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.