Action Research Plan

1. Examining the work: Setting the Foundation –
I will research the math curriculum and check to see if it is properly aligned. This research will be done on our 8th grade math curriculum and 9th grade math curriculum. I will check to see if we are teaching the proper materials for our students to reach their maximum potential.
2. Analyzing data –
I will be analyzing data from the last 3 years of lesson plans as well as the data from previous TAKS tests to see if there is a gap in the curriculum from Jr. High to High School. I will look for the proper TEKS being taught in lesson plans and comparing to the areas of weakness on the TAKS test results.
3. Developing deeper understanding –
I will be interviewing the teachers of 8th grade and 9th grade mathematics and seeing how the TEKS are covered and how we teach/re-teach areas of weakness. These interviews along with the cross referencing of the lesson plan objectives should show areas of weakness.
4. Engaging in Self-Reflection –
I will reflect on my research and my past teachings and learnings to try and map out a road for success for the students. I will reflect on what seems to have worked in past classroom experiences and reflect on interview materials to learn as much as possible about our gaps or areas that need improvement.
5. Exploring Programmatic Patterns –
I will use the data from the lesson plans and the TAKS disaggregation to help locate the gaps in the curriculum. Finding the objectives that our students miss the most will help identify the weaker areas. The use of this data over the past few years should help me clearly identify areas of weakness in our curriculum. These areas can then be concentrated on and help align the curriculum where the weaker areas will be covered more thoroughly.
6. Determining direction –
Working with the teachers of 8th and 9th grade mathematics along with the support and help from my site supervisor along with the data assessment, should give me plenty of feedback on identifying the weaknesses in the curriculum. With their support and willingness to help in the process, the assessments and progress throughout the research should be achieved. With the collaboration and guidance of my site supervisor, Nathan Ross, I should be able to address, monitor, and assess my work throughout the research.
7. Taking action for school improvement –
Using the appropriate steps in the SIP and PIP plan of action, I will try to study the relevant information to improve our schools curriculum and improve the TAKS test scores. The action research in this case will be done so that I will be able to improve our student performance in Math. I want to make sure the students are receiving the proper information and materials to be successful.
8. Sustaining improvement –
At the current time I cannot sustain improvement because I have only just begun my research. However, I do feel if there are weakness identified or gaps are found in the curriculum then we must continue to identify weaknesses through continual data analysis and research. The monitoring of data after changes must be done to see if the gaps are being closed or they continue. The research must continue until there is enough evidence to say we bridged the gap in the curriculum and our students are achieving acceptable scores on standardized tests.

Week 2 reflection

An important lesson I learned in my week 2 studies is making sure when examining existing research, you break the research down into relevant information. This information should be stuff that you can use in your situation at your school. Do not be afraid to use existing research but make sure it is relevant to your situations in your school. No two situations are exactly the same, but through action research you can find similar situations that have already been researched. Use the information that is pertinent to you and your situation and build on ideas and your research from there.

Educational Leader-Blogs

Educational leaders can use blogs in many ways. I feel it would be an effective way to communicate with staff members on a weekly basis on what is going on in the school and district. Keeping staff members informed of all parts of the educational system is a key to keeping a happy staff. Information about the district, whether used or not, is always nice to have. At times, I feel like staff members are kept in the dark about future plans and goals of the district and I feel blogs would be a great way to keep people informed of general information.

Action Research-What I Have Learned!

In the brief time I have been in the Research class, I have learned a great deal about Action research and how it affects an individuals ability as a leader and administrator. An effective leader will use action research as often as possible. Sometimes it is necessary to schedule time into your schedule so that you are able to find time to participate in action research.

The reason to participate in action research is because it increases your personal knowledge about several things and allows you to move in the direction of becoming an expert leader. Actively participating in action research also allows you to build relationships with people you are researching with. It allows you to actively participate in activities instead of being a passive listener. This adds the element of collaboration to the research which we all know is necessary for success.

Another important element of Action research is that it allows you to go back and check your research often and make necessary changes to your research. As data, and other information comes in, your plans may change and actively using the data will often change the plans or goals.

I will use action research on a daily basis as an administrator. I feel it is necessary to use action research to stay on the cutting edge in the field of education. Putting together committees to research TAKS data and the curriculum as well as the staff in general will be very beneficial to a successful campus. Continuing action research on my campus will be very beneficial in improving test scores and also the collaboration will bring the campus culture closer together.