Reflecting on the different tools that can be used in Sustaining Improvement

After reading chapter 8, I think everyone can agree that we have at least used two of the tools mentioned. I found the Nominal Group Technique interesting. We do a lot of group work in Staff development but there is usually discussion. I can understand giving a rating to the issues but I didn't see how that would solve a problem. I felt that it could be used to put things in perspective by importance, which helps with prioritizing.

Agreed upon Action Research Plan

This is the plan my administrator and I have agreed upon. Please feel free to look at it and leave comments.

Action Planning Template
Goal: How are schools dealing with the Response to Intervention program, when this program is mandated but not funded by the state? How is intervention being implemented on campuses to meet Tier criteria and help students be successful? Are the students gaining growth with what the schools are doing with RTI?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Obtain the written permission of 3 principals to perform action research on campus and AEIS report from previous year	Samantha Cruz	Sept.  4, 2012- Sept. 10, 2012	Consent Forms	None/Compare AEIS reports from all three schools
Obtain written permission of the interventionist and Instruction Support Teachers on all 3 campuses	Samantha Cruz	Sept. 10, 2012-Sept. 14, 2012	Consent Forms	None
Interview interventionist and Instruction Support Teachers about the universal screeners to Identify students that are in Tier 2 and Tier 3	Samantha Cruz	Oct. 1, 2012-Oct. 19, 2012	Interview Questions/Note book for note taking
Survey Teachers from K-5 grade levels about the tools they used to identify students, how they are implementing  intervention in the classroom and/or after school tutorials and group ratio	Samantha Cruz	Nov. 5, 2012-Nov. 30, 2012	Survey Questions	Compare answers between schools to evaluate how intervention is done
Obtain Permission from counselor to be interviewed	Samantha Cruz	Dec. 3, 2012- Dec. 7, 2012	Consent Form	None
Interview Counselor about the percentage of referrals from previous year and the referrals for the current year	Samantha Cruz	Jan.  14, 2013- Jan. 21, 2013	Interview Questions/notebook for note taking	Compare school by the percentage of referrals
Interview Teachers from K-5 grade levels and obtain student annual reports for reading and math	Samantha Cruz	Feb. 11, 2013-Feb. 15, 2013	Universal screener annual reports	Compare student growth from beginning of the year to present time
Compile data of student reports to be presented	Samantha Cruz	End of Feb. 2013	All research materials collected	Compilation of comparisons of all three campuses and their success rate ate implementing RTI
Share data with administrators	Samantha Cruz	Date to be determined by administrator	All research data collected	To inform administrators of student success from beg. to end of year and how the school’s implementation of RTI is contributing to students success

Writing My Action Research Plan

I enjoy doing research over topics that interest me. I liked the way the plan came together. I was able to think out what I needed to do and by when. I really think it was an effective tool. Sometimes when you have to research you don't know where to start this helped get thoughts down and look at how you wanted to share the information and with whom it needed to be shared with. I am a planner so everything has to be laid out for me anyway. This just made it easier.

Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template
Goal: How are schools dealing with the Response to Intervention program, when this program is mandated but not funded by the state? How is intervention being implemented on campuses to meet Tier criteria and help students be successful? Are the students gaining growth with what the schools are doing with RTI?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Obtain the written permission of 3 principals to perform action research on campus and AEIS report from previous year	Samantha Cruz	Sept. 4, 2012- Sept. 10, 2012	Consent Forms	None/Compare AEIS reports from all three schools
Obtain written permission of the interventionist and Instruction Support Teachers on all 3 campuses	Samantha Cruz	Sept. 10, 2012-Sept. 14, 2012	Consent Forms	None
Interview interventionist and Instruction Support Teachers about the universal screeners to Identify students that are in Tier 2 and Tier 3	Samantha Cruz	Oct. 1, 2012-Oct. 19, 2012	Interview Questions/Note book for note taking
Survey Teachers from K-5 grade levels about the tools they used to identify students, how they are implementing intervention in the classroom and/or after school tutorials and group ratio	Samantha Cruz	Nov. 5, 2012-Nov. 30, 2012	Survey Questions	Compare answers between schools to evaluate how intervention is done
Obtain Permission from counselor to be interviewed	Samantha Cruz	Dec. 3, 2012- Dec. 7, 2012	Consent Form	None
Interview Counselor about the percentage of referrals from previous year and the referrals for the current year	Samantha Cruz	Jan. 14, 2013- Jan. 21, 2013	Interview Questions/notebook for note taking	Compare school by the percentage of referrals
Interview Teachers from K-5 grade levels and obtain student annual reports for reading and math	Samantha Cruz	Feb. 11, 2013-Feb. 15, 2013	Universal screener annual reports	Compare student growth from beginning of the year to present time
Compile data of student reports to be presented	Samantha Cruz	End of Feb. 2013	All research materials collected	Compilation of comparisons of all three campuses and their success rate ate implementing RTI
Share data with administrators	Samantha Cruz	Date to be determined by administrator	All research data collected	To inform administrators of student success from beg. to end of year and how the school's implementation of RTI is contributing to students success

Looking at Real Life Research Examples

I enjoyed reading about the 9 areas that are usually focused on in schools. All the examples where very informative and helped me to see a clear picture of questions or wanderings that educators have. All of the examples included collaboration during the research and after. Teachers were encouraged to do action research also. The administrators were not just focusing on developing the teachers but on developing themselves as well. Many of the research topics were relevant and I am sure that the information they gathered was very useful for their campus. I enjoyed picking my principal's brain about ideas. He helped me by giving me many suggestions that made me really think about the route I wanted to take my research. Listening to veteran principals talking about action research was very inspiring. It gave a reality of what the course is really about.

Inventive ways to use blogs

Educational leaders can use blogs in many different ways. Blogs can be used as  a way of communication between administrators and teachers. Administrators can post questions and have the teachers post comments or their way of solving issues. This initiates collaboration within the building. It can be used as a way for students and parents to communicate with the school also. News and events can be placed on blogs to make it easily accessible.

Action Research-What I've Learned

From reading the first chapter of the book Leading with Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Dana, I have learned that action research plays a big part in an educators life. Action research allows educators to reflect on questions and concerns that have a lot of bearing in their everyday dealings. They are able conduct the research themselves and analyze the data to understand the data themselves; unlike traditional educational research where the researcher is an outsider and only makes associations between theory and practice.

As a teacher I always have questions about how to make my teaching better. I have now realized that at some times I have been doing action research. I think about my concerns and look for data and analyze it on how I can use it to make changes to help my students. I will use action research because it is done by using my concerns. I can research and collect information that will be related to what I am doing. I can always look up articles written by others and gain some insight in their findings, but by me having input I can apply it better to my situation. Action research is also a way of self development you will continue to learn new things as you go.

Samantha