Education: An Action Research Reflection

Strategies to Sustain School Improvement- A Reflection

After examining the strategies the authors provide for sustaining school improvement in Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps From Analysis To Action, I now have a better understanding of what it means to look to the future to address the needs of a school and of the actual process as to how to do it. I know the importance of sustaining improvement, and I now feel more prepared, as the tools or strategies to effectively do so have been provided to me. I recognize that in each strategy, there is some form of collaboration and cooperation to reach consensus. All of the strategies mentioned involve school stakeholders somehow in the decision-making process, which is important to the success of the decision or change, and ultimately vital to school improvement. I have learned that the Force Field Analysis strategy recognizes the needs of the school or a need for change, and also gives stakeholders the opportunity to recognize and address challenges or forces resistant to change. I have learned that the Delphi method serves as a confidential way to collaborate, view insight from other stakeholders and to reach consensus. It provides an opportunity for faculty members and/or stakeholders to respond to issues or proposed decisions and give ideas or solutions to address the future needs of the campus. I also have gained insight as how the Nominal Group Technique can serve as a great tool to reach consensus on the needs of the campus and involves collaboration of a group of school stakeholders. I could possibly use the Nominal Group Technique at a “Team Meeting” to gain insight from the faculty as to what they believe is an issue or need of the campus that should be addressed for improvement. This process could serve as a great way to obtain practitioner inquiries and guide an action research study that the entire campus would be interested in and support. I could also present my action research plan to other faculty members at a “Team Meeting” and use the Force Field Analysis strategy to gain insight as to what other stakeholders believe are the forces that drive the change and identify obstacles or resistant forces to the effectiveness and completion of the study. The collaboration and insight I would gain from other faculty members through this strategy could be very beneficial in supporting the success of my action research and to making improvements to my action research plan. More specifically to the process of my action research study, I could use the Delphi Method to gain insight as to the effectiveness of the TransMath Ninth grade Intervention program/classes. I could give a questionnaire to the Algebra 1 teachers addressing the intervention class with options regarding their views as to the effectiveness of the program, and provide options regarding the curriculum of the program and possible changes for improvement to the sequence of the curriculum. I feel this strategy will provide me with valuable insight, and it will also present an opportunity for the Algebra 1 teachers and myself to reach consensus on the best strategies to use to ensure the success of the students participating in the Mathematics intervention program thus supporting school improvement.

Action Research Study: The Beginning

School Improvement Study – Plan of Action

Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation:

The research will effectively:

• Based on data determine if the TransMath Ninth grade intervention program/classes are effective in increasing student achievement scores for those students participating.
• Ensure that the intervention program curriculum supports the curriculum of the Ninth grade core Mathematics classes, specifically Algebra 1.
• Ensure that the TransMath curriculum is aligned to the Ninth grade student expectations of the state of Texas, (Teks).
• Provide insight and data that can be used to change and improve the TransMath intervention program to effectively increase student achievement scores on state assessments in the area of Ninth grade Mathematics.
• Provide insight to the effectiveness of the Understand, Plan, Solve, Check for Reasonableness (UPS Check) in regard to student achievement in Mathematics.

Activities designed to achieve the objectives:

• Analyze 2010 student achievement scores in Mathematics of students enrolled in the TransMath intervention classes.
• Analyze 2010 student achievement scores in Mathematics of students who are not enrolled in the TransMath intervention classes.
• Comparison of Algebra 1 curriculum to the TransMath curriculum. The Intervention program must align with the curriculum sequence of the Ninth grade core Mathematics class.
• Collaborate with Algebra 1 teachers to adjust curriculum sequence in a manner to addresses all student expectations of the state of Texas in Mathematics for Ninth grade students.
• Analyze Mathematics benchmark data, by objective, of students enrolled in the TransMath intervention classes, and benchmark data of the Ninth grade students who are not enrolled in the intervention classes.
• Gather data to determine the effectiveness or rather if the proposed model assists in increasing student achievement scores, using the Understand, Plan, Solve, Check for Reasonableness (UPS Check) Mathematics problem solving model that will be implemented daily through the TransMath intervention classes.
• Comparison of 2011 student achievement on the state assessment relevant to Ninth grade Mathematics, to 2010 student achievement data to determine progress or any improvement made.
• Comparison of individual 2011 state assessment scores of students enrolled in the intervention classes to their 2009 and 2010 scores to determine any improvement.

