Action Research Plan

1.      Examining the work: Setting the Foundation – There is a general observation that a very small part of the student population is involved in the many campus activities and organizations available to them.  2.      Analyzing data – Based on conversations with several students, teachers, and administrators, we have determined that the students with the highest numbers of discipline referrals are not involved in any way in campus activities.  Their grades are also generally lower than those of students who are involved on-campus. 3.      Developing deeper understanding – I have met with my site supervisor and examined data for the current 6th and 7th graders.  We pulled a list of students with the highest number of discipline referrals during this past school year.  We have also pulled their final averages for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies.  We will begin looking at the correlation between their referrals and grades, as well. 4.      Engaging in Self-Reflection –   In the short amount of time that we have been in this course, I have learned a great deal about the process of action research.  At first, I was worried because I didn’t know how I would ever be able to find something to research.  Like the text said, the word “research” lends itself to some very negative connotations (Dana, 2009).  Teachers (myself included) don’t know how to approach it.  The more I’ve read, however, the more I realize that action research is simply putting a plan in place to fix a problem we have.  When I took that approach, it was easy for me start narrowing down what I wanted to fix based on my observations of my campus. 5.      Exploring Programmatic Patterns – It is my observation that, in life, we value what we are invested in.  For example, I have two sons who have no interest in ballet.  Because of this, I can’t really identify with my friends who have daughters and are searching for a good ballet program.  The same goes for our students.  If they are not invested in their school, they will not value their educational opportunities while they are there.  In looking at the list of students who have the highest number of discipline referrals, one thing they all have in common is that they are not involved in ANY extracurricular activities.  The vast majority of them have lost their electives to an improvement class, which provides them with additional academic instruction.  The problem with this model is that these students have nothing to look forward to when they come to school.  When talking with these students, they have often admitted to acting up in class because they’d rather just spend the day in detention instead of going to class. 6.      Determining direction – Because we are off for the summer, now is the perfect time to plan out my project.  It gives me an opportunity to meet with community members and business owners and give them a heads up for the upcoming school year.  Many of them have incentives in place and they are there for the asking.  It also gives me time to reflect on problems that may arise, meet with other teachers and administrators, and brainstorm ideas. We will discuss timelines and deadlines that different organizations may have such as physicals for athletes, registrations for competitions, and so on.  The more information we can compile ahead of time, the better informed we will be for our students. 7.      Taking action for school improvement – PLEASE SEE ACTION PLANNING TEMPLATE BELOW 8.      Sustaining improvement – The goal of this project is to show the positive impact that student involvement has on grades and discipline.  Based on the idea that we value what we are invested it, students will be more successful and have fewer office referrals than they did in the previous school year.