Below is the final draft of my propose action research plan.
Tool 7.1 Action Planning Template
Impact Question: What is the impact of early grade retention on the academic achievement and self-esteem of students on later grade level?
Goal: To reduce the failure/retention rate for every grade level by 50% this school year.
Action Step: 1) Develop specific, grade-level and subject-oriented curriculum objectives and adopt rigorous academic standards for meeting those objectives.
Person(s)Responsible: Principal, dean of instructions, and district specialists, and all core content teachers.
Timeline - Start/End: June-August
Needed Resources: Support from curriculum department/
personnel
Evaluation: Classroom walkthrough and checking of lesson plans
Action Step: 2) Teachers attend on-going collaborative training through with region 4 to be trained in the art of teaching reading to school with large numbers of at-risk students in order to meet the need of those students.
Person(s)Responsible: Dean of instruction and all core content teachers.
Timeline - Start/End: June-December
Needed Resources: Grants from region 4 and US Department of Education
Evaluation: Classroom observations and data from bimonthly common benchmark test
Action Step: 3) District specialists provide model lessons, observe and provide feedbacks, lead PLC team meeting, and provide general support to teachers.
Person(s)Responsible: District specialists and dean of instructions
Timeline - Start/End: Entire school year
Needed Resources: District special allocated "Apollo 20" budget
Evaluation: Classroom observations and data from bimonthly common benchmark test
Action Step: 4) Develop procedure/policies to prevent early school failure and intervene immediately and vigorously when students show signs of falling behind.
Person(s)Responsible: Principal, Dean of Instruction, and Site-Based Decision Making Committee
Timeline - Start/End: June-August
Needed Resources: Title I and “Stimulus” funding.
Evaluation: Data from six weeks grading cycle
Action Step: 5) Develop a support program available for students in danger of failing, including individual tutoring, extended-day programs, after-school and summer school programs, and parent counseling services.
Person(s)Responsible: Principal, Dean of Instruction, and Site-Based Decision Making Committee
Timeline - Start/End: June-August
Needed Resources: Title I and “Stimulus” funding
Evaluation: Data from six weeks grading cycle, tracking student discipline, and data from CBA
Action Step: 6) Pre-school and all-day kindergarten programs should be available to all high-risk students and class size should be reduce in the early grades.
Person(s) Responsible: Principal and dean of instruction
Timeline - Start/End: Entire school year
Needed Resources: Title I and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation grant
Evaluation: Long term data gathering of student success in the upper grades (2-3 years)
Friday, August 6, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Week 3 Reflective Blog
After seeking advice/input from a couple of principals I worked with in the past years, we came to the consensus that it is best for me to proceed with the investigation the question of: What is the impact of early grade retention on the academic achievement and self-esteem of students on later grade level? The reason why I chose this question to investigate is that I am curious to know the short and long-term effect it has on the student by retaining him or her at such an early age and how effective it is in preparing the student for the next grade level and so on. As educators, we know that retention as a remedy for poor academic performance has been hotly debated and extensively studied for decades.
Tool 7.1 Action Planning Template
Goal: To reduce the failure/retention rate for every grade level by 50% this school year.
Action Step: 1) Develop specific, grade-level and subject-oriented curriculum objectives and adopt rigorous academic standards for meeting those objectives.
Person(s)Responsible: Principal, dean of instructions, and district specialists, and all core content teachers.
Timeline - Start/End: June-August
Needed Resources: Support from curriculum department/
personnel
Evaluation: Classroom walkthrough and checking of lesson plans
Action Step: 2) Teachers attend on-going collaborative training through with region 4 to be trained in the art of teaching reading to school with large numbers of at-risk students in order to meet the need of those students.
Person(s)Responsible: Dean of instruction and all core content teachers.
Timeline - Start/End: June-December
Needed Resources: Grants from region 4 and US Department of Education
Evaluation: Classroom observations and data from bimonthly common benchmark test
Action Step: 3) District specialists provide model lessons, observe and provide feedbacks, lead PLC team meeting, and provide general support to teachers.
Person(s)Responsible: District specialists and dean of instructions
Timeline - Start/End: Entire school year
Needed Resources: District special allocated "Apollo 20" budget
Evaluation: Classroom observations and data from bimonthly common benchmark test
Action Step: 4) Develop procedure/policies to prevent early school failure and intervene immediately and vigorously when students show signs of falling behind.
Person(s)Responsible: Principal, Dean of Instruction, and Site-Based Decision Making Committee
Timeline - Start/End: June-August
Needed Resources: Title I and “Stimulus” funding.
Evaluation: Data from six weeks grading cycle
Action Step: 5) Develop a support program available for students in danger of failing, including individual tutoring, extended-day programs, after-school and summer school programs, and parent counseling services.
Person(s)Responsible: Principal, Dean of Instruction, and Site-Based Decision Making Committee
Timeline - Start/End: June-August
Needed Resources: Title I and “Stimulus” funding
Evaluation: Data from six weeks grading cycle, tracking student discipline, and data from CBA
Action Step: 6) Pre-school and all-day kindergarten programs should be available to all high-risk students and class size should be reduce in the early grades.
Person(s) Responsible: Principal and dean of instruction
Timeline - Start/End: Entire school year
Needed Resources: Title I and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation grant
Evaluation: Long term data gathering of student success in the upper grades (2-3 years)
Tool 7.1 Action Planning Template
Goal: To reduce the failure/retention rate for every grade level by 50% this school year.
Action Step: 1) Develop specific, grade-level and subject-oriented curriculum objectives and adopt rigorous academic standards for meeting those objectives.
Person(s)Responsible: Principal, dean of instructions, and district specialists, and all core content teachers.
