Revised Action Research Plan

School Mission: The mission of Peterson Elementary is to provide a collaborative learning community that will prepare students for the future.

Action Research Question: How does incorporating problem based learning (PBL) improve student attitudes and enhance student engagement?

Goal: To implement one PBL lesson per semester into the K-5^th grade curriculum to improve student attitudes and increase student participation. 

 

Action Research Plan

Action Steps	Person(s) Responsible	Timeline: Start/End	Resources Needed	Evaluation
1. Develop campus PBL cadre	T. La Fara T. Motley Principal	March 2013	Science Faculty grades K-5	None
2. Analyze state assessments to determine weight of TEKS tested	T. La Fara T. Motley PBL Cadre	March 2013 – June 2013	STAAR Data	Categorize TEKS tested into supporting and readiness standards to determine concept areas of greatest need.
3. Identify current research on problem based learning and conduct site visits to PBL campuses	T. La Fara T. Motley Principal PBL Cadre	March 2013 – June 2013	PBL Literature Model Campus Surveys	Interview/survey staff members at model campus for feedback on PBL implementation and results.
4. Create & administer faculty/student survey	T. La Fara T. Motley	August 2013 -October 2013	Survey examples Survey Monkey or other digital format	Utilize survey results to analyze student and teacher attitudes toward learning and learning goals
4. Interpret data from literature review and reflect on commonalities between the literature & campus needs.	T. La Fara	March 2013 – May 2014	PBL Literature Campus assessment data	Reflection on commonalities & alignment between literature & my campus.
5. Incorporate PBL lessons into the K-5 curriculum	T. La Fara T. Motley Dist.  Elem. Science Curr. Writers	May 2013 – July 2013 (curr. writing) Aug. 2013 – May 2014 (utilize PBL lessons in classrooms)	Dist. Curriculum PBL Lessons Supplemental science materials Surveys	Review of classroom observations, field notes & student artifacts.
6. PBL training	T. La Fara T. Motley PBL Cadre	Summer 2013 (initial training with ongoing trainings throughout the school year as needed)	Presentation Materials PBL Lessons PBL Model Campus	Review of lesson plans, classroom observations, field notes & interviews/discussions at Science PLCs.
7. Completion of post PBL teacher/student attitude surveys	Campus Science Teachers Campus CIT	April 2014 – May 2014	Survey Monkey or other digital format	Comparison of survey data from beginning of year to end of year as related to student participation and achievement.
8. Present outcomes for 2013-2014 school year	T. La Fara	June 2014	All relevant data sources and student artifacts; Literature review	Action Research Paper/Blog Posting Digital presentation to administration

 

Action Research Project

Process Overview

1.      Setting the Foundation – After meeting with my grade level professional learning community (PLC) and Vertical Science Team to review district and state assessment data, it was noted that our science benchmark scores indicated room for improvement.  With this knowledge, I met with my site supervisor to discuss possible action research topics and reached a consensus to research the effects that problem based learning (PBL) has on improving student engagement and achievement.  Because of the difficulty in directly aligning & correlating the district/state assessments with a particular PBL unit, it was decided to make the focus improvement of student attitudes and engagement.  It is believed that if these two areas improve, it will have a direct impact on student achievement as well.

2.      Analyzing Data – My initial data collection included the 2011-2012 STAAR 5^th grade science scores as well as 3^rd-5^th grade district benchmark scores for the 2012-2013 school year.  My data collection will include site visits, staff/student surveys, classroom observations/field notes, student artifacts, subsequent test scores and a literature review.

3.      Developing Deeper Understanding – I plan to gain a deeper understanding of the PBL process and PBL lessons by conducting site visits to a PBL campus at a neighboring district, conducting a literature review, researching/implementing PBL lessons into the science curriculum, and through interviews with the PBL cadre members. 

4.      Engaging in Self-Reflection – Throughout the action research process, I will reflect on the success of PBL implementation, PBL staff trainings, student engagement & attitudes, and whether there are significant gains seen by the implementation of PBL or if other solutions should be researched.

