My reflection of EDLD 5301 Research and response in the Final Week 5 discussion

In EDLD 5301, Research, I learned of the importance of on-going reflection in order to develop a deeper understanding of ones stances, pedagogies, policies, and leadership practices.  This in my opinion was the most valuable aspect that I walked away with.  A large part of this was reflection, took place from the comments and feedbacks from my site supervisor, colleagues, and fellow students in this course through the blogs, meetings, and discussions.  For example, in Week 4 my site supervisor helped me focus more on state requirements, and the use of the school comprehensive improvement plan, and connecting my research and data sources from Power School and the IS3 index data.

Secondly, my colleagues help me better understand and revise my benchmarks and assessment portion of my action-research plan.  I am so grateful for the feedback from colleagues in helping to develop and fine-tune my action-research plan, and will ultimately help shape and develop my attitudes, understandings, pedagogies, and future career.  Making me a more knowledgeable, seasoned, aware, attuned, and discerning person and future school leader. All in all, I learned the steps that serve as a guide in planning, implementing, analyzing data, evaluating and collaborating, and reflecting on my action-research as a researcher-practitioner.  

I want to learn more on developing strategies that help one better communicate results, and allow colleagues to be active participants in your action research.  I understand that the use of Edmodo, Google Apps or docs, and blogs can aid in this process.  I was interested in other tools and strategies to help aid in this process, while engaging and keeping teachers actively involved in the happenings and wonderings in a school.  I also understand PLC’s can serve as this, but I believe sometimes there is a communication breakdown b/w disciplines, and colleagues in these processes.  I think there has to be a better way to keep everyone involved, and engaged.  I plan on joining and creating PLC’s on-line of other leadership colleagues, keeping in communication with my followers on my blog on these wonderings, and working with my site-supervisor and his professional learning community and groups on-line, in order to inquire more about this area.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my blog and followed me on Google blogger.

Feel free to join if you have not already:

Here is the address:

http://mrparksactionresearch.blogspot.com

Cheers and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

Noah Parks

Revised Action Plan as of 5-5-13

Here is my revised action plan as of 5-5-13 (Week 5).
I also included my CARE Model planning tool 8.1 below it.
Please comment on my action plan;  any advice would be most appreciated.
(Scrolled down to fit it correctly on webpage.)

Identify Concerns that must change (look to the future) (Tool 8.1 CARE Model: Planning Tool)

1. Meeting our reading/math/science AYP on the Iowa Assessments

2. Decreasing the number of referrals and tardies, which can lead to detentions that are not served, and again a higher suspension rate.

3. Decreasing the rate of suspension and expulsions at L&M Jr./Sr. High School

Identify Affirmations that must be sustained (look to the present)

1. The implementation of PBIS, including: common area; classroom; bathroom; and lunchroom    

     expectations.

2. Positive feedback to students who are being respectful; acting responsibly; and influencing     others to do the same. This can manifest in many behaviors and ways in the school from: being on time every time to class, and in turning in assignments completed.  

3. Positive relations between students and parents and teachers.  These positive relations cab ne affirmed by: emails and postcards home expressing positive student behaviors, planned events and meetings that allow positive interactions with teachers, and supporting staff, rewards and honors for good behaviors; etc.

SMART Recommendations that must be implemented: (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely)

1. Have teachers produce career development plan, related to district goals in reaching AYP for math/reading/science/technology.  Have a pre-assessment developed for beginning of school year, and post-assessment at the end of the school year, for the next school year.

2. Continue to reinforce the expectations for common areas, lunchroom, bathrooms, and classrooms.

3. Brainstorm methods to deal with detentions not-served from 3 or more tardies in one week, to decrease the in-school suspension rate, which is included in the state suspension/expulsion data.  Implement methods.

4. Brainstorm and implement methods to increase parent/teacher/student involvement in school community for next school year.

EVALUATE – Specifically and Often: (Identify the best ways to evaluate the implemented recommendations.)

1. Have PLC’s monitor data from career professional data from Pre-assessments & Post-assessments, related to district and school goals.

