Update!

I am completing my third course towards my Masters in Educational Administration!  Here is the lastest update about my action research project:

My action research project focuses on the use of data collection and analysis (through the use of heat maps) to drive instructional alignment and instructional practices.  The end goal is to see improved results on science state assessments (both EOCs and Exit Level TAKS).  Throughout the first 5-6 weeks of school, I have been focusing instructional alignment to state standards (TEKS).  This has been facilitated through our district’s use of CSCOPE.  This is something I am new to this year because my previous district did not utilize this resource.  My next goal in the process of implementing my action research project is to analyze the assessment data.  This step has posed a challenge because I do not have access to the technology I thought I would (example: clickers to facilitate data entry).  Another challenge is that I now work at a small school where I am on a one person team (i.e. I am the only physics teacher).  When developing my action research plan I was in the mind set of my former school where I was on a five person team (five teachers teaching the same subject) and we had an instructional coach to collect and disaggregate our data.  To overcome these challenges and continue the implementation of my action research plan, I must gain the knowledge of how to complete these tasks on my own.  This will require extra time and energy on my part to understand how to utilize the valuable (although new and different) resources available to me.  This includes resources such as the CSCOPE assessments which are already aligned to the state standards and programs such as Eduphoria which have the ability to analyze and disaggregate data. 

Plan Update

After reading the comments from the discussion boards and my blog as well as talking with my site supervisor, I do not have any revisions or changes for my action research plan.  I am sure there will be unforeseen obstacles as the school year gets underway and because I am new to the school I will be teaching at, I know there will be new things to learn.  Please see my previous post from last week for my action research plan.  I appreciate any feedback that you might have!

Plan of Action!

Action Research Plan
Goal: Determine to what extent utilizing assessment data collection and analysis to guide instruction increases Science EOC scores.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Process for monitoring achievement and/or  Evaluation
#1 - Set the foundation: Set up an appointment with site supervisor (principal) to discuss the goals of my action research project.  Set up time to discuss goals and steps of the project with department head and team planning members.	Self; others involved: principal, department head, team planning members	Start: Prior to the beginning of school/inservice week End: by the end of the 1st six weeks	Meeting time	Verbal feedback from stakeholders (principal, department head, team planning members)
#2 - Analyze previous data and developing a deeper understanding: Gather score data from last year’s (Biology) EOC as well as past TAKS score data.  Understand weak points for the target population	Principal; Academic Advisor; Department Head; team planning members	Start: Inservice week End: by end of 1st six weeks	State assessment data	After analyzing data with involved stakeholders, start a focus group discussion to analyze quantitative data as well as qualitative information known about target population and the subpopulation groups
#3 - Align instruction and assessments to state standards (TEKS) (ensure instruction and assessments are at the same level as the TEK verb)	Self, department head, planning team, curriculum director	Ongoing: prior to the beginning of school, every six weeks (every planning period)	CSCOPE curriculum, TEKS, textbook, online resources	Ask department head or curriculum director to review instructional strategies/tools and assessments to ensure alignment; utilize CSCOPE curriculum and released EOC questions to ensure alignment
#4 - Collect assessment data for every unit summative assessment	Self, technology specialist (for help with clickers)	Ongoing: after each unit assessment	Clickers (for easy data collection) or scantron scanners that perform student and item analysis	Ensure that all assessment data is collected in a way that can be easily manipulated (to view student and item analysis)
#5 - Compile data into heat maps (organized by TEK) for data analysis	Self, department head, previous mentor (who introduced me to heat maps)	Ongoing: after each unit assessment	Assessment data, Computer, Microsoft excel, colored printer	This step provides evaluation for step #3 (instructional and assessment alignment)
#6 - Self-Reflection: After analyzing data from each assessment, take a time out to reflect upon how well I (and other involved stakeholders) are progressing towards achieving project goal.	Self	Ongoing – especially after each analysis of assessment data	Action Research Blog	Post reflections on Action Research Journal Blog to allow classmates and instructors to provide advice, feedback and encouragement.
#7 - Recompile assessment data into heat maps after large summative assessments (fall semester exams and Mock EOCs) to provide comparative data from throughout the school year (monitor for retention)	Self, department head, previous mentor (who introduced me to heat maps)	December 2012 (after Fall semester final), March/April 2013 (after Mock EOC)	Assessment data, computer, Microsoft excel, colored printed	This step provides further evaluation of step #3 and helps in evaluating long term student retention of the curriculum.  Allows for implementation of early intervention – either for individual students or for the entire class on certain concepts/TEKS.
#8 - Use data to determine which TEKS/concepts students are struggling with and develop review days (to spiral back to difficult concepts) and a review unit (2-3 weeks) leading up to EOC.	Self, department head, planning team	Review Days: Start: Early Spring semester 2013 End: Mid-April 2013 Review Weeks: Start: Mid-April 2013 End: May 2013	CSCOPE curriculum, TEKS, textbook, online resources, resources from colleagues	Each review day will focus on a particular TEK (or set of related TEKS).  Each day will follow the same order: pre-test, review notes (provides students will a “take away” to study with), hands on activity, and post test.  The pre and post test data will be collected via clickers to allow for easy manipulation of data (student and item analysis).  The goal is that there will be significant improvement on the post-test scores and the entire process will increase EOC scores.
#9 - Report Findings: Compile a summative report of the action research project findings.  Provide this report, along with a verbal summary, to the principal and department head.	Self, team planning members	Start/End: End of May 2013 (when EOC scores become available)	Meeting time	The written and verbal report will provide evaluation of the research project as a whole.  The principal and department head will provide further evaluation and feedback at the conclusion of reading and hearing the report.
#10 - Implementation: If a positive outcome results, work with the principal, curriculum director and department heads to implement the process of assessment data collection and analysis to guide instruction campus wide.  In the future the goal is to implement the practice district wide.	Self, principal, department heads, curriculum director	Start: School Year 2013-1014 End: Indefinitely	Meeting time, professional development time to train faculty on data collection and analysis, clickers and/or scantron scanners to allow all staff members to easily collect data	This step starts the process all over again on a larger scale.  Department heads and teachers will provide feedback regarding ongoing student success or suggestions for improvements in the process.

