New Strategies

After learning about the three new strategies of Force Field Analysis, Delphi Method, and the Nominal Group Technique I have decided that I could use two of these strategies.  I could use the Force Field Analysis and the Nominal Group Technique.  The Delphi Method does not allow for enough participants for my research in my opinion.  The other two methods allow for me to get input from all stakeholders which is great.

Action Research Plan

SCHOOL VISION: Improving academic success through improving attendance.

GOAL:  To prove that academic success is contingent upon a student’s attendance.

OUTCOMES	ACTIVITIES	RESOURCES/ RESEARCH TOOLS NEEDED	RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS ACTIVITIES	TIME LINE	Benchmarks/ ASSESSMENT	Revisions to SIP/PIP based on monitoring and assessments
Improved attendance	Incentive programs/Rewards	Attendance reports	Attendance Committee, Parent Committee, Teachers, Administrators	August 2011-May 2012	Review attendance records every six weeks
Improved academic success	Certificates for grades	Grade reports, benchmark data, state assessment data	Parent Committee, Teachers, Administrators	August 2011-May 2012	Review grades every six weeks, Teacher input
Improved Parent Involvement	Parent Involvement through Parent Nights	Sign-in sheets for Parent Nights, Parent Night Flyers	Parent Committee, Teachers, Administrators	August 2011-May 2012	Parent surveys, student surveys, staff surveys

Week 2 Lessons Learned

After completing this weeks assignment I have done extensive thinking on my topic of choice.  I realized that I need to focus my topic down to a more finite question.  Also, since all of my administrators were moved at the end of last school year I am having to acquire a new site supervisor.  This is going to be a new experience for me in more than one way.  I hope to het help from them with my project.

How educators may use blogs

Educators may use blogs to allow less time in meetings and more time being able to observe the situations to determine a plan of action.  It also allows time for teachers to teach and be involved in the process in order to have their feedback.  We all have a job to do and we all want to be involved in the research to improve our schools so blogging allows everyone to do both.

What I have learned about action research

When I first started to hear about action research I was wondering if it was going to be just like regular traditional research, but I was totally wrong.  I have learned that action research is just like it sounds of taking action.  Traditional research is just looking through books and articles.  Action research is so much more and more involving for everyone.  I remember always sitting there and listening to the same old boring information that I could have read from a book, but now I can actually see that action research is going to allow me to actually due the research for myself.  Action research allows the stakeholders to take ownership of the research and make a plan off of what they have learned rather than what a book is telling them to do.  When action research is used everyone is involved and feels like they are part of the research and the outcome.  Traditional research left everyone out of the big picture and action research puts everyone in the middle of the big picture.  All in all I have learned that action research is the way to go in order to insure that you are improving your school by what it needs and not what someone else thinks it needs.