Action Research Plan

Goal: The office referrals for Foster Village Elementary will decrease by 50% with implementation of a positive behavior recognition program to accompany our school wide citizenship program for the 2010-2011 school year. This program will allow more instructional time for student learning and provide a positive school climate.


Action Steps Person(s) Responsible Timeline: Start/End Needed Resources Evaluation
Faculty and staff will receive “Honorable Character” training. Administration August 16th- August 20th Training Materials (Handouts, DVD, classroom posters, daily log sheets) Consensogram measuring staff comfort level and knowledge of “Honorable Character”
Parent Information Night regarding school wide citizenship plan and “Honorable Character” recognition Administration and/or teachers August 30th during first PTA meeting or Parent Information Night Power point, handouts, DVD Parent Survey
& Student Survey
(Measure campus climate and whether or not students feel recognized)
5th grade Leadership Student Skits exemplifying positive character traits Counselor/
Leadership Students Once a six weeks Scripts and props Students displaying character trait demonstrated within the school and home environment.
Teachers and Students Teachers Once a six weeks Each class will be assigned a positive character trait and they will create a poster to display in cafeteria for the trait and develop an message pertaining to their trait for morning announce-ments Student Survey
Data concerning discipline referrals will be collected and displayed on a graph. Principal Intern August 2010-May 2011 Graph and discipline referral data Each month during a staff meeting the graph will be analyzed for decreases or increases in discipline referrals.
Student and Parent Surveys will be administered. Principal Intern May 2011 Student and parent surveys Surveys will be collected and results will be shared with all stakeholders.

Week Two Reflection

During week two's lectures, I really enjoyed watching the interviews with the three school leaders and their discussions and suggestions for conducting action research. Their interviews validated the information I read in the assigned texts and supplied me with their real life experiences to enhance my learning.

How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs

Educational leaders have numerous uses for blogs. Blogs are a source of communication which allows educational leaders to reflect on their thoughts and share ideas with others. Blogs allow instant interaction and feedback among educational leaders.

Action Research and It's Many Uses

I would describe action research as a reflective process which permits analysis and dialogue as components of the research process. Action research allows collaboration among colleagues for the betterment of stakeholders. Solutions for problems experienced in school such as: instructional improvement, academic success for all, and everyday problems can be addressed and solved through action research.
Action research provides a process educators can utilize when assessing needs, analyzing data, and finding resolutions that can lead to desired outcomes. Participants study their own practices with the techniques of research.
I will be able to use action research as a classroom teacher and campus leader. As a teacher I may use action research when an issue arises in my classroom. Issues such as instruction, classroom management, and parental concerns are all areas in which a solution may be reached with the assistance of action research. I may be involved in collaborative action research when paired with my colleagues to solve a campus, classroom, or department issue.
As a campus leader or administrator I think action research should be practiced regularly to help increase student achievement. Examining TAKS scores to identify areas that need improvement and then determining a plan of action is one way I would utilize action research.