June	DMAC program Staff	To compare past results to current
Receive other subject TAKS scores from the state	Carla Williams Laurie Perry	May - June	DMAC program Time Staff	To compare past results to current
Select students not in same gender classes to compare data	Jana McClane	June – July	Staff Team Members DMAC Time	To compare student’s scores
Pull scores from non-gender class students from 6th grade 2009/10	Carla Williams Laurie Perry Jana McClane	July	DMAC program Time	To compare scores from gender to non-gender groups
Collect scores from previous TAKS and current 7th grade TAKS	Carla Williams Laurie Perry	July	DMAC program Time	To compare past results
Use data acquired to compare same gender classes to non-same gender classes	Carla Williams	August – September	Access to data collected Microsoft Excel	Comprehensive presentation

5301 Week 2 Blog

During this week's assignment, I listened to 3 interviews of leaders from three different school districts talking on the subject of action research.  All three had interesting points and examples of action research that they had been involved in.  Also this week, it was interesting to read about the different examples of the nine areas of schools that one might perform action research.  The many examples in the text were interesting and made me think about issues in my own school that could use some action research. 
I visited with my site supervisor about possible topics for an action research that would benefit my school.  The three that we narrowed it down to were: 

 1. How does tardiness effect student achievement and scores on standardized tests?
2. Can same gender classes help with student achievement?
3. What affects do long term In School Suspension assignments effect student achievement?

All of the activities this week brought about some "wondering" on topics that might be interesting to do action research.

What I have learned about action research and how you might be able to use it...

When this course began, I was unsure of what the term action research meant.  I had heard of it but that was about it.  I was not sure how it differed from other types of academic research.  In just a few short days I have learned that action research is performed by administration and involves investigating issues or practices with an ultimate goal of changing those issues to better the teaching and learning at the school.  Administrators first think about a topic, gthen begin collecting and analyzing data, and develop a plan of action for needed change.  After this is done, the leader will then share the results with peers.  I also learned that action research allows personal professional development and allows the campus leader to become the "head learner" at his/her campus. (Dana, 2009, P.12)
Something else I have learned about action research is using team collaboration to gather information and to research problems in specific areas.  Teams work together to discuss ways to solve problems.  We practice team collaboration at my school.  My team meets at least once a month to discuss topics that the "team leader", principals, and other team leaders have proposed.  We gather imput from our teams and then all team leaders meet again with the principal to solve problems. 
Action research is a beneficial way of research in educational systems.  For many years, schools have just done what all other schools across the country have done instead of researching solutions to their own problems.  Certain ways of doing things are not always the best wys for everyone.  All schools have their own set of problems and issues and should work together to solve them with ways that will work for them.

How might educational leaders use blogs:

A blog can be an important asset for a leader involved in action research.  A blog allows leaders to reflect on information that they have collected as well as explore information that others may have contributed to the blog.  By blogging, a leader is able to explore and develop ideas and also reflect back on information gathered previously.  Nancy Dana says "reflecting on practice to become more intentional about what principals do is the foundation of engagement in action research." (Dana, 2009, P. 150)