Timeline - Start/End: June-August
Needed Resources: Support from curriculum department/
personnel
Evaluation: Classroom walkthrough and checking of lesson plans
Action Step: 2) Teachers attend on-going collaborative training through with region 4 to be trained in the art of teaching reading to school with large numbers of at-risk students in order to meet the need of those students.
Person(s)Responsible: Dean of instruction and all core content teachers.
Timeline - Start/End: June-December
Needed Resources: Grants from region 4 and US Department of Education
Evaluation: Classroom observations and data from bimonthly common benchmark test
Action Step: 3) District specialists provide model lessons, observe and provide feedbacks, lead PLC team meeting, and provide general support to teachers.
Person(s)Responsible: District specialists and dean of instructions
Timeline - Start/End: Entire school year
Needed Resources: District special allocated "Apollo 20" budget
Evaluation: Classroom observations and data from bimonthly common benchmark test
Action Step: 4) Develop procedure/policies to prevent early school failure and intervene immediately and vigorously when students show signs of falling behind.
Person(s)Responsible: Principal, Dean of Instruction, and Site-Based Decision Making Committee
Timeline - Start/End: June-August
Needed Resources: Title I and “Stimulus” funding.
Evaluation: Data from six weeks grading cycle
Action Step: 5) Develop a support program available for students in danger of failing, including individual tutoring, extended-day programs, after-school and summer school programs, and parent counseling services.
Person(s)Responsible: Principal, Dean of Instruction, and Site-Based Decision Making Committee
Timeline - Start/End: June-August
Needed Resources: Title I and “Stimulus” funding
Evaluation: Data from six weeks grading cycle, tracking student discipline, and data from CBA
Action Step: 6) Pre-school and all-day kindergarten programs should be available to all high-risk students and class size should be reduce in the early grades.
Person(s) Responsible: Principal and dean of instruction
Timeline - Start/End: Entire school year
Needed Resources: Title I and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation grant
Evaluation: Long term data gathering of student success in the upper grades (2-3 years)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
EDLD 5301 - Week 2 Reflection Blog
What I learned from this week is by reflecting on my possibilities of all the ideas I have for my action inquiry topics, I learned that action research involves a strategic action that must be thought out. Strategic action is a deliberate and planned attempt to solve a particular problem or set of problems using a coherent, systematic and rigorous methodology. To me, any education action inquiry must be a deliberate and planned attempt to improve student achievement and school culture. With that in mind, don't hesitate to tackle tough issues or problems that might not be in your "comfort zone." I came up with several action inquiry topics and of course decided to go with the one I am most comfortable with. After discussing the topic with two principal friends of mine and seek their input, I came to the realization that if I am to be an effective school leader, I need to tackle topics that I might not be comfortable with.
Not only had I learned about what it takes to carry out an action inquiry, I also learned about the beneficial tangent that comes from reflective practice when couple with my action research. I feel reflective practice can be seen as the specific application of experiential learning to activities carried out as part of one’s profession or job.
Not only had I learned about what it takes to carry out an action inquiry, I also learned about the beneficial tangent that comes from reflective practice when couple with my action research. I feel reflective practice can be seen as the specific application of experiential learning to activities carried out as part of one’s profession or job.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Educational Leaders and “Blogging”
As the Internet becomes an increasingly pervasive and persistent influence in people's lives, the phenomenon of the blog stands out as a fine example of the way in which the Web enables individual participation in the educational forum. I have noticed the creative use of this Internet technology and how school leaders and staff can use blog to communicate, share idea and thought, and be reflective.
What I Learned About Action Research
What I learned is administrative inquiry or action research is the process of intentional study or reflection which leads to change. It is a powerful tool and an important vehicle for making better choices because it helps us gain deeper insights into our practice and understand why we do and behave as we do. Administrative inquiry involves posing questions or “wonderings”, collecting data, analyzing this data, making changes based on what we gained from data analysis and sharing the findings with.
Action research varies in many ways from traditional educational research. First, traditional educational research is a linear activity which views principals and teachers as technicians. Principals are not expected to be problem solvers or even problem posers, they are instead expected to use the findings or solutions posed by “outside” experts far removed from the everyday needs of a school. In contrast, action research focuses on on the concerns of the practitioner by guiding them to investigate their own problems and make them an integral part of the solution process.
By reflecting on what I learned is a crucial piece within action research and in order to be an effective leader I believe one must engage in action research therefore, reflection is highly needed in order to improve our current schools. Reflection allows for self analysis, looking at our own practices and making changes that will lead to student success and teacher and faculty growth. Reflection allows us to grow professionally in a meaningful way. Without reflection all would be stagnate and improvements, if any, would by accidental in nature and difficult to replicate. With reflection,however, we can take charge of our own learning and truly act as we believe so that our actions speak louder than our words and we become leaders among a community of learners.
Action research varies in many ways from traditional educational research. First, traditional educational research is a linear activity which views principals and teachers as technicians. Principals are not expected to be problem solvers or even problem posers, they are instead expected to use the findings or solutions posed by “outside” experts far removed from the everyday needs of a school. In contrast, action research focuses on on the concerns of the practitioner by guiding them to investigate their own problems and make them an integral part of the solution process.
By reflecting on what I learned is a crucial piece within action research and in order to be an effective leader I believe one must engage in action research therefore, reflection is highly needed in order to improve our current schools. Reflection allows for self analysis, looking at our own practices and making changes that will lead to student success and teacher and faculty growth. Reflection allows us to grow professionally in a meaningful way. Without reflection all would be stagnate and improvements, if any, would by accidental in nature and difficult to replicate. With reflection,however, we can take charge of our own learning and truly act as we believe so that our actions speak louder than our words and we become leaders among a community of learners.
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