Week 4 Reflection

In my opinion, this week has been the most productive as far gaining a deeper understanding into the action research process is concerned.  I enjoyed reading other plans developed by my peers.  Although I believe my plan is more than adequate for my situation, I was able to see steps from plans that I will be able to apply when trying to improve future issues.

One of the advantages of action research is the opportunity to collaborate.  That is exactly what we did this week.  I enjoyed collaborating with my classmates to improve our plans.  I also learned three strategies (Force Field Analysis, Delphi Method and the Nominal Group Technique) that help reach a consensus in a group setting.  Each technique can help to identify future issues as well as sustain improvement.

Week 3 Reflection

As I started the process of practicing action research, I found myself getting frustrated with my lack of understanding.  I was not making the connections between the concepts in the book and the practical application.  At times, I was trying to digest information without relevance to a specific situation that I was experiencing.  However, as I began to design my own action research plan, I began to see the connection between the theory and the practice. 

Although I am no where near as efficeint at the inquiry process, I feel like I am a lot further along than I was at the beginning of the week.  Through reflection, I identified practices that were slowing me down while honing practices that sped me along.  Like I said, I have a long ways to go in becoming an effective researcher, but through reflection, I will become more efficeint which will allow me to make more informed decisions.

Improve Effectiveness of Tardy Policy

Action Planning Template
Goal:  Implement a more efficient process of both tracking and enforcing the tardy policy to ultimately eliminate discipline referrals due to tardies, consequently increasing the number of students actively engaged in the learning process throughout the entire class period.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Collaborate with Site Supervisor Discuss possible action research topics based upon campus needs.		4/18/2011 - 4/29/2011	Internship Plan and School Improvement Plan	Goal, focus and driving questions will be adapted to meet the specific needs of the campus.
Collect Data Define the magnitude of the tardy problem using our discipline referral software while assessing its effectiveness and efficiency.		5/2/2011 - 6/3/2011	Total Discipline Software	Quantitative analysis.
Disaggregate Data Sort tardy information by students and teachers to identify reoccurring trends.		5/9/2011 - 6/10/2011	Total Discipline Software	Determine commonalities amongst individuals in the sample to identify possible solutions.
Design Student Permission to Participate Forms Prepare appropriate documentation to satisfy all legal compliances regarding student confidentiality.		5/1/2011 - 5/8/2011	Computer and Internet for research and design	None
Formulate Interview Questions and Design Surveys Organize data collection instruments to allow for efficient and effective data collection and disaggregation.		5/1/2011 - 5/8/2011	Computer and Internet for research and design	Feedback from teachers will help determine details of new policy.
Observe and Interview Students Identify various causes of tardy issues.		5/9/2011 - 5/27/2011	Student Permission Forms, interview questions and permission from principal	Information will facilitate the design of a policy that addresses the issues that prevent students from being punctual.
Survey and Interview Teachers Identify teacher concerns and collect ideas on how to improve the tardy policy and the tracking system.		5/16/2011 - 5/27/2011	Computer, Internet for research Survey Monkey, and permission from principal	Feedback will facilitate the design  of a policy that addresses the needs of the teachers
Research Effective Tardy Policies Investigate tardy policies and tracking systems utilized by other school districts.  Specifically, compare and contrast the effectiveness of punitive based tardy policies versus incentive based tardy policies.		5/2/2011 - 6/9/2011	Computer, Internet and utilize informal phone interviews with other campus administrators.  Possibly might have to fill out paperwork to make a formal inquiry into another school district’s policy.	Quantitative analysis.
Collaborate with Site Based Decision Making Committee Seek questions and suggestions to gain a deeper understanding of differing perspectives.		5/2/2011 - 6/3/2011	Permission and access to meeting	Feedback will facilitate the design of a policy that addresses the needs of all stakeholders.
Analyze Data, Research Findings and All Feedback Filter and sort all information that is relevant to the improvement of Mount Pleasant High School.		6/12/2011 - 6/17/2011	Time	Appropriate information will be used to finalize an effective tardy policy.
Recommend Changes to the Tardy Policy Explain research process, findings and relevance to the administrative team while accepting their feedback.		6/20/2011 - 6/24/2011	School Policy Manual	Input from the administrative team will help ensure the logistics of school policy and procedures are followed when designing and implementing the new tardy policy.
Modify Tardy Policy Make appropriate changes to the process of tracking student tardies and enforcing the tardy policy.		6/27/2011 - 7/5/2011	Consent from principal	Make changes to the tardy policy with the understanding that future assessment will be utilized to promote school improvement.
Present New Tardy Policy to Faculty and Staff Communicate the relevance of the inquiry and the importance of consistent enforcement of the new tardy policy by all faculty and staff.		8/22/2011 - 5/30/2012	Video projector, screen, computer and PowerPoint presentation	Allow time for question and answer session to address related teacher concerns or questions.
Implement New Tardy Policy Cooperate with all students, faculty, staff and administrators in the enforcement of the new tardy policy at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year.		8/22/2011 - 5/30/2012	Cooperation and manpower	Observations and feedback from teachers and students will allow for minor adjustments for a smooth transition to new policy.
Assess Effectiveness of New Tardy Policy Gather data and feedback from all stakeholders.		8/22/2012 - Ongoing Process	Interviews, surveys and Total Discipline Software or other tracking software if a more efficient tracking system is necessary.	Quantitative analysis and teacher satisfaction surveys.
Identify Resulting Issues and New Inquiry Possibilities Reflect upon issues that have been addressed and continually search out new areas for academic and school improvement.		8/22/2012 - Ongoing Process	Interviews, surveys and Total Discipline Software or other tracking software if a more efficient tracking	Feedback will identify issues with policies and procedures related to the new tardy policy as well as expose other areas of concern.
Share Results of Inquiry Post findings from the action research project in a blog format on the internet and create a link on the school website for future reference.		6/29/2012 - Ongoing Process	Internet	Post resulting questions that might lead to future inquiries.