5.      Exploring Programmatic Patterns – During my action research project, I will engage in reflective conversations with my site supervisor, the district elementary science curriculum coordinator and the PBL cadre members.  These interactions will help to gauge any problems in the PBL process, help to guide in change in direction in implementation that is needed, and will allow for celebrating successes along the way.

6.      Determining Direction – After speaking with my site supervisor and the district elementary science curriculum coordinator, I believe I have a specific and realistic action research question and goal.  I have collaboration on this project with my site supervisor, curriculum coordinator and a group of 5 other science teachers who will be serving on the PBL cadre.  I also have collaboration from a model PBL campus in a neighboring district.  I believe my timelines are adequate.  Some work on this project will take place in the next few months.  However, the implementation of PBL lessons will not occur until the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.  Once implementation begins, I will immediately begin collecting data with surveys, classroom observations, field notes and subsequent benchmark assessments.

7.      Taking Action for School Improvement – Our PBL cadre has been established and a site visit of the model PBL campus was conducted on March 22^nd.  My draft action research plan is complete and I will be meeting with my site supervisor for further  comments/amendments.  PBL lessons have been reviewed and written into the science curriculum in May and June.  PBL training was available on a district level this summer and a subsequent training is being offered on October 8^th.  I am in the process of working with elementary science curriculum coordinator to develop student and staff surveys.

8.      Sustaining Improvement – If the implementation of PBL lessons in the curriculum proves to be an effective means of improving student engagement and academic achievement, I will share these finding with my colleagues via my blog, with my campus using a digital presentation format at a faculty inservice, and with our district Executive Director of Curriculum & Staff Development via my final action research report and/or digital presentation.   

EDLD 5326 - AR progress summary

After meeting with my grade level professional learning community (PLC) and Vertical Science Team to review district and state assessment data, it was noted that our science benchmark scores indicated room for improvement.  With this knowledge, I met with my site supervisor to discuss possible action research topics and reached a consensus to research the effects that problem based learning (PBL) has on improving student engagement and achievement.  Because of the difficulty in directly aligning & correlating the district/state assessments with a particular PBL unit, it was decided to make the focus improvement of student attitudes and engagement.  It is believed that if these two areas improve, it will have a direct impact on student achievement as well.  My initial data collection included the 2011-2012 STAAR 5^th grade science scores as well as 3^rd-5^th grade district benchmark scores for the 2012-2013 school year.  The PBL cadrew has been established, and conducted a site visit at a PBL campus at a neighboring district.  I have met with my new site supervisor to discuss my action research project and gained approval from her for the same.  My draft action research plan is complete and I will be meeting with my site supervisor for further  comments/amendments.  PBL lessons have been reviewed and written into the science curriculum in May and June.  PBL training was available on a district level this summer, and I assisted in the facilitation of this training.  A subsequent training is being offered on October 8^th.  I am in the process of working with elementary science curriculum coordinator to develop student and staff surveys to be administered at the beginning of the 2^nd six week grading period and again at the end of the 5^th six week grading period.

 

Approved and Signed Action Research Plan

Week 5 REFLECTION ON EDLD 5301

Prior to beginning this course, EDLD 5301, I didn’t know what to expect.  I had only heard the term action research on one other occasion and I was not certain as to what it was or what it entailed.  Each week, I began by watching the video lectures.  Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Arterbury were reassuring and gave clear explanations and guidance throughout the course.  In week one, Dr. Arterbury suggested six tips for searching the literature and writing the literature review.   His tips included focus/stay on topic, create a visual roadmap for the reader, begin with an introductory statement that previews what is to come, use a general-to-specific flow, create a varied blend in writing style, and utilize a summary narrative.  These tips served to focus my ideas and get me started on the process.  As I progressed through the course, the lectures became more informative and helped me feel at ease when creating my action research plan.

