Action Research Ideas

I am very interested in doing my action research project about college readiness. The idea came to me in my senior year of college. It was the first time that I was in a group where I had to depend on other people for my grade on this particular assignment. When we met as a group two nights before the project was due, I was in awe of the horrific job my group had done on their parts. I was so prepared for college, that sometimes my "not so good work" was commended by professors. It was not until this moment that I realized why. The next time I encountered this issue was two summers ago, when I taught for the Institute of Reading Development. It was a great program, but I realized very quickly how things that seem like common sense to me are foreign to so many kids today. I know that college is not for everyone, but I believe that some of the same skills are needed to be successful in college and in the workforce.

I believe that this topic is significant because even though 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 postsecondary degree or certificate. Somewhere along the way we are not reaching our students like we should.

In my opinion, the state is putting too much emphasis on mandated tests. Because of this, teachers feel that they do not have enough time to develop creative learners, to have learner-centered classrooms, to increase collaborative and real-world projects, or to make students take ownership of their learning. I know that I will not be able to fix this problem, and I certainly won’t make a difference about the testing procedures, but I would really like research what we are and are not doing to prepare our students for college. I believe that in small, rural towns where money is scarce, there are no programs that are implemented (like AVID) and all of this falls on the teachers.

The long shot is being able to gather data on this research. I had thought about possibly coming up with surveys and having recent high school graduates (some that I know personally…maybe some I don’t) do the surveys, as well as creating a separate survey for teachers at my school. I would like to see what and how they are implementing college readiness standards in their classrooms. The research part of this would be finding the right questions to ask for both teachers and students, as well as learning what kinds of things teachers can do in their classrooms to better prepare students for college and the real world. I would also like to try and compare benchmark test scores for teachers who implement these activities and teachers who do not.

Another part that I have thought about after doing my research, (attending a conference, etc.) is to conduct a teacher staff development on ways to help better prepare students for college. I could then compare test scores on teachers who implement some of the strategies.

I think there are a lot of people who will benefit from this. The students for sure will benefit. I believe that you will see an increase in attitude in reluctant students, you will see better test scores, and I truly believe that you will see a higher interest in students wanting to go to college. Teachers can benefit from this as well. They can evaluate themselves and their teaching and possibly create a classroom environment where students are learning more, having fun, and participating. (This always makes for a happy teacher)

Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

What I Have Learned About Action Research

According to Dana (2009), action research is a process where an administrator engages in a systematic study of his/her own practices and takes action for a change based on what he/she learns from inquiry.  Throughout the action research process, certain practices are examined, questions are posed, and ideas are implemented in order to create a change.

One thing that I have learned about action research over this past week is that it allows teachers and administrators to have a voice in the decision-making within a school. For so long, we have allowed outsiders to come in to our schools and tell us how to run them. By using action research, the whole process becomes introspective and meaningful. I have learned that change is very hard for some people to carry out. When people implement change that is meaningful, it makes it easier to facilitate. Every school has different issues that need large amounts of attention. When we implement action research, we can target the high needs area for each school and make each one more successful.

According to Harris (2009), action research consists of 8 steps from analysis to action: identify the problem, gather information, analyze information and hold discussions with stakeholders, reflect on findings, formulate a solution, begin action research, monitor the project, maintain and make adjustments as needed. These steps seem like a lot of work; however, one of the great things about action research is its ongoing and collaborative nature. There is not one right or wrong way to do things. Through application of an intended action, you might find more answers than you actually thought you were looking for. Collaborating with other people, getting them on board, and making adjustments according to personnel will help make the process easier.  

Action research could be used in many ways in a school setting. One way that I have thought about using it is to research if we are truly preparing students for college and life after. Study skills and college readiness seem to be lacking tremendously in our high school, and I would like to try and implement ways that help our students be better prepared for life after high school. One thing my principal and I have thought about, is by possibly implementing AVID or something like it, and seeing if test scores, overall grades, and attitudes about education increase during their high school years. We could also keep track of the students who go to college. I believe this is an issue from elementary to middle school, from middle school to high school, and high school to college. If we could develop stronger students, and increase critical thinking and higher-level inquiry, we might be able to see a change in the number of students participating in class, as well as continue to be learners when they graduate.

Another way to use action research is to implement a reading program at the elementary and middle school. One thing I notice on my high school campus is the number of students who honestly cannot read and/or comprehend what they do read. I think this is a huge issue because if you can’t read and understand, then you will struggle in every subject. We need to make reading fun again for the younger students so they will continue to read and in return see more success in their classes.

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher.  Thousand Oaks,       CA: Corwin Press.

Harris, S., Edmondson, S., & Combs, J. (2009).  Examining what we do to improve our schools:  8 steps from analysis to action.  Larchmont, N.Y.:  Eye on Education.

How Educational Leaders Can Use Blogs

I am very new to the blogging era; however, I am very excited about starting my own blog. Blogging can be a great tool for educators. One thing that I learned in my undergrad is to keep in contact with other educators and "steal" ideas that work from others. Blogging will be a great outlet for discussing, sharing, and seeking ideas from other educators who have faced, or are facing, the same kinds of issues. 

I also believe in the "power in numbers," and I truly think that blogging is a way to spread information, ideas, and actions for education in general. For so long, we have listened to outsiders come in to our schools, and tell us how to run them. Sometimes we have our opinions about certain things, but not enough people to back us when we take a stand. If people follow your blog, and you follow others, you can build relationships with people who have the same goals. (We know we need people in our corners) Blogging can allow everyone to share their opinions, and reflect on what we are doing to help children be successful individuals, which is our main goal as educators.

The principal at my current school has mentioned to me that he wants to set up a "Principal's Blog," so that he can communicate with parents. At the high school, where parent involvement drops tremendously, I think the blog might be a great tool for some parents to stay in contact with the school. They can talk about the good things going on, reflect on the concerns they may have, and ultimately give the principal a better understanding of the community climate.