Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template
Goal: How do extra-curricular activities affect students’ grades, tardies, and referrals?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Define groups-   -Extra-curricular      students     -Athletics     -Band     -Orchestra     -Cheerleading     -Chess Club -Non Extra-     curricular      students   60 students that are extra-curricular and 60 students that are not involved (students from my classes)	Lauren Miksch	August 26, 2013-September 4, 2013	List from Extra-curricular sponsors	List gathered from sponsors and student spreadsheet is created with students listed by activity
Communicate with core teachers of the 120 students- Making them aware that a spreadsheet will need to be completed at the end of each six weeks	Lauren Miksch, Betty Allen (Social Studies), Trina Cochrane (English), Cheryl Whitehouse (Science)	September 4, 2013- September 7, 2013	Email	Completed spreadsheet sent to Core teachers so they are aware of students that are being tracked.
Communicate with extra-curricular sponsors of requirements to participate in the activity. Interview sponsors.	Lauren Miksch, Santiago Ochoa (Athletics), Valerie Klem (Orchestra), Tanya Moore (Cheerleading), Barbara Myers (Orchestra)	September 9, 2013- September 13, 2013	Interview Questions	Copies of interview notes; Copy of by-laws or contracts given to students.
Conduct interviews (survey) with students	Lauren Miksch, extra-curricular students, non-extra-curricular students	September 16, 2013- September 20, 2013	Student interview (survey) questions	Copies of interview (survey) questions
Gather 1st Six Weeks Data: Tardies, grades, and referrals for 120 chosen students.	Lauren Miksch, Betty Allen (Social Studies), Trina Cochrane (English), Cheryl Whitehouse (Science), E-School (referral count), Ed Echols (ISS-tardy log)	October 4, 2013-October 11, 2013	E-School referral results, tardy count, report cards	Student record spreadsheet is filled out
Gather 2nd  Six Weeks Data: Tardies, grades, and referrals for 120 chosen students.	Lauren Miksch, Betty Allen (Social Studies), Trina Cochrane (English), Cheryl Whitehouse (Science), E-School (referral count), Ed Echols (ISS-tardy log)	November 8, 2013- November 15, 2013	E-School referral results, tardy count, report cards	Student record spreadsheet is filled out
Gather 3rd  Six Weeks Data: Tardies, grades, and referrals for 120 chosen students.	Lauren Miksch, Betty Allen (Social Studies), Trina Cochrane (English), Cheryl Whitehouse (Science), E-School (referral count), Ed Echols (ISS-tardy log)	December 20, 2013, January 10, 2013	E-School referral results, tardy count, report cards	Student record spreadsheet is filled out
Gather 4th Six Weeks Data: Tardies, grades, and referrals for 120 chosen students.	Lauren Miksch, Betty Allen (Social Studies), Trina Cochrane (English), Cheryl Whitehouse (Science), E-School (referral count), Ed Echols (ISS-tardy log)	February 21, 2013- February 28, 2013	E-School referral results, tardy count, report cards	Student record spreadsheet is filled out
Gather 5th Six Weeks Data: Tardies, grades, and referrals for 120 chosen students.	Lauren Miksch, Betty Allen (Social Studies), Trina Cochrane (English), Cheryl Whitehouse (Science), E-School (referral count), Ed Echols (ISS-tardy log)	April 17, 2014- April 24, 2014	E-School referral results, tardy count, report cards	Student record spreadsheet is filled out
Gather 6th Six Weeks Data: Tardies, grades, and referrals for 120 chosen students.	Lauren Miksch, Betty Allen (Social Studies), Trina Cochrane (English), Cheryl Whitehouse (Science), E-School (referral count), Ed Echols (ISS-tardy log)	May 29, 2014- June 5, 2014	E-School referral results, tardy count, report cards	Student record spreadsheet is filled out
Analyze and Interpret Data	Lauren Miksch	June 8, 2013-July 8, 2013	Data, interviews	Create graphs displaying data.
Share results with administration and make recommendation	Lauren Miksch, Beau Sanchez (Principal), Jennifer Lundquist (AP)	July 9, 2013- July 30, 2013	Graphs, Paper, Calendar to schedule time to share results	Handouts of graphs and paper

Week 2 Reflection

I am not going to lie, at the beginning of this week, I felt very overwhelmed as I was not confident in the meaning of action research, how to go about collecting data or even the topic I was going to research.

I found this weeks assignment very interesting as I learned there are nine topics that can be researched. I learned that the action research topic that is being researched needs to be related to the research so the person pursing the research feel confident in the research and can take ownership in it.

After completing the reading, I definitely felt more confident in m decision on my action research plan. I met with my site supervisor and she is overwhelmingly excited to see the results of my research as this happen to be the second one she was debating on using when she was completing her Action Research Project when she studied at Lamar University. We debriefed different ways I am going to collect my data, and set up a timeline to help keep it organized and not stressful or overwhelming.

I also had my Field Supervisor Conference this week with three other Lamar students. I was so nervous as I did not know what to expect. I definitely overreacted and after completing the conference, I had nothing to be nervous about. We discussed my progress and my Supervisor felt confident that I was on the right track. I feel that my Supervisor is going to be very helpful as he is very informative of the Lamar requirements.

On to week 3!!

Action Research Learnings

        After reading the required readings for the week, I learned an abundance about action research. Before reading, I did not realize there were different types of research, but after reading, I found the most valuable type of research within a school is action research. Action research is research that is taking place within the school, not research that has been done outside the school system and then being implemented within the school. Action research is implemented by a principal and focuses on providing vision into each of their practices in an effort to change or improve the classroom. Action research consists of several different steps. According to Dana in Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher, the steps include “posing questions or ‘wonderings,’ collecting data to gain insights into their wonderings, analyzing the data along with reading relevant literature, making changes in practice on new understandings developed during inquiry, and sharing findings with others” (Dana, 2009, p.9). These steps are crucial and continual within a principal’s career if he/she is pursuing growth as all principals should in order to be a successful leader. Action research is not just growth for the principal, but also growth for the students and teachers; therefore, most likely, they are also included in the action research. After reflecting on this week’s reading, reflection seems to be the most important aspect of action research. This stage allows for principals to help determine best practices that will allow the school to flourish, allows the principals to become role models for teachers showing that they too are concerned with growth and change within themselves, as well as, the school, and lastly, allows principals a chance to share with other administrators their findings and learn of different action research projects from other administrators. Once I become an administrator, I know with time, beliefs, teaching methods, and strategies will change within the school. Through action research, I will be able to determine what is best for our students’ success as this is the reason teachers and I choose our career.
        Principals today have hectic daily schedules within the school, so blogging creates an easy way that principals can collaborate and share their findings of action research that occurred at their school, as well as, a place to reflect and learn of other action research topics and there outcomes that occurred within other schools.

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action
        researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.