Action Planning

Action Planning Template
Goal: To provide the student with extended resources to promote graduation.  To provide teachers with a visual to address issues that they may be facing with their students, state testing, and the prediction of the students future. Is there a correlation between Math TAKS/STAAR exams and the drop-out rates?  If so, what program can we implement to prevent such statistics? What is the time frame to get the students back on track and where should we start to ensure no student is falling in this category.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Gather Testing Data	Josefine Henderson Tina Young, Testing Coordinator Joe Daw, Principal Tammy Morrow & Kaley McCracken, Counselor	August 2012 – October 2012	Access the exam results from the last 2 years Student Folders/Records	This step will ensure that we will have reviewed the data to compile a list of our target students to be included in the study.
Determine the at-risk or target students and compile a list	Josefine Henderson Tina Young Joe Daw Tammy Morrow Kaley McCracken	October  2012 – December 2012	Access to exam results Student Folder/Records	This step will provide us with a visual of the student count and what students will be taking part in the process to get back on track.
Stakeholders Meeting	Josefine Henderson Joe Daw Parents Counselors	January 2013	Access to parent information. Facility Testing Data for each student to present. Samples of programs that have targeted drop-out rates.	This will provide the parents with an information session of the steps that are ahead to help their child succeed.  This step will allow for questions and answers as well as suggestions on how to address the issues at hand.
Meet with Math Teachers and Implement a plan to target the topic at hand	Josefine Henderson Math Enrichment Teacher(s) Math Department	August 2012 – completion of plan development	Access to calendar. Plans samples that have proven to be successful on other campuses. Access to Math TAKS/STAAR Data	This step will allow us to sit and look at the calendar and provide dates to work on the plan, design, and implement.  This step will also allow us to take part, as for as, tutoring and extracurricular math activities.
Conduct research with frequent meetings, confidentiality, support, professional assistance, view and review of data, and reflections.	Josefine Henderson & All stakeholders responsible for the students’ education	January 2013- May 2017	Access to student records/data as needed. Parents agreement to participate	This step will allow all stakeholders to monitor and provide a detour to students who may get off track.  This step will also allow us to follow the student from the initial concern until the completion of high school.  My overall goal is to provide the student with positive thoughts about school and Math TAKS/STAAR Exams.  With the constant monitoring of the students failure should not be option.  This step will also allow the student the one on one in education, counseling, and anything requested of the student.
Present the results of my study	Josefine Henderson	August 2017	All data collected in the study to be presented	This step will allow me to receive feedback and to share my study with other school districts and campuses.  This will also allow for a continued professional development for me.

Week 2 of Action Research

In completing this week's assignment, I have a better understanding of how action research can be used in a school setting. In each of the nine passions, examples were given on how action research can be used and the results of the research.  I will also like to highlight the advice that Dr. Lewis gives to anyone doing research is, do research in a practical form. What is practical to you, what is it that you need to know to apply it to student learning and the environment that you are looking in?  “If it is not practical and it has not been applied to your situation, then it’s just not good.”  One thing I take away from this weeks' videos is that it is knowledge to use data and conduct action research to solve any type of problem in a school setting. It is also very important to consult with experts or refer to their research findings prior to conducting your own research. As Dr. Briseno put it, “Why reinvent the wheel? Take 15-20 minutes to pull up an article ...read on it and it might just save you an endless amount of time stressing out over a problem that somebody else already had and they were successful at solving it.”

Benefits of Blogging

Blogging is beneficial in so many ways.  Educational leaders can you this as an ongoing ideas blog, topic discussion, sharing with others, and professional growth.  We use these blogs, but we can also learn from them as well. 

What I've learned about Action Research

I’ve learned that action research is principals and teachers examine their own practice systematically and carefully, using the research techniques.  Action research is the idea where teachers will begin posing questions, collecting data, reflections and deciding a course of action.  Action research is also a powerful professional development tool.  The sharing of ideas and finding with others assist in the professional growth.  Action research is not a library project where you seek more information about a particular topic to gain more knowledge in that area.  Action research is done for the people by the people.  Action research involves people working to improve skills, and how we can change our instruction to improve our students.

Action research differs from traditional educational research because it is done by the individuals inside the school.  Action research differs from traditional educational research in that it is inquiry performed by “practitioners”, often by a principal or leadership team on the inside involved in the operation of the school and holding a consigned interest in the improvement of the school. Traditional educational research is performed by outsiders, professional researchers or scholars, using scientific methods typically under controlled conditions. Traditional research seeks to answer questions and determine courses of action applicable in a general setting or for a general audience, whereas action research concentrates on answering questions and determining a course of action to improve a particular school or the performance of a particular group.

Action research is beneficial in so many ways.  It gives educators an opportunity to know more.  We as teachers are always looking for opportunities to expand our existing knowledge.  Action research focuses on school issues that are happening on our campus and would be assisting in our school improvement.  Action research also improves communication, extends the opportunity to reflect, and caters to the collegial interaction.