2. Parent, teacher, student survey and school data from IS3 surveys and Power School.

3. Using data from IS3 surveys, produce more detail specific surveys from students, parents, teachers, that pin-point specific behaviors and events that are representative of the data from IS3 surveys, in order to correctly assess current status of implementation of PBIS, to evaluate correctly.

4. Group discussions by PBIS community and in PD community with faculty and staff.

   

OUTCOMES	ACTIVITIES	RESOURCES/ RESEARCH TOOLS NEEDED	RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS ACTIVITIES	TIME LINE	Benchmarks/ ASSESSMENT	Revisions to SIP/PIP based on monitoring and assessments
To assess the implementation of the PBIS program in the Jr./Sr. High School To assess how the implementation of the PBIS program in the Jr./Sr. High School is related to the Iowa Assessment Scores	To gather data on how the current implementation of PBIS has affected: 1)     office referral rates 2)     tardy rates 3)     suspension/expulsion rates 4)     attendance rates Compare the PBIS data to the Iowa Assessment data from date of origin of PBIS	Data from Power School for: # of office referrals issued since 2009-10 school year-Present # of tardies issued,  since 2009-10 school year-Present Suspension and expulsion data from the IS3 index Attendance records reported on School Improvement Plan from 2009-Present school year Iowa Assessment data Comprehensive School Improvement Plan	Site supervisor High School Principal PBIS committee members Myself Curriculum Director	April 2013-May 2014	IS3 index data for safe and supportive schools in Iowa Student, Teacher, Parent survey data Iowa Assessment proficiency levels in regards to the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan and the  implementation of PBIS Student specific interviews based on responses in the IS3 index surveys Comprehensive

Action Research Project

SCHOOL VISION:

District Goals as stated in the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan: II. What will we do to meet student-learning needs? District Long-Range Goals: 5. All students will experience a safe and productive learning environment Evaluation:  We will also compile data and analyze it, based on the goals of the PBIS committee and compare the data to the goals those goals.  We will work collaboratively to revise the action plan and reset goals, to meet the needs of students, and develop strategies in order to decrease the number of disciplinary actions and tardies.  The other goals linked to student achievement will also play a role in newly revised activities towards the successful implementation of PBIS, while increasing students’ achievement and overall sense of community at our school. My site supervisor and I will collaborate by meeting and conferring about data and results and interpretation of the data for the school.    This might be done by blog as well. Then, we will produce new wonderings from results and try to draw conclusions and answers that will target data-driven decisions that will most likely be implemented and will help us gather more data about current implementation of PBIS and most likely will lead into further discussions, about current intervention programs as well, such as At-Risk.  As far as, sharing my findings, the details about that process can be found in Part 4 below. Sharing results:  In order to share my findings for my action research project, I will make sure to include the four critical tasks outlined by (Dana, 2009): 1)    Providing background information 2)    Sharing the designing of the inquiry (Procedures, Data Collection, and Data Analysis) 3)    Stating the learning and supporting statements with data 4)    Providing concluding thoughts This will most likely be done in the beginning in by writing a report and sharing it with my site supervisor, who will then analyze it, and develop new wonderings related to the current implementation of PBIS, then if significant findings are found, we will develop other plans of inquiry and gather more data and analyze it, to try to reach concluding ideas and thoughts about the implementation of PBIS at its success and needs for revision.  If significant findings are found then these will be communicated to the PBIS committee and through collaboration we will develop revisions and plans for revision in order to remodel our implementation strategies to best meet the needs of the school and its constituents.  If new implementation is needed, I might use a Power Point presentation of some kind to share our findings, and implement the revisions during a staff development. GOAL:

