Action Planning Template

Action Planning Template
Goal: To find out the implications the increase in class sizes would have on achievement and success of all students including Special Education and Bilingual students.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1. Get class attendance and enrollment to look at class size this year	Registrar	Start-- April  2011 End— May 2012	Attendance sheets of the entire school School website	Compare class sizes  for two years 2010-11 2011-12
2. Record of services provided to students with  special needs	Diagnostician Special Education clerk Assistant Principal	Start-- April  2011 End— May 2012	ARD documents Special Education Schedule	*Observations and data *Teacher interviews *How will inclusion of Special Education students in large and regular classrooms affect their performance?
3. Services provided to Bilingual students	Bilingual teachers Assistant Principal	Start-- April  2011 End— May 2012	Data on how bilingual students were served in separate classrooms	*Observations and data *Teacher interviews *How will inclusion of Bilingual students in large and regular classrooms affect their performance?
4. Compare TAKS results	Assistant Principal Instructional Specialist	Start-- April  2011 End— May 2012	TAKS results from the last 3 years School website TAKS results 2012	Compare TAKS scores to see what implications class size had on student achievement.
5. Compare TAKS scores from 5 schools with similar demographics	School and District Website	Start-- April  2011 End— May 2012	TAKS results from the last 3 years School website TAKS results 2012	Compare and analyze TAKS scores to see what implications class size had on student achievement.
6. Conduct a survey of teachers	Random sample of teachers on Campus and some other chosen campuses	March 2012	Questionnaire consisting of 5-6 questions regarding the change in class size and its co relation to student achievement	Draw conclusion based on their responses

Reflection

I learned from Dr. Lewis’s interview that we do not need to reinvent the wheel. There is a wealth of data available to teachers; plenty of research done that is practical and available for use at campuses. In his interview Dr. Chargois said that the only way to be an effective teacher is to never stop learning. I also learned about the nine areas that the author describes as major wonderings of many school leaders.

How Educators Can Use Blogs

Blogs are a powerful media that an educational leader can use to share and discuss issues of importance.It can be used as a discussion board for teachers,staff and community to build relationships, work together, and inpire and motivate each other. Leaders can also use it like a two way street to solicit input from community members.

What I have learned about Action Research

I have learned that in an action research/ inquiry, an administrator questions and gains insights through engaging in a systematic study of his/her own practices. During this process an administrator poses questions, collects data, analyzes, and shares results with his team. Based on the new findings, together they make required changes for the betterment of the organization. Through engagement in inquiry,administrators learn along with teachers and students in their building, and in the process change themselves from being a manager to a ‘head learner’ (Elliot, 1988).  

As administrators we cannot live isolated lives, we need to surround ourselves with other professionals in the building and converse with them about best practices in systematic and meaningful ways. Principals are human too, they should feel a part of their school family and through inquiry,they grow professionally. They don’t need to work alone,they can become collaborators, seek input from the faculty and work together to improve their campuses.

Through engagement in inquiry,administrators can learn along with the teachers and students in the building,  model lifelong learning and instructional leadership. As  principals, we need to be  role models for all employees in the building. According to Roland Barth (1990), “Principals need to be head learners.” Their actions speak louder than what they say.They lead by example.Action research helps them develop solution seeking behaviors.Principals encourage best practices, try different approaches,see what works and what doesn’t.When principals engage in action research,they constantly assess the needs of their students and teachers. Through engaging in inquiry,they examine and research educational practices that will help them change or improve schools.

Principals work at a fast pace,multi-tasking,trying to do to many tasks in the pursuit of school improvement.Engagement in principal inquiry forces them to slow down and devote sustained attention to one issue or problem. They need to take some time from their busy schedules to interact with students, teachers, and staff. It also enables them to become proactive rather than reactive.

Action research is intended to bring about change with a social justice focus and we as practitioners can be the engines.