Meeting with My Site Supervisor

My site supervisor and I met briefly to discuss our action research plan.  The consensus was made that my inquiry should stay as we previously discussed at our last meeting.

The conference was brief, but we agreed to meet next week to further discuss the process of my plan.  She was excited about the different steps that were included in my plan but proceeded to say more steps may be necessary.

We will meet after our next SBDM meeting, where my project will be informally introduced.  It was agreed that my plan will undergo several revisions and she added that she would continue to support and direct me through out the process. 





In my previous post, you'll find my Action Research Plan that was discussed.

If anyone has any suggestions, please help!  I'm looking forward to any insight my classmates can provide!

My Action Research Plan Process

ACTION RESEARCH PLAN

                                                           

PROCESS OVERVIEW

EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL BENEFITS OF A TRADITIONAL/BLOCK SCHEDULE HYBRID

Jorge Aaron Lozano

*Note: Initially I planned to research reasons why students were late to their first period class.  After further discussions with my site supervisor and other administrators, I decided to change my topic/inquiry to reflect the one seen in this post.   

INQUIRY: 
Does the current traditional/block hybrid schedule in place
meet the instructional needs of all classroom teachers?

1. SETTING THE FOUNDATION

• To initiate a discussion about the current schedule, I will have a conversation with Mr. Pedro Trevino, scheduling administrator.  I will ask about general logistics of creating a master schedule and at what level (district or school level) are priority decisions made.  Some examples of these priority decisions may be the length of classes and justifications for the reason some teachers are assigned traditional periods or assigned blocks. 

• Next, I will ask similar inquiries and introduce my action research plan at the next SBDM meeting.  I have already asked already asked to be apart of the committee this year.  Additionally, I will introduce the plan at our next department meeting. 

2. ANALYZING DATA 

• Data will be gathered from surveys given to three teacher sample groups, focus groups with students, relevant scholarly articles using AASA, NASSP, NAESP, Lamar resources and PSJA Memorial High School/PSJA ISD student assessment statistics.  

• Likely findings will include insight for my inquiry question and provide a catalyst for any change necessary for improvement. 

3. DEVELOPING DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

• To develop a deeper understanding, I plan to hold second interviews with Mr. Trevino to discuss results from our initial findings. 
• Additionally, deeper understanding can be established through interviews with counselors, the campus principal, the dean of instruction and students within specific special population groups. 
• Literature and educational blogs will also be utilized for this step.

                                

4. ENGAGE IN SELF-REFLECTION

• Throughout the process, I understand that self-reflection is important.  I will ask myself the following questions:
• Will changing the master schedule for the fourth year in a row-- if proven necessary through my action research--help or harm teachers’ need for consistency in the classroom?
• Am I able to initiate change at the district level, affecting four large high schools within our district?
• Do I have the time management abilities to successfully conduct this research?
• Will administrators at both school and district levels accept my findings and ideas?
• Can I develop the skills necessary to initiate change?

5. EXPLORING PROGRAMMATIC PATTERNS

• To formulate more definite solutions, I plan to consult the following individuals:
• Ms. Judith Solis, Campus Principal and Site Supervisor
• Mr. Pedro Trevino, Scheduling Administrator
• Data and the resulting solutions, if needed, will be reviewed.
• Through our meetings, I hope they provide me with the sufficient resources and guidance necessary move forward with my findings and solutions.

6. DETERMINING DIRECTION

• Before I move forward I will ask myself the following questions:
•  Have you adequately addressed the skills and resources questions?
• Have you established a collaborative approach to the issue?
• Are your timelines realistic?
• Do you have a reasonable plan to monitor the project?
• Do you have a reasonable plan for determining the level of success – how do you evaluate if the plan is effective?
• How will you revise and improve the plan based on monitoring and evaluation? 

7. TAKING ACTION FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT 

To organize a committee, I will seek help from the four large high schools in our district.  I will present the findings to them and seek their assistance if they are in agreement with the solutions or change set in place. 

Using the suggested written plan of action template, we will move forward with the action research plan.

8. SUSTAIN IMPROVEMENT

• Keep an open mind to any lessons learned throughout the action research process. 
• Share results and processes with colleagues using my blog.
• Use the opportunity to share action research planning with coworkers.

