ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT
PROCESS OVERVIEW
USING CSCOPE TO INCREASE READING/MATH TAKS SCORES
1. SETTING THE FOUNDATION
Our school is implementing the CSCOPE curriculum to increase our students’ TAKS scores,
as well as, giving our teachers a step-by-step daily curriculum to follow. The lack of any
curriculum in some classrooms has become a problem. We wish to increase general
education scores, special education scores and to enhance our teachers’ knowledge of their
classroom content.
‘ 2. ANALYZING DATA
I plan to use past/current/future TAKS scores, student grade reports, teacher/student comment sampling, and informal and formal teacher surveys to analyze whether or not CSCOPE increased our TAKS scores.
The principal and teachers will discuss impressions of CSCOPE at faculty meetings to gain
insight on how everyone is feeling about using it in their classrooms.
‘3. DEVELOPING DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
Deeper understanding requires data collections techniques, such as, interviews, observations, document collection (grade reports/TAKS scores), and analyzing published literature.
I plan to interview teachers and principals to discuss their possible and plausible explanations
for data that doesn’t fit our anticipated outcomes. Review of literature and other published data, as well as, information from surrounding schools and ESC Region XVII will also be used.
‘4. ENGAGE IN SELF-REFLECTION
Does the data reveal any unexpected outcomes?
If so, what factors could have caused the unexpected data?
Are assessment scores generally lower during the initial year of CSCOPE?
Could the inexperience of new teachers be a factor? Are the special education students capable of the higher thinking skills required?
‘5. EXPLORING PROGRAMMATIC PATTERNS
Talk with at length with your site supervisor and other people whose opinion you respect to
determine the pros and cons of plausible solutions. What skills and resources do they think
are essential to successful project implementation? The more pit-falls you can identify before
you implement your solution, the better your project will work.
My site supervisor is still out of town.
6. DETERMINING DIRECTION
A. Will CSCOPE increase our TAKS scores in 3rd-8th Reading and Math?
B. Have you adequately addressed the skills and resources questions? Yes
C. Have you established a collaborative approach to the issue? I have had no contact with my site supervisor in 3 weeks.
D. Are your timelines realistic? The timelines are realistic for the information I’m seeking.
E. Do you have a reasonable plan to monitor the project? I will formally and informally interview teachers throughout the school year concerning CSCOPE and I have access to all student grade reports/TAKS scores
F. Do you have a reasonable plan for determining the level of success – how do you evaluate if the plan is effective? Increased TAKS scores and enhanced content knowledge by
teachers can reasonably be determined.
G. How will you revise and improve the plan based on monitoring and evaluation? I will need to confer with my site supervisor to discuss revision of the plan after TAKS scores are returned in late May 2011
.
7. TAKING ACTION FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
Tool 7.1 Action Planning Template
Goal #1: Implement CSCOPE
1 Action Step(s): Purchase CSCOPE curriculum
Person(s) Responsible: Superintendent
Timeline: Summer 2010
Needed Resources: Budgeted expense Evaluation: Purchased
2 Action Step(s): Identify non-negotiable portions of CSCOPE
Person(s) Responsible: Principals/Superintendent
Timeline: August 2010
Needed Resources: ----- Evaluation:
3 Action Step(s): Attend CSCOPE training
Person(s) Responsible: Principals/teachers/ESC 17 staff
Timeline: Summer 2010
Needed Resources: Professional Development budget Evaluation:
Goal #2: Increase teacher content knowledge using CSCOPE
1 Action Step(s): Implement CSCOPE in 3rd-8th Reading and Math
Person(s) Responsible: Principals/teachers Timeline: August 2010-May 2011
Needed Resources: Budget to purchase required manipulatives/materials Evaluation: Surveys/teacher comments
2 Action Step(s): Train teachers to use CSCOPE
Person(s) Responsible: Principals/teachers/ESC 17 staff
Timeline: Summer 2010
Needed Resources: Professional Development budget Evaluation: Surveys/teacher comments
3 Action Step(s): Teachers becoming proficient using CSCOPE
Person(s) Responsible: Principals/teachers/ESC 17 staff
Timeline: August 2010 – May 2011
Needed Resources: Budget to purchase required manipulatives/materials Evaluation:
Goal #3: Use CSCOPE to increase TAKS scores in Sp. Ed.