This course required two textbooks, Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher by Nancy Fitchman Dana and Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools by Sandra Harris, Stacey Edmondson, and Julie Combs.  While both texts were informative, I learned more from the Dana text.  The first reading assignment allowed us to examine the difference between traditional research and administrative inquiry.  The Dana text clearly defined administrator inquiry as “the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns  as a result of the inquiry.  Inquiring professionals seek out change and reflect on their practice by posing questions or “wonderings,” collecting data to gain insights into their wonderings, analyzing the data along with reading relevant literature, making changes in practice based on new understandings developed during inquiry, and sharing findings with others” (Dana, 2005, pp. 2-3).  This definition helped to identify what this course would be about and was essential to the planning of my action research plan.

I found the assignments in this course to be very time consuming and frustrating at times.  However, the weekly video conferences were a valuable tool for asking questions and getting clarification on assignment expectations.  Our video conferences were typically held on Thursday evening.  I feel that it would be advantageous to hold these conferences earlier in the week. 
The class discussions were one of the most useful and stimulating components in this class.  It was nice to share ideas/wonderings with my colleagues and to get feedback and suggestions. While we don’t see each other face-to-face, I feel that the discussion board and our class Facebook page have allowed us to connect and begin to form personal and professional relationships that will continue to be beneficial throughout our coursework.    

Finally, blogging has been helpful to me because it has taught me how to reflect upon my learning.  The blog has been another avenue for sharing ideas and supporting others.  It has been very helpful to receive comments and feedback on my action research plan.  I have also enjoyed viewing my colleagues’ blogs to explore other action research topics and/or to find commonalities among our campuses.  The tools, resources and knowledge gained in this course will hopefully make the implementation of my action research project seamless and very rewarding. 

Dana, N. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
   
Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools, 8 steps from analysis to action.

PBL Cadre Site Visit

On Friday, our campus PBL Cadre spent the day visiting a PBL elementary campus in a neighboring district.  This was such a great experience.  I spent much of my time in the K-2 classrooms observing and interacting with the students and teachers.  The students were engaged in their learning and were so excited to share their ideas with me.  The teachers were very receptive and willing to share their struggles and successes in implementing PBL in their classrooms.  We had a wonderful day and this visit made me even more enthusiastic about implementing my action research project. After this visit and meeting with our district elementary science curriculum coordinator, I may make a few slight revisions to my action research plan.  If so, I will have them posted by week's end.

Action Research and CARE Model

Well, this week was fairly uneventful.  After reading comments from my colleagues and meeting with my site supervisor, I have decided not to make any changes to my action research plan at this time.  I am attaching my CARE model from this week's assignment...this was a bit challenging to complete.  My site supervisor and I discussed the concerns, affirmations and SMART recommendations and developed this plan together.  This Friday will be a fun step in my action research project as the science cadre is conducting a site visit to a neighboring campus to see problem/project based learning in action.  I am excited to see the learning taking place!

Tool 8.1 CARE Model: Planning Tool

Identify Concerns that must change (look to the future)

(Assign points to concerns from 1 to 3 in the order of the most important issues to consider.)

1. Time for implementation of problem/project based learning:  This includes the time for site visits, researching/writing PBL lessons, training teachers on how to teach PBL lessons, additional class time for students to full engage in PBL lessons rather than “doing a project”, and evaluating lessons for gaps and extensions.

2.  Campus/District Resources: Resources will have to be made available to implement PBL lessons with fidelity.  This includes minor supplies to the use of space such campus courtyards as well as the district outdoor learning center. 

3.  Student engagement/achievement:  The goal of this action research project is to improve student engagement and achievement in science.  In order to do this, students must be able to retain science concepts and terminology, and use critical thinking skills to apply this knowledge to abstract scenarios. 

Identify Affirmations that must be sustained (look to the present)

(Assign points to affirmations from 1 to 3 in the order of the most important issues to consider.)

1.  Classroom Observations:  Classroom observations and focused walkthroughs will continue each month.  Peer feedback and field notes will be reviewed at vertical team meetings.