Action Step	Person Responsible:	Timeline:	Needed Resources:	Evaluation:
1. Survey three sample group of teachers.	Jorge A. Lozano	Jan. 16th - 20th	-Survey Monkey (possibly) -Surveys -Teachers	-Evaluate Legitimacy of Results
2.Conduct focus group with various students.	Jorge A. Lozano	Jan. 26th - 27th	-Counselors -Students	-Evaluate Legitimacy of Results
3. Research scholarly articles for insight.	Jorge A. Lozano	Jan. 30th - Feb. 3rd	-Various Scholarly Internet Databases	-Evaluate Relevance to Topic
4. Interview district and school administrators in charge of scheduling.	Jorge A. Lozano	Feb. 8th - 10th	-Interview Questions -District and School Scheduling Administrators	-Evaluate Legitimacy of Results
5. Compare student assessment scores in regards to their scheduling.	Jorge A. Lozano	Feb. 13th - 24th	-Dean of Instruction	-Evaluate Relevance to Topic
6. Evaluate data.	Jorge A. Lozano	Feb. 27th - March 9th	-Microsoft Office	-Does data provide relevant insight

Reflecting on Action Research - Week Two

Pedagogy Isn't Enough, Teachers Need to Implement Action Research Practices

Dr. Timothy Chargois, Director of Research Planning at Beaumont ISD, stresses the importance of this an interview with Lamar University.  He believes that pedagogy will not suffice in today's classroom setting and teachers must take an active role in conducting research for professional growth.  

Dr. Kirk Lewis, Superintendent for Pasadena ISD agrees.  Lewis stresses that educators must research practical inquiries that are relevant to their educational setting.  

Chargois continued with the importance of protecting the students.  When conducting action research, practitioners must remember that their students are not guinea pigs.  In all educational settings, students must always be treated with respect and educational leaders must have their best interests in mind.  As teachers, we know this--but its easy to forget when we engage in more research oriented practices.  

The Nine Academic Settings for Action Research

When trying to uncover inquiries for action research, its important to keep in mind the nine academic settings.  These settings cover just about every situation educational leaders should consider for professional growth.  The settings are as follows: 

• Staff Development 
• Curriculum Development 
• Individual Teacher(s)
• Individual Student(s)
• School Culture and Community
• Leadership
• Management 
• School Performance
• Social Justice or Equity Issues

Each setting offers a unique area for improvement within schools or districts.  

Below you'll find a link to a YouTube video with insightful action research inquiries for social justice in the classroom.  You may find it helpful if you are proposing an action research plan for the 9th academic setting listed above: Social Justice or Equity Issues.  CHANGE!  "It starts with us."

Social Justice Inquiries for Action Research

Blogs For Educational Leaders

Besides the obvious benefit of modeling the significance of written expression, blogs can serve as a very useful tools for educators--specifically educational leaders.

Blogs can serve as an interactive learning diary that allows aspiring ed leaders to

• Reflect on their learning process chronologically
• Participate in an interactive discussion with peers, reading and responding to comments
• Use images and links to enrich the journal entries

Blogging in an academic fashion is a personal first for me.  For years, I've used online networking and media to document my personal life.  I've never though about blogging academically until just recently.  I'm excited to see how blogging will enrich my learning experience as an aspiring educational administrator.

I'm re posting this link below for those not familiar with blogs:

Blogs In Plain English 

Action Reseach: What I've Learned So Far

This week, I've begun to read literature about action research, a form of research conducted by educational leaders.  Here is a summary of the insight I have gained thus far. 

The Literature

The literature includes Leading with passion and knowledge: The Principal as Action Research by Nancy Fichtman Dana, and Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps from analysis to action by Sandra Harris, Stacey Edmonson, and Julie Combs. Additionally, as part of my coursework, I was asked to read an article entitled Action research: An Effective Instructional Leadership Skill for Future Public School Leaders.

What I Learned

Action research is a method used by practitioners in the field of education and involves educational leaders engaging in practices that initiate change for improvement.  Simply put, an educator using action research will participate in identifying a problem, gathering information from multiple resources and implementing adjustment strategies to find solutions.  

Action Research Vs. Traditional Research

Traditional research is generally initiated by university students.  Scholars gather information from theory and existing texts but lack a crucial element--they are not active practitioners in the field.  Action research offers a perspective from "insiders", or educators that can provide practical solutions to practical problems.

The Benefits of Action Research

Action Research allows educators to actively assess their own teaching methods or issues that can hinder learning in the classroom.  By idendtifying these issues, or "wonderings", the educator can gather relevant information and execute the adjustments nessesary that will grant them professioanl growth and student success.

Click on the link below for more insight on Action Research
Action Research in the Classroom