Revised Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template
Goal: To research the effectiveness of co-teaching inclusion model of special education learners and what gains on assessments do learners show with model.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Gain permission from my site supervisor to do research plan	Carolyn Collins and Site Supervisor	April 2012	none	Permission to proceed with research plan
Meet with inclusion teacher to discuss her role in action research plan	Carolyn Collins and Special ed. Inclusion teacher	May 2012	none	Agreement to proceed with action research plan
Acquire permission from special education students parents	Carolyn Collins	August 2012	School letter head explaining to parents the process of my action research plan and asking that they grant me permission to review all student data and share with other staff	Permission from parents to proceed with action research plan
Gather names of all incoming special education learners that will be in inclusion setting	Carolyn Collins and Special ed. Inclusion teacher	August 2012	List from Chancery database of all current 4th grade special education learners	The list of special education learners
Review special education student folders and ARD papers to determine what their learning disabilities are	Carolyn Collins and Special ed. Inclusion teacher	August 2012	Special education folders	List all Special Ed. Learners and their disabilities and what areas they receive services in.
Collect state standardized assessment data on special education learners in inclusion model	Carolyn Collins	September 2012	EVAAS	Acquired assessment information
Pre-Assess learners with assessment modifications (eliminating an answer choice)to see where they are	Carolyn Collins and Special ed. Inclusion teacher	September 2012	Teacher-made assessment	Acquired Assessment info.
Review and chart assessment data	Carolyn Collins and Special ed. Inclusion teacher	September 2012	Assessment scores	Charted Data
Special Ed. Teacher and regular Ed. Teacher meet to plan lesson plans and continue to co-teach in inclusion setting	Carolyn Collins and Special ed. Inclusion teacher	September 2012-May 2013 (Fall and Spring Semester))	TEKS and district curriculum	Collaborations about how to reach inclusion learners
Survey learners to see if they feel co-teaching inclusion is beneficial to them	Carolyn Collins and Special ed. Inclusion teacher	Spring Semester 2012 (February)	Teacher made Survey	Gather survey results
Continue to give teacher-made assessments and district assessments looking for growth/gains in inclusion learners	Carolyn Collins and Special ed. Inclusion teacher	Fall Semester 2012-Spring Semester 2013	Assessment scores	Review and disseminate the results
Give learners pre-assessment test given previously to look for gains Give state STAAR test	Carolyn Collins and Special ed. Inclusion teacher	Spring Semester 2013 (May)	Pre-Assessment	Charted data
Review all findings with administration/ staff	Carolyn Collins	End of Spring Semester 2013 (June)	Charts, Graphs, and Surveys	Meetings and Collaborations about the effectiveness of a co-teaching inclusion model

Lessons Learned from Real Life Research Action Examples

From observing three scholar practitioners on video, I learned that teachers should be willing to tear apart data and understand how it is relevant to student success.  Another key thing that I learned was that teachers collaborating in the classroom is essential to student and teacher success.  I was even able to create my own examples of action research based on the 9 major wonderings of many school leaders. Here are a couple of my favorites:

 1.Curriculum Development 

Example of action research: In what ways can an IB (International Baccalaureate) school created curriculum simultaneously satisfy our TEKS standards.

This is an important area of research because currently my school is in the beginning stages of becoming an IB campus.  We are in the process of writing the curriculum and it is imperative that the TEKS standards are included in the IB curriculum.  The IB curriculum is centered around global themes.  However, learners are still assessed on the STAAR using the TEKS standards, so they must work hand in hand.

2.School Performance

Example of action research:  How can I as leader, promote the expectation of Advanced Academic Performance of all students on the STAAR test?

This is an important area of research because it identifies the mastery level of the students in regards to state curriculum.  It is also a way to identify the effectiveness of the classroom teacher.  Ultimately, Advanced Academic Performance shows learners that are College Ready.  Leaders should always promote college upon completing high school and this is a sure way to push students to the next level.  Rewarding learners that score Advanced Academic Performance is another way to promote growth.

How Might Educational Leaders Use Blogs?

Blogs are a great tool for educational leaders to begin conversation about their school happenings.  Blogs can keep teachers, parents, students, and the community aware of all the wonderful and not so wonderful things happening on their campus.  It can be a constant communication piece that can also be updated several times throughout the day.  Leaders can stay connected with their school community and also allow others to get to know them on a more personal level.  Principals can ask questions and allow others to respond. Constant interaction builds a feeling of community and voice throughout the school.  It can be used as an organized dialogue with the principal.  It's a fun and interesting way for leaders to communicate with students as well.

What I Have Learned About Action Research?

I've learned that action research is a reflective process tool utilized to help develop a plan of action to transform a school, transform thinking, and help solve school problems.  It is a tool used by the administrator as well as a team of colleagues.  Together they take responsibility for any changes on the campus, based on the findings of the inquiry.  It is a collaborative effort, where the administrator and team read research based materials, use all necessary data and hold one another accountable.  In this model it is helpful to reach out to others that have had the same issues and been successful.  It is imperative to provide feedback, if one is to reflect on the topic.  While developing the research plan, it should be a well organized process, where the administrator will change and consider any and all questions as well as share their findings with others. With action research one can’t stay to themselves, however, they must be visible and willing to learn from others.  Through action research everyones opinion should count. First, I must define the issue, research my issue, take action, and then use my results to make things better.   In this model, I believe the saying, "Action speaks louder than words", holds true.  We can't just talk about an issue we have to act on it.  With action research, everyone in the school should benefit, including administrators, teachers,students, and even parents.
I could use action research to explore several behaviors that need changing in my district and campus.  I will use it to explore our special education inclusion program on my campus.