2.  Grade Level PLCs:  We will continue to meet as grade levels every other week to review data and determine protocols for improvement and ways to meet the needs of those students who are not meeting the standard/expectation.
3.  Vertical Team Meetings: We will continue to meet vertically (K-5) as a science team with a focus on the implementation of the PBL lessons, student engagement and benchmark data.  These meeting should occur no less than once a month.
4.  Communication: Our campus has strong communication among the staff as well as with the students and parents.  In order to sustain improvement, we will continue to focus on student communication or means by which they can demonstrate their knowledge.  This will include but is not limited to the use of technology in the form of netbooks & ipads with various programs such as Educreation and iMovie.

SMART Recommendations that must be implemented: (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely)

(Assign points to recommendations from 1 to 3 in the order of the most important recommendations to implement.)

1.  Identify Areas of Need/Review Data:  Benchmark data (formative & summative) will be reviewed to identify concepts that students consistently miss. 

2.  Creation of Purposeful Lessons:  After identifying concepts that require more depth of instruction, TEK aligned PBL lessons will be written into the scope and sequence.  This process will initially take place spring/summer 2013, but an ongoing review of benchmark data will occur throughout the school year.
3.  Incorporate PBL lessons into the K-5 Science Curriculum:  Teachers will utilize at least one PBL lesson in each science section (physical, earth & life) during the 2013-2014 school year.

EVALUATE – Specifically and Often

(Identify the best ways to evaluate the implemented recommendations.)

1. Student Surveys & Interviews: students will complete surveys after one PBL and one non-PBL lesson in physical, earth and life science. 

2.  Staff Surveys: Teachers/Staff will complete surveys once each six weeks to evaluate student engagement and implementation of PBL lesson.
3.  Formative/Summative Assessments: Formative assessments will be used to drive instruction.  District assessment data (physical summative, earth summative & life summative) will be used to evaluate student achievement.

Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools, 8 steps from analysis to action.

Draft Action Research Plan & Process Review

Well, this has been quite a week...lots of questions swirling about concerning assignments and expectations.  After completing all the readings and supplemental readings, I feel that I have given my best attempt at creating my draft action research plan.  I will be meeting with my site supervisor next week and I am looking forward to her insight and expertise in creating the final plan.  Please share your thoughts and ideas about the draft below. 

School Vision: Students at Kay Granger Elementary will leave prepared for middle school through the implementation of effective instructional practices, relevant assessments, progressive technology, and measurable accountability standards.

Action Research Question: How does incorporating problem based learning (PBL) curriculum help to support positive student attitudes, enhance student participation, and improve student achievement in science?

Goal: To implement PBL lessons into the 2^nd-5^th grade physical science, earth science and life science curriculums to increase student participation, improve student attitudes and ameliorate student achievement on district and state science assessments. 

Action Research Plan

Action Steps	Person(s) Responsible	Timeline: Start/End	Resources Needed	Evaluation
1. Develop campus PBL cadre	T. La Fara T. Motley Principal	March 2013	Science Faculty grades K-5	None
2. Collect/analyze assessment data (2012-2013 dist. Assessments; 2011-2012 5th grade science STAAR data)	T. La Fara T. Motley Science Cadre	March 2013 – May 2014	Dist. Assessments STAAR Data	Categorize data into formative, summative, and STAAR assessments and determine concept areas of greatest need.
3. Identify current research on problem based learning and conduct site visits to PBL campuses	T. La Fara T. Motley Principal Science Cadre	March 2013 – June 2013	PBL Literature Model Campus Surveys (Survey Monkey)	Interview/survey staff members at model campus.
4. Interpret data from literature review and reflect on commonalities between the literature & campus needs.	T. La Fara	March 2013 – June 2013	PBL Literature Campus assessment data	Reflection on commonalities & alignment between literature & my campus.
5. Incorporate PBL lessons into the K-5 curriculum	T. La Fara T. Motley Dist.  Elem. Science Curr. Writers	May 2013 – July 2013 (curr. writing) Aug. 2013 – May 2014 (utilize PBL lessons ins classroom)	Dist. Curriculum PBL Lessons Supplemental science materials Surveys	Review student surveys on PBL and non-PBL lessons. Review staff surveys on PBL and non-PBL lessons (student engagement). Review of classroom observations, field notes & student artifacts.
6. PBL training	T. La Fara T. Motley Science Cadre	Summer 2013 (initial training with ongoing trainings throughout the school year as needed)	Presentation Materials PBL Lessons PBL Model Campus	Review of lesson plans, classroom observations, field notes & interviews/discussions at Science PLCs.
7. Completion of Summative Assessments	Campus Science Teachers Campus CIT	October 2013 – May 2014	District Formative & Summative assessments; STAAR Testing Materials	Comparison of assessment data from 2 school years as well as STAAR data on PBL campus vs. non-PBL campus.
8. Present outcomes for 2013-2014 school year	T. La Fara	June 2014	All relevant data sources and student artifacts; Literature review	Action Research Paper/Blog Posting Digital presentation to administration

