Action Research Project

Goals:

School Performance:

· Compare grades from previous year (’09 Freshmen vs. ’10 Freshmen, ’09 Freshmen vs. ’10 Freshmen, etc.)

· Compare TAKS scores from previous year (’09 Freshmen vs. ’10 Freshmen, ’09 Freshmen vs. ’10 Freshmen, etc.)

Individual Students:

· Provide questionnaires to a random sampling of students that aims at providing insight into the tutorials effectiveness

Individual Teachers:

· Provide questionnaires to a random sampling of students that aims at providing insight into the tutorials effectiveness

Campus/Community Culture:

· Seeing if the teachers view the mandatory tutorials as a negative or a positive?

· Are the stakeholders more concerned over the two extra tutorial periods or the shortened school day (30 mins shorter)?

· The effect of starting school half an hour later every day has had on the stakeholders

Activities designed to achieve the objectives:

· Surveys/Questionnaires to students/teachers/administrators

· Comparing data from years past to current school year

· Observing the attitude of a various stakeholders throughout the year (especially emphasizing the morning hours and MW afternoons)

Resources and research tools needed for data gathering

· Last year’s AEIS Reports

· Access to the grades from the previous year

· Develop questionnaires/surveys for individual teachers and students

· Blog/journal for observing community/campus culture

Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities

School Performance:

· Comparing TAKS scores: 3 weeks after receiving them

· Comparing grades from previous years: 1^st Semester, After Christmas Break; 2^nd Semester, 3 weeks after graduation

Individual Students:

· Develop questionnaire by beginning of school year

· Random sample of 40 students (10 Freshman, 10 Sophomores, 10 Juniors, 10 Seniors) every six weeks; Analyze data by progress reports of following six weeks

Individual Teachers

· Develop questionnaire by beginning of school year

· Random sample of 10 teachers (2 Math, 2 Science, 2 English, 2 History, 2 Elective) each six weeks; Analyze data by progress reports of following six weeks. Must ensure that each grade level’s core areas have been sampled

Campus/Community Culture

· Continuous observation of stakeholders. Log thoughts into Blog/Journal

· Attend various stakeholder meetings: SBDM, School Board, PTA, etc.

Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan

· Drafting of the questionnaires for teachers/students: Myself, various administrators, teacher volunteers

· Accessing grades from previous year: Grade level principals will have to give me the ok to perform this task. Could delegate to some other source

· AEIS Reports: Can easily access and read myself from the internet

Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives

· Perusing the survey/questionnaires on a six-weeks basis. Include in the questionnaires suggestions for improvement, see if there is a consensus on what could be done to make it more effective.

· Direct comparison of grades before and after installation of mandatory tutorial period

· TAKS scores at the end of the year

· Ensure that all surveys/questionnaires are received and analyzed in a timely manner (by the time progress reports come out the following six weeks)

Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study

· Grades

· TAKS Scores

· Completion Rate (long term assessment)

· AEIS Reports

· Meeting with SBDM, administrators, etc. to see of any additional measures should be taken