Week 2 Reflection

Effective action research is all about finding data that is practical and applicable.  Not only do teachers have to collect data, they have to be able to desegregate, analyze data, and determine if it is applicable to their district, campus, and classroom. 

I also thought it was interesting that central administration, principals, and teachers all look at the same data.  However, they are all looking at it from different points of view.  This allows for very few gaps when looking at data.  It also allows for a type of "checks and balance" in the process.  Like it was noted last week, the action research allows for a school to be a learning organization.  This also spreads the accountability and responsibility out to all levels of a school district.  No single level can be held responsible when they are all working together.

An Educator's Perspective on Blogging

Blogs can be used by educators as a form of journaling in which they can capture their thoughts and experiences.  By blogging their thoughts and experiences, many users from all over the globe can reference and reflect upon the blog in an attempt to apply the information to practical situations in their schools.  Weblogs also allow for the formation of informal learning communities as one blogger can link and refer to other bloggers with similar experiences.

What I Have Learned About Action Research

Studying the process of action research over the past week has opened my eyes to the systematic process of reflection and action based upon an inquiry that identifies an area of need.  The one thing that jumps out at me the most is the fact that the process involves finding and accepting responsibility for areas that need improvement.  That means that one must admit to having faults.  In most settings, admitting faults is a sign of weakness.  However, under the pretense of an action research investigation or inquiry, the ability to find one’s own fault is a good characteristic because it is the first step toward improvement.

As a teacher of low-level and underachieving students, I try to explain to my students that having faults or deficiencies is not a sign of stupidity.  Instead, it creates an opportunity to learn and grow as an individual.  I find that students limit their own ability to learn because of their trepidation toward asking questions.  A lot of times, my students do not ask questions because they think they will look stupid in front of their classmates.  Thus, the students continue to live in a state of ignorance (not knowing) because they do not inquire about a topic, and therefore cannot improve their lack of understanding.

Both teachers and students alike must be willing to admit areas of lack and ask questions to take action toward improvement.

Although I did not know there was a name for the process, I have been using action research for the past six years as a head basketball coach.  Immediately after the season, my assistants and I look through every game film from the perspective of an opposing coach so that we can identify areas of weakness.  With the intention of seeking out our weakness before an opposing coach does, we formulate a plan for improvement and implement it during the offseason. 

During the season, we use the result of a game and the statistics to tell us whether or not we are heading in a positive direction.  A win can be used as positive reinforcement to the players that what we are doing is working, while a loss can be used to show that we need to do more to keep improving.  This helps the coaching staff keep the players focused on the process of improving, not just on the result.  If all we do is become focused on the results, we can lose focus of how the result occurred.  Whether we win or lose, we use the statistics to look for areas of strength and weakness.  Practices leading up to the next game are designed to reinforce areas of strength and address areas of weaknesses.  If I want to be successful as a coach, I have to possess the ability to identify weakness and make adjustments during the season, not just before or after. 

Reflection also is used in the process of action research to improve our team’s performance.  After every game, I look at my efficiency as a decision maker and how well I adjust to game situations.

Although the process of action research that I have been using is not related to the academic progress, I can take the same approach into my classroom.  In a similar manner that practice is used in sports, homework and quizzes can be used as either positive reinforcement or as a means to address areas of weakness.  Then, after I give a test, I can use the results to guide my next plan of action.  Do I move on, or do I need to spend more time on the material tested to allow for student mastery?  Maybe my investigation would tell me that the class needs to move on, but I need to spend a little more time tutoring individual students.  That is the beauty of action research.  It can lead to an intervention plan that is tailored to the needs of my specific students.

On a side note, I used to despise the concept of retaking a test.  I thought students should be prepared for their first chance to display mastery.  However, after looking at a successful model in athletics where students are allowed to look at the results of a game and then practice for improvement before the next game, I am starting to change my stance on retesting.  With the purpose of mastering a topic, I think retesting is understandable.