OUTCOMES	ACTIVITIES	RESOURCES/ RESEARCH TOOLS NEEDED	RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS ACTIVITIES	TIME LINE	Benchmarks/ ASSESSMENT
To assess the implementation of the PBIS program in the Jr./Sr. High School To assess how the the implementation of PBIS has affected Iowa Assessment Data for the Jr./Sr. High School To assess how the implementation of PBIS has affected tardy, referral, and suspension/expulsion rates for students.	To gather data on how the current implementation of PBIS has affected: 1. office referral rates 2. tardy rates 3.  suspension/expulsion rates 4. Iowa Assessment Scores After assessing this data, with the help of the site supervisor and PBIS team, we will find ways to revise our implementation of PBIS and develop methods that are data driven to try to produce new wonderings and conclusions.	Data from Power School for: # of office referrals issued since 2009-10 school year-Present # of tardies issued,  since 2009-10 school year-Present Suspension and expulsion data from the IS3 index Student, teacher, parent, administrator survey data Iowa Assessment Data from 2009-Present school year	Site supervisor: High School Principal PBIS committee members Myself Curriculum Director	April 2013- May 2014	State of Iowa Educational Leadership Standards and Criteria: Standard #2 An educational leader promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional development. (Culture of Learning) Standard #3  An educational leader promotes the success of all students by ensuring management of the organization, operations and resources for a safe, efficient and effective learning environment. (Management)

Week 2 Insights & Learnings

In week 2:
I have learned of the 9 passions that drive the action research inquiry process.
I have found that the readings have been both insightful and appreciative of my educational leaders from the past and present.  There are many facets to education that take a village to master, and
have proven to be helpful in driving America's educational institutions forward to a more efficient, enriching, and diverse experience.
I will use these readings in my future career as I carefully and thoughtfully reflect and inquire in on-going discussion with colleagues on  solving the problems specific to each school that I am apart of.

Lastly, the main topic that I will be focusing on in my action research as of now, is the methodologies and implementation of PBIS at our school, and what ways it is improving student achievement, attitudes, and active participation in producing a positive learning environment at our school.

Cheers!
To an exciting journey ahead.....

HOW ADMINISTRATORS CAN USE BLOGS FOR ACTION RESEARCH?

Administrators can use blog to stimulate on-going discussion between colleagues, members of committees, professional development teams and in-services, communicate and stimulate discussion with community members and students about a particular topic of interest, etc.  Administrators can keep a journal that they can share with other colleagues 1,000's of miles away as well, in order to help them reflect and turn their ideas into productive realities that help form and shape the success of their school, their attitudes and pedagogies on matters, and their future careers.  This collaborative, reflective process has proven to be very valuable for reflection and collaboration with colleagues and other professionals world wide.  Overall, it is a good way to involve stakeholders and develop workable models and solutions to the every day problems that administrators face this day and age in education.

WEEK1 ACTION RESEARCH AND USES

I have learned through my assigned readings on action research that the benefits of action research, allow administrators to build a community within and around a school that lead to more efficient and better leadership practices and a more stimulating, positive, and productive learning environment for faculty, staff, and students within the school setting.   For instance, research from Bracewell, in 2008 demonstrates better practices can be investigated and effectively utilized in a school setting such as the new-implemented inclusion model and how it affected regular education students and ESE students alike.  It also provided an opportunity to break isolation between teachers, by allowing them to co-teach and utilize one another’s expertise in the classroom setting.

Based on the current research, the benefits, applications in educational settings, and the positive outcomes associated with action research, it far outweighs the traditional approaches of research in the school setting and provide a much more effective and enriching experience for principals to work with all constituents involved in solving the problems that exist in a school, while forming a long-term systematic and collaborative approach to finding solutions to better ensure the success of all of the students in a school district or school;  and ultimately allows administrators to become “head learners” and proactive versus reactive, working with all parties involved in making a school function at its highest potential day-to-day.

I think I can use action research to do these very things. Right now, our school district is using it in the PLC's among teachers teaching different disciplines and in some ways in the leadership and technology committees.  Furthermore, other ways of using action research in my internship and profession would be to: get more involved in administrative implementation of action research in our school and school district, revising administrator and building leadership meetings to include some of the examples outlined in the readings, that involve reflection and collaboration of one's administrative practices, and to involve all constituents in solving some of the issues that our school district and school are focusing on in the days ahead.