Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template
Goal: To decrease the number of referrals to the Responsible Thinking Classroom in the 2013-2014 school year by utilizing a student support team for early intervention
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Review prior years discipline referrals for a baseline	Me, RTC teacher	Aug 18th – Sept. 1st	Google docs, prior years RTC referalls	Analyze data for trends in types of referrals and repeat offenders
Determine criteria for requiring student support team assistance	Me, RTC teacher, principal	Aug 18th – Sept 1st	Prior year data, principals input,	After looking at data decide on a number of referrals or actions by a student to require SST intervention and criteria for exiting intervention
Identify a list of returning students for  Support Team Placement	Me, RTC teacher	Aug 18th – Sept 1st	Prior years (2012-2013) referral data	Number of student referrals before and after intervention
Bi-Weekly conferences with chosen students	Student support team	1st 6 weeks	Planning time, referral data	Has number of referrals each student received in time before meetings decreased
Compile referral data for first six weeks, determine student exit and entry into student support team	Me, SST	End of the 1st six weeks	Referral data, google docs	Use criteria to exit students from support team and enter new students
Repeat steps 3-5 for all 6 six week blocks of the school year	SST, me, RTC teacher, Principal	2013-2014 school year	Referral data, google docs, planning time,	By using data we will enter and exit students from student support team as needed
Compile school years referral data	Me, RTC teacher	May 2014	Referral data, google docs	Compare this year’s referral data with last year’s data to see if there was a decrease in RTC referrals
Reflection	SST	May 2014	Referral data, and SST meeting logs	Use collected information and data to determine the effectiveness of team and any changes that should be made for next school year
Report findings to Administration and staff	SST, me, RTC teacher	May 2014	Referral data, meeting logs	Effectiveness of the team will be determined if there was an overall decrease in referrals and by a survey taken by the students who were involved in the process

Action Research week 2

I learned this week that it is important to utilize others research to gain knowledge about a specific problem and not to reinvent the wheel because someone out there has had the same issue you are having and has probably already discovered a reseanable solution.  You then can take that information and tweak it to your particular problem.  Then if that doesn't work you are already set up for an action research question, what is different about this situation that caused this solution not to be successful?

Use of Blogs

Educational leaders can use blogs as a way to keep ongoing journals of their daily thoughts.  This could serve several functions.  One function would be to record things that happened that day within the school that they could then use to identify potential issues within the school.  By recording this information in a timely manner it ensures accuracy and usability of that particular data.  Another function of a blog would be to allow the leader to reflect on his/her actions over a period of time and be able to make adjustments when needed.  By reflecting on daily actions and interactions it will allow the leader to grow and develop into a more productive, trusted, and effective leader.

Action Research - What I learned?

Action research is a process where a principal can internally identify a probing question or problem within their school, gather data and information, analyze that data, and then come to a conclusion on how to further proceed.  It is an introspective process that allows the principal to analyze his decisions and utilize the input of those that are most directly involved and affected by them to see if they are working, need tweaking or rethinking.  By involving staff within the school and valuing their input action research becomes very effective by gaining interpersonal trust amongst the staff and working towards a shared vision of student success. 

I believe I could use action research at my school by developing a plan/team for intervention for students failing more than 2 classes.  I work at a very small alternative high school  that services a lot of at-risk children.  We have seen an increased dropout rate over the past few years.  My question is if we can intervene with them before they fail too many classes will it help keep them in school and ultimately graduate.  I see this as a motivation issue and once they fail too many classes they have no hope and see it as an impossible task.   This may seem like an obvious choice for a research project but it the biggest and most important issue our school is facing.