Action Research Outline

Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Create Tutorials Task Force	Principal intern, Behavior Resource Specialist, Teachers	5/31/12- 8/31/12	Principal intern, Behavior Resource Specialist, Teachers	Does Tutorials Task Force understand tutorial vision for academic year?
Meet with Tutorial Task Force, administration and interview teachers on tutorial curriculum	Tutorial Task Force, teaching staff, administration	08/27/12-09/07/12	Teacher input, TEKS	What needs to be included in tutorials curriculum based on TEKS and teacher input?
Design Tutorials Schedule based on teacher input, TAKS data, and student failures	Tutorial Task Force, teaching staff	08/27/12-09/07/12	TAKS/ STAAR data, teacher input,	Can tutorial schedule accommodate assigned students and staff for all core subjects?
Survey administrators, staff and students on tutorials focus	Tutorial Task Force must create a survey for all students and staff.  Then must analyze positive and negative feelings and hoped outcomes on future and past tutorial programs.	08/27/12-09/21/12	Time during Falcon’s read or other subject to ensure active participation in study.	What new information have we learned from survey?
Conduct Staff development	Tutorial Task Force will conduct a staff development for Long staff on tutorials curriculum, design, and implementation.	08/27/12- 09/21/12	Staff development time, entire staff and administration	Does the staff understand focused tutorials and how to implement them?
Conduct walk-through at Long and other middle school campuses in CFB ISD	Tutorial Task Force must conduct walk through and record best teaching practices, random moment in time studies at Long and other middle school campuses in CFB ISD	09/13/12- 12/14/2012	Ability to leave campus to observe other campuses, agreement from other campus administrators to visit their campus	What new teaching and coaching concepts can be shared with staff for increased student engagement and increased tutorial effectiveness?
Conduct random moment in time studies at Long and other middle school campuses in CFB ISD	Tutorial Task Force will effectively communicate directions and focus of moment in time study to other teachers	09/13/12- 12/14/2012	agreement from administrators to ensure completion of random moment in time study by teaching staff	What new teaching and coaching concepts can be shared with staff for increased student engagement and increased tutorial effectiveness?
Survey administrators, staff and students on tutorials effectiveness	Tutorial Task Force must create a survey for all students and staff.  Then analyze the effectiveness of the focused tutorials program.	12/01/2012- 12/14/2012	Time during Falcon’s read or other subject to ensure active participation in study.	What new information have we learned from survey?
Tutorials Task Force semester analysis	Principal intern, Behavior Resource Specialist, Teachers	12/01/2012- 12/14/2012	Principal intern, Behavior Resource Specialist, Teachers	How has focused tutorial curriculum increased student achievement at Long?  What changes need to be made for second semester?
Conduct Staff development	Tutorial Task Force will conduct a staff development for Long staff on tutorials changes for second semester	01/07/2013- 01/14/2013	Staff development time, entire staff and administration	Does the staff understand focused tutorials and how to implement them?
Conduct walk-through at Long and other middle school campuses in CFB ISD	Tutorial Task Force must conduct walk through and record best teaching practices, random moment in time studies at Long and other middle school campuses in CFB ISD	01/07/2013- 05/01/2013	Ability to leave campus to observe other campuses, agreement from other campus administrators to visit their campus	What new teaching and coaching concepts can be shared with staff for increased student engagement and increased tutorial effectiveness?
Conduct random moment in time studies at Long and other middle school campuses in CFB ISD	Tutorial Task Force will effectively communicate directions and focus of moment in time study to other teachers	01/07/2013- 05/01/2013	Agreement from administrators to ensure completion of random moment in time study by teaching staff	What new teaching and coaching concepts can be shared with staff for increased student engagement and increased tutorial effectiveness?
Survey administrators, staff and students on tutorials effectiveness	Tutorial Task Force must create a survey for all students and staff.  Then analyze the effectiveness of the focused tutorials program.	05/01/2013- 05/13/2013	Time during Falcon’s read or other subject to ensure active participation in study.	What new information have we learned from survey?
Tutorials Task Force end of year analysis	Principal intern, Behavior Resource Specialist, Teachers	05/13/2013- 05/31/2013	Principal intern, Behavior Resource Specialist, Teachers	How has focused tutorial curriculum increased student achievement at Long?  What changes need to be made for next school year?