1 Action Step(s): Implement CSCOPE in 3rd-8th Sp. Ed. Reading and Math
Person(s) Responsible: Principals/Sp. Ed. teachers
Timeline: August 2010-May 2011 Needed Resources: CSCOPE curriculum/ESC 17 staff/SPECO staff/add’l
planning time Evaluation: TAKS scores
2 Action Step(s): Allow Sp. Ed. teachers to collaborate with experienced Sp.
Ed. CSCOPE users
Person(s) Responsible: Principals/SPECO staff
Timeline: August 2010-May 2011
Needed Resources: Professional development days to survey CSCOPE Sp. Ed.
classrooms in the area Evaluation: TAKS scores
8. SUSTAIN IMPROVEMENT
We should see improvement in our TAKS scores and in increased higher order thinking and problem-solving skills. The administration should consider any unexpected outcomes carefully to ascertain if the outcomes were products of inexperienced teachers, new curriculum or other factors. Data should be carefully analyzed to prevent incorrect conclusions from being reached.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
EDLD 5301 Research Week 2 Reflections
This week's assugnment gave me a deeper understanding of action research and the many areas in which it can be used. I appreciated the specific examples outlined in the Dana text. The chapter aided me in understanding how to categorize the many areas in which action research can be conducted and in which principals may encounter problems.
The video interviews were informative and gave insight into how different administrators view action research and how important they feel it is. I was especially interested in their views on using existing research and plying to to fit your purpose. Drs. Briseno and Lewis both suggested looking for current research before embarking on a huge project that may have already been conducted and published.
I hope to speak to my site mentor soon to consult with her concerning my research project. There should be plenty of data, not only on the CSCOPE curriculum, but also on our student test scores.
The video interviews were informative and gave insight into how different administrators view action research and how important they feel it is. I was especially interested in their views on using existing research and plying to to fit your purpose. Drs. Briseno and Lewis both suggested looking for current research before embarking on a huge project that may have already been conducted and published.
I hope to speak to my site mentor soon to consult with her concerning my research project. There should be plenty of data, not only on the CSCOPE curriculum, but also on our student test scores.
Friday, July 16, 2010
5301 Week 1 Blog Posting
What I have learned about action research and how I might be able to use it.
I have learned that action research is a spiraling systematic method of investigating using questioning, data collection, strategy development, logical reasoning and evaluation. I will use this method of research to help define a plan of action when problem solving. Areas in need of improvement will be pondered, then readily available data will be collected from school records or by interviewing employees. Then literature-based research will need to be conducted by referring to relevant journal articles, magazines and other published information to assist in developing a strategy to help improve the problem. The last step is to evaluate if the plan eliminated or at least improved the problem.
One problem that I'm particularly concerned about in our school is teacher morale. Due to deteriorating circumstances in the last few years, teacher morale has declined. I would like to interview some of the staff in order to collect some readily available information. I have already reviewed some literature, of which there is much, learned that teacher morale is a huge problem in many schools. I would then like to, in conjunction with the current principals, develop a strategy for improving morale among our teachers. The research I've already reviewed suggests a strong correlation between high teacher morale and increased student success.
How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs
Blogging can be an additional means of data collection for a principal. Private blogs can be used to record particularly important details of a school situation that are only relevant to the principal or, perhaps too personal or emotional to record in an educational record. With the amount of litigation today, personal blogs could help an administrator recall details that may not have been recorded in a student or employee file.
A public blog by an administrator could be used to publish personal notes to students, parents and teachers concerning formal or informal information. A blog could be considered a more individual method of communication that just a quote from the principal in the student newsletter. Principals could publish a weekly blog post containing upcoming school events, school information or progress reports on a school renovation project.
I have learned that action research is a spiraling systematic method of investigating using questioning, data collection, strategy development, logical reasoning and evaluation. I will use this method of research to help define a plan of action when problem solving. Areas in need of improvement will be pondered, then readily available data will be collected from school records or by interviewing employees. Then literature-based research will need to be conducted by referring to relevant journal articles, magazines and other published information to assist in developing a strategy to help improve the problem. The last step is to evaluate if the plan eliminated or at least improved the problem.
One problem that I'm particularly concerned about in our school is teacher morale. Due to deteriorating circumstances in the last few years, teacher morale has declined. I would like to interview some of the staff in order to collect some readily available information. I have already reviewed some literature, of which there is much, learned that teacher morale is a huge problem in many schools. I would then like to, in conjunction with the current principals, develop a strategy for improving morale among our teachers. The research I've already reviewed suggests a strong correlation between high teacher morale and increased student success.
How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs
Blogging can be an additional means of data collection for a principal. Private blogs can be used to record particularly important details of a school situation that are only relevant to the principal or, perhaps too personal or emotional to record in an educational record. With the amount of litigation today, personal blogs could help an administrator recall details that may not have been recorded in a student or employee file.
A public blog by an administrator could be used to publish personal notes to students, parents and teachers concerning formal or informal information. A blog could be considered a more individual method of communication that just a quote from the principal in the student newsletter. Principals could publish a weekly blog post containing upcoming school events, school information or progress reports on a school renovation project.
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