5301 Week 3 Blog

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

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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.