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.