Action Research Plan

Action Plan

GOAL: To break cultural and economic barriers in order to increase parental support. Empowering campus staff on the Ross Sterling Middle School campus to improve parental involvement.

OUTCOMES:
1.Identify barriers that prevent parent involvement on campus

2.Take steps to increase parent involvement
On campus


ACTIVITIES:
1.
A.Teacher/ Parent Survey.
B.cultural sensitivity teacher workshop – all staff must attend
C.Improving instruction for economical-ly disadvantaged students teacher workshop- all staff must attend

2.
A. Increase parent teacher communication.
B. Address parent survey feedback
C. Advertise PTA and volunteer positions
D. Organize parent nights


RESOURCES/RESEARCH TOOLS NEEDED
1.
A. Organized and well thought out survey. Allowing honest feedback.
B. PLC time, facilitator, and selected instruction topics.
C. AYP,AEIS,PEMIS REPORTS

2.
A. Past/current parent volunteer hours
B. Update Current parent contact information routinely
C. Research and Use effective ways to advertise and communicate with parents
D. Create events that appeal to parents so that they will visit the
school campus.

RESPONSIBILITY

Head principal/
Selected facilitator/
C.Jackson

TIME LINE

1. Aug
2. Oct
3. Nov/ Dec

Benchmarks/
ASSESSMENT

1.Last year’s test scores
2.1st 6 weeks test scores
3.End of semester test
scores
4.Parent volunteer logs
5.Increase parent
attendance
During campus events

•Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives? Create a team that will identify and develop achievement goals and objectives, as well as monitor their effectiveness. These goals and objective must be presented to campus staff during PLC time and the staff must agree on the objectives before moving forward.
During each teacher workshop a teacher survey will be given out. The survey will rate if any increased communications with parents have started to take place? which type of communication have been used?, have targeted specific workshops helped with the instruction of students and the communication of parents?, Have student behavior and grades increased?, Rate on a scale of 1 to 10 how much you think the improvement has to do with new parent communication, How much have the workshops helped you as a teacher?, How valuable would you rate the information given during the workshop?, and any feedback or comments

Week 2 Reflection

Week 2 in course EDLD 5301 has been very insightful. Our required readings proved to be very helpful in helping students build Action Research skills. The readings are filled with intensive everyday problems that prinicipal's face. Although, Creative out of the box solutions often followed. Once gaining the skills to form inquiries students put their new skills to work and were instructed to select a possible Action Research inquiry.

Educational leaders and the use of Blogs

Blog and blogging are fairly new concepts in the world of education. However, blogs and blogging can be a very effective tool in communicating with parents, administrators, students, and other school stakeholders. If maintained correctly and consistently, blogs can offer a unique glimpse into the classroom. Blogs are a way for parents to interact with the teacher, as well as the students by offering insight, answering questions, and offering commentary and feedback. Parents are able to view their students work and progress, further strengthening the bond between home and classroom. A blog is also a great digital tool that will provide evidence to campus administrators, district administrators, board members, and even community members of how students are using technology and how important technology is in the classroom. I would use a blog to create a stronger sense of community between myself, my classroom, my students, the parents, and all other school stakeholders

Action Research

Action research is reflective research that is typically conducted in a school setting. It is a collaborative effort by colleagues and practitioners to improve their organization and its performance by assessing teaching methods, strategies, explore new ideas, share feedback, and offer ways to improve student achievement. Action research is different than traditional research because it is conducted by individuals and teams within the organization who search for the problem, as well as the solution. It is also research among colleagues searching for solutions to everyday problems and real life experiences within their school.

Action research can be used in a variety of ways. As a teacher, I can utilize action research to determine if my teaching methods and strategies are beneficial to my students' learning objectives. As a team leader, action research can be conducted, the results can be shared to determine the best ways to improve student achievement, curtail student discipline problems, and help to decide how planning periods will be used as well as developing new methods and strategies for teaching. Action research is a way for organizations to check themselves and to make sure that their campus is utilizing all resources. Making adjustments are necessary to achieve the mission and vision of the school. Action research can be done at any time during the school year. There is no one way to conduct action research, it can be done as formally or as informally as the individuals or teams desire.