Update

I am waiting on my meeting with my site-supervisor to post an updated plan. In the meantime, please leave comments on the plan that I have posted. The more input the better! Thanks!

Course Reflection

I have found this course very helpful in guiding me through the stages of developing an action research project. To begin we learned that “Administrator Inquiry refers to the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice & taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry,”(2). The benefits of engaging in inquiry are challenging norms, being a role model for teachers and students, helping best practices flourish at your school, and making principals slow down their pace. (11-13) I appreciated how we began by finding a deeper understanding about action research and why it is important to us professionally. I enjoyed the interviews that we watched during week two. It is reassuring to hear professionals talking about how they implement inquiry in their district. These interviews gave me ideas and new ways to think about my action research project.  Part of our week two assignment was to read and focus on the nine areas that the author described as major wonderings of school leaders (staff development, curriculum development, individual teachers, individual students, school culture/community, leadership, management, school performance, and social justice or equity issues(32-63)) and to give an example of each. These nine topics sparked many ideas for topics for action research, which set me in the right direction for developing a topic for my own action research plan. Practicing developing examples of topics for action research gave me confidence when writing my own. I chose a topic that has come up as an area of concern with my site supervisor, (principal) and the assistant superintendent. I am excited about my project and I am glad that I found a topic that is relevant to my campus and actually has a chance to make an impact. I think that I have been able to produce a quality plan due to all of the resources that this course has provided; both texts that we have used have provided excellent information and instruction. Using the discussion board to receive advice from my peers has been a huge help, and I hope that some of my comments have been helpful as well. I have enjoyed creating my blog and posting on it. I had never created one before and I have instantly seen how beneficial this tool can be in the classroom. I particularly found the PIP/SIP template helpful. This chart was basically a great blueprint to use to build my action research plan. The amount of reflection that is built into this class has been extremely helpful. We discovered why reflection is an important leadership skill and an important part of action research. We have been asked to reflect on our own plan several times. The meetings with my site-supervisor and our joint reflection on my plan have really helped too. I enjoyed how each week a new aspect or tool to analyze and reflect on our plan was introduced. Through peer interaction on the discussion board and our blogs our plans have grown and become more focused. This class has introduced a new style of research to add to my tool box, and I know that I will be utilizing this new learning throughout the program and my administrative experiences. Fichman, Nancy Dana (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Action Research Plan

OUTCOMES	ACTIVITIES	RESOURCES/ RESEARCH TOOLS NEEDED	RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS ACTIVITIES	TIME LINE	Benchmarks/ ASSESSMENT
Prepare and approve all aspects of Action Research Project	Discussion Action Research Plan with Campus supervisor	Meeting times and notes	Self and Supervisor	On-going	Notes from meetings
Use research to increase understanding and effectiveness of Action Research Plan	Research various types of schedules and their effectiveness	Websites, books, and journals	Self	On-going	Research Findings
Determine teachers overall satisfaction with  the current schedule	Survey teachers at Staff Meeting	Survey	Self	Next Faculty Meeting	Survey Results
Determine students overall satisfaction with the current schedule	Survey students in their History Classes	Survey	History department	November	Survey Results
Determine if any correlation exists between our new schedule and benchmark scores	Evaluate Benchmark Exams	Score reports from this year and last year	Self	October January March May	Score report correlations with schedule change
Use teacher comments to determine any effects of our new schedule on instruction and student achievement, and also their thoughts on moving to a traditional schedule	Have departments discuss positive or negative influences our schedule has had then interview department heads	Interview questions	Self and Teachers	January and May	Teacher comments
Compare test scores vertically and horizontally and look for any changes.	Evaluate Taks Data	TAKS Scores	Self and Departments	May	Test Results
Share results with the school district to help with the decision on scheduling	Share results with campus supervisor, faculty, assistant superintendent and school board	Action Research Plan Results	School District	June	Results

Action Research Week 2

This week my eyes have been opened to many more ideas for action research projects. I enjoyed reading about the nine major areas for wonderings in action research. This helped me decide and refine my ideas for my action research project. This week I really appreciated the support and input from my campus supervisor.

Educational Leaders and Blogs

This is the first Blog that I have ever created, I did not realize that it was this easy. I am excited because I can think of so many ways to use a blog. In my classroom I could keep parents informed and involved with what we are learning in class. In volleyball I could post weekly updates to give parents and athletes feedback. As an administrator or Curriculum chairperson I think it would be a beneficial way for colleagues to interact and share ideas on curriculum and teaching as well as other topics that are under consideration on campus.

Action Research

Through this course I have started to understand the concept of action research. Action research involves stepping back and taking a hard look at some practice used and decisions made. After evaluating these practices and decisions an action is formulated in order to bring about change and then implemented. Action research is cyclical, so once the change is implemented a practitioner can re-evaluate and institute change as needed.

A major component of action research is reflection. This is simply taking the time to review a previous action. With all of the demands on an administrator it is very difficult to set aside time to actively reflect on actions and decisions. In order to practice action research it is critical and beneficial to find time to do so. It is beneficial because it allows principals to become less isolated, to become role models, and to grow professionally. (11-13) Action research is the key to bringing about positive and relevant change in today’s school system. It uses inside players with hands on experience and looks at specific problems that need to be addressed.  This allows for tailor-made solutions to specific problems that plague modern schools.

Fichman, Nancy Dana (2009).

Researcher. Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as actionThousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.