REFLECTION

I have learned so much in this course. While I was hesitatant at first, I found that I did learn a lot. I found it interesting that administrators do action research plans and gather data to decide which direction to go when making decisions. I had no idea that administrators started with wondering, gathered data, and then put together a plan for change. I found this to be a useful tool that I will be using in the future.

My only problem is that I found it difficult to get cooperation from peers. It is a busy time of year and no one really wants to help. In my opinion, a good action research project is one where everyone collaborates and it becomes a team project.

Action Research Plan ppt

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Action Research Plan Posted

SCHOOL VISION: To achieve exemplary status as defined by the state accountability guidelines and the AYP guidelines
GOAL: To help at-risk students avoid ISS and bad behaviors and remain in the classroom where they can achieve success
OUTCOMES: For students to be able to grow and learn new ways to dela with the anger so they can focus on achievement
ACTIVITIES: Use positive reinforcement and counseling sessions to help at-risk students
RESOURCES: counselors and activities
TIMELINE: September 2010- May 2011
aSSESSMENT: check at-risk students and percentage of referrals

Wondering

This week we learned about the nine "passions" or "wonderings" that lead to action research. In most cases they will overlap since they are closely related. (Dana, 2009) They are:

• Staff development
• Curriculum development
• Individual teacher(s)
• Individual student(s)
• School culture/community
• Leadership
• Management
• School performance
• Social justice

In working with these nine wonderings, we were to come up with our own ideas for an action research plan to present to our principal. My plan is, "What effect does in-school suspension have on school success/achievement?" I chose this topic because we have a very high rate of referrals on our campus due to the high rate of behavior problems and the low rate of parent involvement. The goal for my study is to learn the effect of in-school suspension on student success and achievement. I am hoping to learn some alternate ways to deal with severe behavior issues that will also help these students create an interest in learning. Another goal would be to increase parental involvement with these students.

Cited works:

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading With Passion and Knowledge: The Principal As Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Educational Leaders Use of Blogs

Blogs are a fantastic tool for administrators to use when doing action research. Blogs are a "digital journal" which can serve to capture "thinking", Dana (2009), as their inquiry unfolds. They can use them to reflect on the process, share with other administrators, and link to other blogs. Blogs are a very powerful tool for data collection.

Action Research & How To Use It

Action research, or administrative inquiry is, according to the Dana text, referring to the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative staff and making changes based on what he/she learned as a result of the inquiry. Inquirers or wonders seek out change or a better way to do things through inquiry and reflection, by collecting and anaylzing data, by reading literature and by sharing what they have learned with others. It is based on the theory that you never stop learning, and if you do, then you become stagnant, as does your staff, your students, and your test scores. Action research is used in this way to help everyone in your organization grow and become better at what they do. Whether it be a teacher learning to become better at using math manipulatives, or a student learning to improve their study habits, action research is the facilitator of this improvement. In the Dana text, there are several ways to use action research. First, principals continue to grow, learn, and be the best administrator they can be. A second benefit is that they can be role models by having ownership in the learning process. A third benefit is that engaging yourself in this process of learning as an administrator can help best practices thrive at your campus. Lastly, engaging in the process of action research will force you as an administrator to slow down your pace and really focus on one important topic on your campus that may have been overlooked.



Cited Works

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Harris, S., Edmonson, S., and Combs, J. (2009). Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps From Analysis To Action. Larchmont, NY: Eye On Education.