Format based on Tool 7.1 Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools

(Harris, Edmondson, and Combs 2010) 

 

Action Research Project

Process Overview

1.   Setting the Foundation – After meeting with my grade level professional learning community (PLC) and Vertical Science Team to review district and state assessment data, it was noted that our science benchmark scores indicated room for improvement.  With this knowledge, I met with my site supervisor to discuss possible action research topics and reached a consensus to research the effects that problem based learning (PBL) has on improving student engagement and achievement.

2.      Analyzing Data – My initial data collection included the 2011-2012 STAAR 5^th grade science scores as well as 3^rd-5^th grade district benchmark scores for the 2012-2013 school year.  My data collection will include site visits, staff/student surveys, classroom observations/field notes, student artifacts, subsequent test scores and a literature review.

3.      Developing Deeper Understanding – I plan to gain a deeper understanding of the PBL process and PBL lessons by conducting site visits to a PBL campus at a neighboring district, conducting a literature review, researching/implementing PBL lessons into the science curriculum, and through interviews with the science cadre members. 

4.      Engaging in Self-Reflection – Throughout the action research process, I will reflect on the success of PBL implementation, PBL staff trainings, student engagement & attitudes, and whether there are significant academic gains seen by the implementation of PBL or if other solutions should be researched.

5.      Exploring Programmatic Patterns – During my action research project, I will engage in reflective conversations with my site supervisor, the district elementary science curriculum coordinator and the science cadre members.  These interactions will help to gauge in problems in the PBL process, help to guide in change in direction in implementation that is needed, and will allow for celebrating successes along the way.

6.      Determining Direction – After speaking with my site supervisor and the district elementary science curriculum coordinator, I believe I have a specific and realistic action research question and goal.  I have collaboration on this project with my site supervisor, curriculum coordinator and a group of 5 other science teachers who will be serving on the science cadre.  I also have collaboration from a model PBL campus in a neighboring district.  I believe my timelines are adequate.  Some work on this project will take place in the next few months.  However, the implementation of PBL lessons will not occur until the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.  Once implementation begins, I will immediately begin collecting data with surveys, classroom observations, field notes and subsequent benchmark assessments.

7.      Taking Action for School Improvement – Our science cadre has been established and we will be conducting our first site visit of the model PBL campus on March 22^nd.  My draft action research plan is complete and I will be meeting with my site supervisor on March 18^th for her comments/amendments.  PBL lessons will be reviewed and written into the science curriculum in May and June and PBL training will be available on a district level this summer and on a campus level in August.  I will be creating student and staff surveys in the near future.

8.      Sustaining Improvement – If the implementation of PBL lessons in the curriculum proves to be an effective means of improving student engagement and academic achievement, I will share these finding with my colleagues via my blog, with my campus using a digital presentation format at a faculty inservice, and with our district Executive Director of Curriculum & Staff Development via my final action research report and/or digital presentation.