Resources and research tools needed for data gathering:

• Consistent benchmark data throughout the 2010-2011 school year specific to Ninth grade Mathematics.
• State assessment results in the area of Mathematics for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years for Ninth grade students enrolled in the intervention classes, and separate from Ninth grade students whom are not enrolled in the intervention classes.
• Ninth grade TAKS results specific to Estacado H.S. in the area of Mathematics for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 school years; this should include data by objective, overall student percent passing and student group percent passing.
• UPS Check problem solving model techniques and/or practices for implementation.
• Collaboration with administrators, including the principal and at least one assistant principal to gain insight in regards to the intervention classes and improvements needed.
• Data from Algebra 1 teachers regarding student mastery of objectives of students who are not enrolled in the TransMath Intervention classes.

Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities:

• Analyze 2010 student achievement scores in Mathematics of students enrolled in the TransMath intervention classes – September, 2010.
• Comparison of Algebra 1 curriculum sequence to TransMath intervention curriculum sequence every six weeks; make adjustments based on the data comparison every six weeks.
• Collaborate with Algebra 1 teachers to adjust the curriculum of the TransMath classes to address the same student expectations weekly.
• Specific Mathematic objective benchmarks to gather level of student mastery in each objective every three weeks.
• Administer Benchmark addressing specifically Ninth grade Teks covered in the intervention class every six weeks, and analyze the data by objective each six weeks.
• Implement UPS Check problem solving model through the intervention classes daily.
• Comparison of 2011 student achievement on the state assessment relevant to Ninth grade Mathematics, to 2010 student achievement data to determine progress or any improvement made – May, 2011.
• Comparison of individual 2011 state assessment scores of students enrolled in the intervention classes to their 2009 and 2010 scores to determine any improvement – May, 2011.

Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan:

• TransMath Intervention teacher (Myself)
• Mathematics Department (Algebra 1 teachers)
• Principal (will oversee and monitor progress of action research study)

Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives:

• Benchmark data will be used to determine if students enrolled in the intervention classes are improving towards individual mastery of each Mathematics objective.
• Specific objective tests in the area of Mathematics will be used every three weeks.
• Constant collaboration with the administration and Algebra 1 teachers will be used to make changes regarding the curriculum of the TransMath intervention classes.
• Student grades and student achievement on local assessments will be used to monitor improvement.
• A questionnaire regarding the Algebra 1 teachers’ satisfaction with the TransMath intervention classes, as well as comments and ideas to improve the intervention classes to support the Algebra 1 curriculum will be sought.

Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study:

• Survey Algebra 1 teachers regarding the improvement of students in the intervention classes and their improvement, if any, towards mastery of objectives.
• Provide questionnaire to Algebra 1 teachers to gather suggestions, comments and ideas as how the TransMath intervention classes can better assist students to be successful in their classrooms.
• Data analysis of 2009 and 2010 state assessment scores specific to Ninth grade Mathematics and compared to 2011 scores to determine any improvement.
• Data analysis of 2011 state assessment scores of students enrolled in the intervention classes and those students’ individual scores in 2009 and 2010 to determine any improvement.

Individual Student(s) Wondering

Nancy Fichtman Dana, author of Leading With Passion And Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher, informs that one major wondering of school leaders is what she refers to as individual student(s). The examples Dana describes in regard to individual student(s) served as particularly interesting to me. These examples sparked great excitement within me, as they were ideas that were new to me, and I believe could prove beneficial to the specific campus at which I serve. One example Dana details in her works, is a principal who collaboratively led action research on alternative behavioral management plans in order to decrease student tardiness, increase student attendance, and ultimately increase the chances of students succeeding as learners. Different means of discipline, rather than the traditional in-school or out-of-school suspension were discussed. Ideas such as a Friday afternoon school or Saturday school in place of suspension were depicted as ways to keep students in the classroom. The idea of inviting parents to attend Saturday school with the student, which lessened the hours that the student was required to attend the school to make up missed work due to unexcused absences, was also mentioned. I think this is a brilliant idea. Not only does this keep the students in the classroom learning, it also provided an opportunity to involve parents. Action research in the area of individual student(s) is important because it is led primarily to support student learning. It provides opportunities to teachers, principals, community members, parents and even students to make a difference in the lives of other students. This area Dana depicts as a major wondering for school leaders, definitely serves as a major wondering to me. What more important aspect of the school community or the school improvement process is there than addressing the academic and social needs of students that we serve? I believe that all school stakeholders in some form or fashion benefit from action research in the area of individual student(s), but the primarily benefiter is the students, which is what I feel is the way it ought to be.