Action Research Plan

Goal - To support 5th grade girls emotionally and academically, reduce the number of behavior referrals by at least 50%, and reduce bullying.

Activities – Group activities that involve anger management, social, organization and study skills, anti-bullying activities, etc.

Resources - I will select the girls for the group based on test score data and teacher identification of 5th grade girls who are having difficulties with academic performance and behavior that includes bullying.

Timeline – September 2010 – May 2011:
September 2010 – Collaboration with teachers and administrators regarding potential 5th grade girls to be selected for this project.
October 2010 – Evaluate assessments from Benchmark test and Universal Screening to determine the final selection of participating students.
October 2010 – April 2011 – Small group sessions with selected 5th grade girls.
May 2011 – Completion of the action research.

Persons – Counselor, 5th grade teachers, assistant principal, principal, mentors and parents.

Process – Grade level meetings with teacher and administrators that occurs weekly, assessment documentation from previous and current year, academic work from the classroom, and all other documentation from all stakeholders who are involved with selected students.

Assessment – Student test scores from previous and current year, data from student profile, discipline referrals and teacher observations.

Lessons from week 2

Although this was a very busy week for me, I was able to learn so much. The text was very interesting and useful in helping me decide what topic to choose for my action research project. The videos were also very helpful and I was able to observe different aspects of other districts realities. It has helped me to make a decision about my topic and I am eager to begin my project.

To conclude, I am looking forward to work on my project and continue to collaborate with other colleagues for additional support and recommendations.

What I've learned about action research

What I've learned about action research....

I've learned that action research is a principal's systematic study of his/her own administrative practices and changes based on their observations.
The principal engages in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and takes action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry. It is a way to seek out changes and reflect on their practice, a powerful vehicle for learning and school improvement. It is typically designed and conducted to analyze data and to improve their own practice.
The principal gathers information about this question based on their wonderings and uses the information along with relevant literature to develop a new understanding for their campus. Armed with new information, the principal can go about making a change for the better and sharing his/her new ideas with others.
Action research defines the way an administrator does their work and can lead to student and campus success.


How educational leaders might use blogs

Blogs can be very beneficial and useful way of communication.
It is great place to send out ideas and get feedback from others, blogs have the potential to be a discussion board but on a much bigger scale. As an educational leader, I like the idea of getting others to leave comments on my ideas and create a whole dialogue around a topic.