Action Research for Lamar U. EDLD-5301

     Action research is part of a constantly revolving cycle that begins with reflection, problem  identification, action research, and evaluation of the end results.  Reflection allows an administrator to critically view any learning system in place on the campus to identify a potential problem or just a lack of desired results.  Once an item to improve has been identified action research can begin.  Action research allows an educator who is self-critical the ability to find a solution to the problem through research and allows that educator to have their hand in the process every step of the way.  Action research tends to get better results than traditional research because it allows the persons closest to the problem the chance to solve the problem without have outside persons make suggestions and analysis that may not be accurate for that particular situation.
     Reflection needs to be calendared.  It needs to be part of a weekly routine to constantly self-assess any educational system or process to bring to light any potential problems.  Any administrator can become reactive instead of proactive by allowing daily, less important activities to constantly get in the way of not maintaining a quality educational climate and environment.
     As a prospective administrator I believe action research can best be utilized with a leadership team.  Once the problem has been identified a team of individuals who are involved in the classroom process can research possible solutions to that problem.  An advantage to this approach is it allows for more coverage of the problem though research.  An administrator will get varied opinions and more options for solutions through research to choose from.  An administrator will also get more buy in from all those involved who also have a stake in the process via inclusion.
    An educational leader might use a blog as a way to share information with other educational leader.  It can be used to publish results of any campus system or routine so that other educational leaders can employ the same system.  It can also be used as a way to solicit needed information as a research tool so that other education leaders may work together with synergy. 

EDLD 5301 Week 3 Action Research Plan

Wondering-  What are the common characteristics of effective teachers? Step 1 Examining the Work: Setting the Foundation- This section of the book discusses the need for inquiry and building interpersonal trust, but I feel the need to discuss the objective of my action research project.  I intend to identify those qualities that make a teacher effective in the classroom.  Once those qualities are identified they can be used for the new hire process and to bolster the existing teachers effectiveness in the classroom.  Step 2 Examining the Work: Analyzing the Data- I will use the STAAR Test results from 2013 to identify those teachers on campus whose students scored well.  I am not sure at this point what numerical value I will assign to a student who has “scored well” and who has not.  After a pool of teachers has been identified who students scored well, I will then use one or maybe two teacher surveys called a “Teacher Efficacy Scale” or a “GRIT” scale to identify routines, procedures, and best practices of all the teachers on campus to compare and contrast those effective and ineffective teachers. Step 3 Examining the Work: Developing Deeper Understanding- One of the pitfalls of using test scores from only one year’s sample is obviously only using scores that may reflect a small percentage of outstanding students.  A bigger sample size may be needed.  However, other than just using document analysis of test scores and questionnaires in the form of surveys,  I will also interview some of the effective teachers to further identify those best practices and possibly expose my findings to the campus leadership team before publishing my results. Step 4 Examining the Work: Engaging in Self-Reflection- I am not sure how self-reflection comes into play at this point of the action research project.  The self-reflection should come into play mostly before a particular quandary can be identified.  I do want to point out here that I will be using a district wide system called AWARE to collect the results from the STAAR Test taking into consideration the 2012-2013 scale scores. Step 5 Examining the Work: Exploring Programmatic Patterns- Although one way to examine programmatic patterns would be to conduct an equity audit.  This inquiry might yield results that can be very valuable at a Title I school such as mine; however, this is not what my action research project is about at this time.  I do need to point out that the timeline for my action plan is to culminate this fall so that the results of the project can be used in the spring semester for other Title I principals in the district to be able to further that project by using statistics from their own campus to use for the following school year.  Those principals, including my own, will be the persons responsible for implementation of the plan. Step 6 Examining the Work: Determining Direction- This step fits my action research project well.  In the book there are 3 steps to determining direction.  They are the following: 1) Revisit previous goals and priorities 2) Determine areas where more information is needed.  3)  Recognize limitations.  In revisiting previous goals and priorities there in or no goal more important or of higher priority than that of identifying qualities that make teachers effective either for the hiring process or for existing teachers in the classroom.  Once those effective teachers are identified through their student’s test scores more information will be gathered to further identify what processes, routines, and techniques those teachers used in the classroom.  We all recognize the limitations of research of this sort in the way that a normally effective teacher would use outstanding teaching techniques and still not have their students score as well as another more ineffective teacher for a myriad of reasons.  My goal is to merely point out those techniques or qualities that yielded positive results. Step 7 Examining the Work: Taking Action for School Improvement- Although I plan to use the campus leadership committee to bounce my results off of before I publish them, the bulk of the work on this action research project will be done by me.  I will also get help from my site supervisor and my field supervisor.  This section of the book recommends an action committee, but also recommends a written plan and documentation of the ongoing activities until the plan is complete.  The monitoring and evaluation of the plan will stem from the STAAR Test scores in the future years.  If those state test scores have risen, then this action research project will have been a success.  It is important to note here that the success of this project may not be known for a few years and I am watchful of any anomalies resulting from a class of overachieving or underachieving students. Step 8 Examining the Work: Sustaining Improvement- This section discusses various models for sustaining improvement such as Force Field Analysis, Delphi Method, Nominal Group Technique, and CARE Model.  These proposed models are all example of methods to sustain improvements in school in a general manner.  Although I have witnessed the Nominal Group Technique used in our campus leadership team meetings and I like this model the most because of the buy-in it promotes with all the group members, I would need more understanding on how any of these models would help my action research project.  I view these models as ways to identify needs of a campus and collaborate ways to fulfill those needs.

EDLD 5301 Week Two Reflection

Previous to this week my view of action research was limited to just research online.  However, I now have a more expansive view of action research to include classroom research done by a teacher to better know the student's learning styles and progress.  Action research can also include researching social justice and equity issues along with school culture/climate to gather valuable information concerning local students and community. 
This type of research can include research done in the classroom, using data accumulated by the school district such as student test scores, and student, teacher, and parent surveys.  Information and ideas can be gathered that an administrator can use to make a decision concerning a process or routine.

MJ

Action Research

Until this class the term "Action Research" was unknown to me.  Research in any area was finding answers to questions for the sake of finding the answers, but action research goes a step further by implementing that answer to solve a problem or simply make a process or system better.  It simply provides the impetus that can create a positive change.  Action research has an infinite array of uses in the educational arena from the head principal of the campus down to the classroom teacher. 

My head principal keeps his door open and many times when I walk by, he is at his computer.  Through discussions with others I have been told he loves doing research to find answers that can make the educational process on our campus easier and more productive.  In the interview with him during the EDLD 5311 class I remember him saying that he doesn't search for books or online articles that can make his job easier.  He strives to find new solutions and processes that can make a classroom teacher more effective.  One topic that he and I will work on is the topic of teacher effectiveness.  This is the topic that I have chosen as my action research project that will hopefully shed light on techniques that effective teachers use the classroom.

We have instructional coaches for every department that have made teaching easier by researching possible activities for their classroom teachers to implement for the various units that a teacher may need help with.  I have on a couple of occasions this past school year received help in this manner to infuse my teaching with fresh ideas that the IC researched for me.

As classroom teachers we can research the effectiveness of our teaching particular TEKs by gathering information before and after a unit test or common assessment.  We can find whether our students are grasping the concepts being taught and whether there are certain TEKs that need to be retaught before moving on to another unit. 

These are just a few possibilities of how action research can help in the educational process, but by no means are they exhaustive.  The possibilities are endless with the today's means of sharing information.