Action Research Plan

Here is my draft plan:

Goal: What effect do Professional Learning Communities have on the academic performance of students in grades 3 through 8 at Lake Waco Montessori Magnet School?

August 2010   Gain background information on PLC’s through staff interviews, published readings, and internet sources

August 2010-January 2011    Attend campus PLC meetings to collect and review data with staff members

September 2010  Evaluate student achievement history through AEIS reports, district benchmark data, and campus benchmark data

August 2010-December 2010   Assist in development/Implementation of interventions for struggling students

October 2010   Conduct staff Interviews

November 2010 and January 2011   Evaluate student achievement through district benchmark data

March 2011   Students take TAKS

April 2011   Evaluate student performance on TAKS

May 2011   Share results with PLC members and other campus staff through oral presentations at PLC meetings

Action Research Project

Impact of Professional Learning Communities on Student Academic Performance

The process of action research to study the effects of PLC’s on student academic performance at Lake Waco Montessori Magnet School will include the following steps:



1. Examining the Work: Setting the Foundation – This step was conducted in collaboration with my campus principal. The impact PLC’s have on increasing student performance was chosen because our district will be initiating PLC’s on all campuses this school year. As with many new initiatives, there is hope that the implementation of this project will improve student scores on our campus. Since this is a new endeavor, the results of such a project are unknown at this time.

2. Analyzing Data – Several sources of data will be reviewed prior to determining the effectiveness of PLC’s on increasing student performance. Some of these will include AEIS data, district benchmark data, classroom assessment and observational data, field notes, and meeting minutes.

3. Developing Deeper Understanding – After initial review of student performance data, staff interview responses and journal reflection responses will be used to assist in formulating a greater understanding of PLC’s on student performance. Additionally, published readings and internet sources will be used to gain insight into the process of PLC’s.

4. Engaging in Self-Reflection – Self-reflection will be an ongoing aspect of the action research project. My plan includes continuing assessments through reflective journaling that is hoped to provoke more questioning avenues and possible solutions to any problems incurred.

5. Exploring Programmatic Patterns – This step of the project will be addressed through meetings with the various PLC members, campus administration, and any additional staff that can provide insight into patterns shown through analyzing student data.

6. Determining Direction – Determining direction includes evaluating the scope and sequence of the blueprint for the action research project. This has been initially addressed through conversations with my campus principal. Ongoing evaluation of the project’s direction will be conducted through PLC meetings.

7. Taking Action for School Improvement – Creating the initial plan was the first step in taking action for school improvement. Review of the PLC process and subsequent reviews of student performance data will provide greater insight into the results of PLC’s on student performance. The project will conclude with a summary of the determined results.

8. Sustaining Improvement – Sustaining improvement will be addressed through a discussion of the research results with PLC members and campus administration. Also, any additional questions that may have arisen as a result of the research will be discussed for possible investigation.



The project will begin with a review of current literature and an interview with current campus administration to gain insight into the theory and process of Professional Learning Communities in August 2010. I will then begin attending PLC meetings in three grade levels – elementary, intermediate, and middle school – to discuss my project and do an initial review of student performance data. I will become a member of all three PLC’s in order to assist with the process and continually evaluate its effects on student performance. Involved staff will be interviewed regarding the process and effectiveness of PLC’s. Student benchmark data will be collected and evaluated in November 2010 and January 2011. Final student performance will be assessed through evaluation of the TAKS results in April. A summary of the results will be prepared and presented to PLC members and campus administration at the conclusion of the project.

Week 2 Reflection

This week's content dealt with the nine key areas for action research. According to the Dana text, these are:

1. Staff development
2. Curriculum development
3. Individual teachers
4. Individual students
5. School culture/community
6. Leadership
7. Management
8. School performance
9. Social justice

I was very surprised to read about all of the many areas that could benefit from the use of action research. Prior to last week, I had not heard of action research, and based on what I learned last week I was certain that it would apply almost exclusively to student performance. While this is still true to an extent - when you take into account that all of the other areas will ultimately affect student performance - there is a wealth of other topics to pursue in a quest to find answers to current issues.

In addition to the readings, the interviews with three current scholars was insightful in that I learned more specific ideas on how this process can be used in the classroom, school, and district.

My ultimate end goal in this course is to actually initiate an action research project. At the end of last week, I was sure that my inquiry would involve analyzing our campus' RTI process and the effect it has had on raising reading levels of our students. However, after reviewing my inital plan with my administrator, I was disappointed to learn that our district has begun its own review of the RTI process. My principal was concerned that I would not be able to complete the project because our processes will likely change, and I would not be able to gather the needed information in the coming school year. She suggested that I decide on another topic of interest. So here I sit at the end of week 2, hopes crushed, and still wondering...

What is action research, and how can it be used?

When I began the readings for this week, the term action research discouraged me immediately because it sounded like it would be technical and involve a great deal of time and energy. What I soon discovered after analyzing and reflecting on the information I read was that it was simply a more systematic approach to my definition of just good teaching.

Action research can be defined as:
* identifying a specific problem that needs to be addressed
* creating possible solutions to the problem
* implementing those solutions
* evaluating the results of the solutions
* proceeding with other solutions to the original problem, or
* identifying new problems the solutions may have created.

I view good teaching as:
* presenting information for desired learning outcomes
* evaluating the success of those outcomes (identifying the problem)
* brainstorming other methods or strategies (creating possible solutions)
* presenting the information using new strategies (implementing solutions)
* reassessing students (evaluating the results of the solutions)
* continuing in this manner until students are successful.

Applying action research to administrative practice can bring about positive change by improving student performance, improving campus climate, and enhancing collaboration among all staff. I am particularly interested in using action research in the coming school year as we are initiating Professional Learning Communities district wide. I feel that this will be particularly useful on our campus because we are a close knit group who strive for success of all of our students, and most are willing to go above and beyond to accomplish this goal. I envision using action research in our PLCs by looking at the specific needs of our students, working together to identify ways we will address those needs, and proceeding with implementation of new strategies to allow each student to become successful. Of course, each step will be reviewed and evaluated to make sure we are proceeding in the appropriate direction for our students.

How can educational leaders use blogs?

Blogging in the educational world seems to be very useful as a virtual sounding board. I feel that good administrators surround themselves with a select group of professionals whose expertise they trust in order to bounce new ideas off of, or request assistance from, on particular issues. Blogging can become an extension of that select group since it eliminates the barriers of time and distance. Administrators can take advantage of blogging at any time of the day, and correspond with other educators across the nation.

Action Research "Wondering"

I am currently in my eighth course in the Lamar University Master's in Educational Leadership program. This ourse addresses Action Research. I am still pondering exactly what action research truly means; however, as a requirement for completing this course, I must create an action research plan. The first step is apparently to pose a question which I would like to investigate.

For the past two years, I have been greatly involved in our campus' pursuit of developing an effective RTI system. We have not had adequate time to evaluate the effectiveness of this system, so my question may be...

How effective has the RTI program been in improving students' reading performance on state assessments?

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!