Extracurricular Participation Action Research

Extracurricular Participation Action Research
Goal: To evaluate the relationship between students’ participation in extracurricular activities and their success in high school.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1. Seek approval for possible action research topics	Katie Sanders Benjamin Petty	December 2012	*Action Research Plan	Agreement from site supervisor
2. Select an action research topic	Katie Sanders Benjamin Petty	December 2012	*Questions *Proposed issues that need attention on campus	Approval from site supervisor
3. Survey students who participate in different after school activities	Katie Sanders	February 2013- April 2013	*A handful of students from each of the extracurricular programs *Survey	Student input on the significance of the extracurricular programs
4. Survey and survey coaches, and sponsors	Katie Sanders	February 2013- April 2013	*Sample of coaches and sponsors who are willing to participate *Survey	Coaches and sponsors input on the significance of extracurricular activities, and their idea of the role that extracurricular activities play in their careers
5. Survey non-coaching, non-sponsoring teachers	Katie Sanders	February 2013-  April 2013	*Sample of non-coaching and non-sponsoring teachers who are willing to participate *Survey	Analyze what teachers feel the value of extracurricular participation is to student success
6. Interview/Survey Administrators	Katie Sanders Benjamin Petty Superintendent Deena VanPelt	February 2013- April 2013	*Schedule appointments with administrators	Analyze what administrators feel the value of extracurricular participation is to student success
7. Determine the percentage of students  currently participating in one or more extracurricular activities	Katie Sanders Benjamin Petty PEIMS coordinator	January 2013	*List of participation from sponsors and coaches	Create a table with the percentages
8. Collect data on all students’ 2nd semester averages	Katie Sanders PEIMS coordinator	May 2013-    June 2013	*All student semester averages	Create passing percentage of student body
9. Collect data on students who participate in extracurricular activities 2nd semester averages	Katie Sanders PEIMS coordinator	May 2013-   June 2013	* Students who participate in extracurricular activities semester averages	Create passing percentage of students who participate in extracurricular activities
10. Collect data on attendance for students who DO NOT participate in extracurricular activities	Katie Sanders PEIMS coordinator	February 2013  April 2013       May 2013	*Attendance percentages	Create a percentage on the number of days attended for students who DO NOT participate in extracurricular activities
11. Collect data on attendance for students who participate in extracurricular activities	Katie Sanders PEIMS coordinator	February 2013  April 2013       May 2013	*Attendance percentages	Create a percentage on the number of days attended for students who participate in extracurricular activities
12. Collect data on office referrals for students who DO NOT participate in extracurricular activities	Katie Sanders Deena VanPelt	February 2013    April 2013     May 2013	*Office referral percentages	Create a percentage for the number of office referrals for students who DO NOT participate in extracurricular activities
13. Collect data on office referrals for students who participate in extracurricular activities	Katie Sanders Deena VanPelt	February 2013    April 2013     May 2013	*Office referral percentages	Create a percentage for the number of office referrals for students who participate in extracurricular activities
14. Get permission to access student STAAR scores	Benjamin Petty	May 2013	STAAR results	Create a comparison of students who participate in extracurricular activities to those who do not participate
15. Collect data on students’ STAAR scores	Katie Sanders PEIMS coordinator	May 2013- August 2013	STAAR results	Create passing percentage of student body
16. Compare the STAAR results of students who participate in extracurricular activities to those who do not participate	Katie Sanders	August 2013	STAAR results comparison	Create passing percentages of students who participate in extracurricular activities to those who do not participate
17. Research the role of extracurricular participation in high schools	Katie Sanders	June, July, and August 2013	Internet, Articles	Analyze the effectiveness and role of extracurricular activities in high school
18. Research what different tactics sponsors and coaches have used successfully to keep track of students’ grades and help keep students’ grades passing	Katie Sanders	June, July, and August 2013	Internet, Articles	Determine ways we can help our students achieve academic success.
19. Create an action research report	Katie Sanders	September 2013	Data collected, internet, articles, search engines	Final action research report
20. Present action research report to administrators	Katie Sanders	September2013- December 2013 (in preparation for the 2014 year)	Action research plan	Discuss my findings with administrators, and how this research will help students be successful academically

Week 2 Blog Post

I have learned quite a bit this week in Action Research 5301. I had the opportunity to listen to 2 people discuss action research in the educational setting. Action research is a great tool that can be implemented in many ways. I think it is imperative for people who actually work in the schools and see the students everyday, make the changes in the school district. I learned that when you notice a problem, you need to be proactive, and you don't have to reinvent the wheel. We can look for other people who have experienced similar experiences with success and use some of the same techniques. I also learned that you should always be practical and have a purpose when approaching an action research. 

We also looked at the nine areas that are frequently identified as needing further research in the school systems. They include: staff development, curriculum development, individual teachers, individual students, school community/culture, leadership, management, school performance, and social justice. 

After reviewing the nine areas and sitting with my site supervisor, I have figured out what I am going to do my action research project on.  
            **Creativity and rigor are major components in college readiness. Due to mandated tests, some teachers have gone to a test preparation, teaching “the” test, and more test procedures kind of classroom. We are told that we need to have student-centered classrooms with creativity, critical thinking, and technology. We have tests (STAAR) that are meant as a means to see if children will be prepared for college, yet college is not all about exams. Students in college have to know how to study, to take notes, to answer open ended questions, think critically (not just eliminate answer choices), they need to be able to research, and they need to be responsible for their actions. I understand that we have a lot of pressure on us as teachers to have outstanding passing rates on those exams, but we also have a responsibility to prepare our students for the next level. Although Texas has one of the highest high school graduation rates in the U.S., according to the Texas Association of Community Schools, only 21.9% of Texas students complete a post secondary degree or certificate. Somewhere along the way we are not reaching our students like we should. I would like to do my action research determining if we are doing a good job of preparing our students for college, and also the real world (for those choosing not to do the college route). I would like to research what some of the necessary skills are for college students, survey college kids and see how they feel they were prepared for college. What helped? What could have been improved, etc? I would then like to bring it back to my campus and see if we are implementing these necessary skills. I would also like to bring this across the content areas and I will research lessons that can fit in each content areas and inspire teachers to modify their lesson plans to incorporate some of the ideas that I find helpful. I think that sometimes when teachers listen to professional development, it is too general and it doesn’t give ideas for each subject. I hope that I can be knowledgeable enough to encourage each grade and subject to implement changes.