Saturday, August 7, 2010

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.

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