Action Research Topic

This week we continued to learn about the process of action research.  Namely we discussed how to develop a research question from a wondering.  This helped me to narrow down my topic for my action research project.  I will be at a new school in the fall, so things can always change/be adjusted, but here is what I have so far….

Action Research Topic/Question:

To what degree can the use of quantitative assessment data collection and analysis to guide instruction increase Biology EOC scores?

Explanation:

This action research project will focus on the use of assessment data collection and analysis to guide instruction.  With the implementation of the EOC last school year, my previous school utilized assessment data collection and analysis and we saw great success on the Biology EOC.  With this being the second year of the EOC implementation, I feel we have more knowledge of the test and with the use of data collection and analysis, the scores at my new school (although not bad) can be improved.  I plan on working with my department team to implement the use of assessment data collection and analysis.  We will utilize this data for a variety of purposes including:  1) determine which TEKS/concepts our students are struggling with, 2) identify individual students who are struggling to provide early intervention, 3) implementation of interventions such as review days to spiral back to previous concepts and 4) guide review days prior to the EOCs.  It is my goal that these practices improve EOC scores and the practice of assessment data collection and analysis to guide instruction will be a campus wide practice in the future. 

Action Research - What I Have Learned So Far...

As I begin my study of Action Research, I feel it is important to stop and reflect upon what I have learned so far.  For a brief definition, Dana (2009) tells us that action research is a process which is “intended to bring about change” (p. 6).  In my own words, action research, or action inquiry, provides a framework for educators to reflect upon their own practice, ask a question, design a study, collect and analyze data and reflect on the results.  The goal is to have an evidence based change to implement which fixes the problem or issue which prompted the original question.  What I have found most interesting about action research is that it is performed from the inside.  In the action research process, educational leaders pose a question that is directly affecting their students at their campus.  This allows the research and the outcome to be detailed and focused to a particular population.  The engagement at the campus level also helps to ensure that the change resulting from the research outcome will be implemented with little to no resistance from faculty and staff (Dana, 2009, p. 5).  I hope to implement the action research process during my educational administration internship.  For my action research project, I plan to focus on the use of data collection and analysis to drive instructional alignment and instructional practices for increased achievement on state assessments. 

Blog use for Educational Leaders

Blogs can serve as an excellent tool for educational leaders.  Blogs provide avenues for principals, teachers and other educational leaders to collaborate even though they might be hundreds of miles apart.  Leaders can also post about the progress and results of their action research projects to allow others to implement the findings if they are experiencing similar issues and/or problems.  Blogs also provide a means to post instructional and curriculum documents that can be shared with others.  In addition, educators can collaborate and discuss the latest instructional strategies they are finding successful in their classrooms or at their campus.