Week 3- “Getting the Specifics”

This week I really narrowed down the actual specifics and how I planned to accomplish my action research plan. 

Description: I will explore what ways that implementing a focused tutorials curriculum will increase student achievement at Long Middle School.
Target Population: The target population is middle school students at my campus and other similar schools.
Sample Size: I will focus on my middle school, which has 600 students. My secondary research will be from the other middle school campus in my district and area with similar demographics.  This will give a large enough sample for the data to be compared and have a large enough sample size.
Research: I will begin my research by interviewing current students and teachers on my campus on the effectiveness of the current tutorials program and what changes that would like to see made. I will conduct classroom observations, specific moment in time date, and examine data throughout program. I will then re-interview teachers and students on their beliefs of the effectives of our tutorials curriculum. This will enable me to then interview other campus administrators on the effectives of a structured tutorials process and their current tutorials curriculum.

Week 2- "What action research is needed?"

This week I was able to read and watch interviews on what type of topics are appropriate for action research.  I had ideas on what i wanted to know more about, but this week helped narrow down my path.  I had a phone conference with my campus principal and discussed my topics for action research.  Since I will be choosing one topic for my action research project, the other two topics will be included in my internship plan.  The most important aspect of action research is ensuring that everything we do leads to student achievement.

1)    Tutorials/ Math pullouts- I will research different strategies for small group, pull out, and out side of class instruction.  We have tutorials before and after school.  It has become much of a wasted time between when students get breakfast and when school starts.  I think that by defining instruction to specific test topics and TEKS bases on student test scores the students and teachers and make this time much more productive. We will also create a math pullout program for specific TEKS that were missed last year. 

2)    Standardized dress code- I plan to research how the utilization of standardized dress affects our campus next year.  This will be our first year with a standardized dress code.  I think that by better understanding the students, parents, and staff we can improve the overall culture of our school. 

3)    Postering and utilizing visual aids in Math- I plan to research strategies to better utilize visual aids in our math department.  I feel that our campus must improve all senses of math delivery.  This can improve number fluency and create a safer feeling in our math classes.  

Week 1- "Why Blog?"

Effective communication is a trait of a successful leader.  Blogs are a great resource to communicate with other administrators, teachers, parents and students.  It is a way to show the process of inquiry in a documented form.  Blogs can be used as an online discussion.  If our “shareholders” can see the process of change and more importantly, the thought process and inquiry behind the change, they can have a greater input and sense of ownership in our schools.  Administrators can make open blogs to gain insight from parents and community members or can create closed blogs to collaborate ideas with other administrators or their leadership teams.  There are many ways that blogs can help gain insight and increase collaboration during the action research process.  

Week 1- "What is action research and how can you use it?"

Action research is a constant state of questioning, analyzing, interpreting data, and collaborating between administrators, teachers and even students.  Action research also bases the information on those that are fully immerged in the educational process.  Traditional research is based on information found by college professors or experts; however, they do not have a daily interaction with the students that we are educating.  Action research can be utilized in university coursework, Superintendent/ district meetings, leadership teams, and professional learning communities.  Utilizing action research creates a constant state of inquiry within an organization.   This state of constant inquiry and collaboration ensure that professional isolation does not occur.  It ensures that the principal is the example of continued or professional learning.  It also helps that best practices are followed and exchanged freely.  This constant state of inquiry does not come easy.  There must be time set aside daily or weekly to truly examine the efficiency and possibilities of your school.  As a principal, much of your time is being reactionary to situations that occur.  When time is set aside to truly engage in action research, you are giving yourself time to plan and become prepared for improvement.   I feel that I will utilize all possible avenues of action research.  It is important to get your staff involved in the decision-making and research process.  I plan to create sub committees of experienced and non-experienced teachers and administrators to inquire about probabilities for improvement.  I will also set aside a meeting time with myself for personal subjects of reflection and inquiry.  It is our responsibility as administrators to ensure our students’ success, and by utilizing action research we can put them in the best position to succeed.