Week Four

My inquiry is already a source of emphasis for my district and campus. As such, my site supervisor readily agreed to my topic. She and I have been in close contact through out the duration of this course. I have sought her advice and approval in almost every step of this process. Due to the fact the changes to my plan are minimal. We meet and discussed the final form on the project at 8:30 am on Friday August 6, 2010. My supervisor had only five recommended changes. The first change suggested was in the area of research tools. I had listed that a primary tool for collecting data would be student surveys. I included that parental approval would be sought prior to the administration of the surveys. My supervisor felt there was no need for shuch approval. She recommended that I remove that line. I have removed it accordingly. Changes two, three, four, and five all occurred in the area of monitoring achievement. My Supervisor asked that I add four new criteria for evaluating the progress toward our goal. She requested that we monitor retention rates in AP courses from year to year. Students often choose to leave AP course following their freshman year. She wanted to target that lose. She also wanted to measure the number of students that were enrolled in multiple AP classes. She wanted to gauge fluctuation for both positive and negative movement. Further, she wanted to monitor “drop” rates in AP course. Students are allowed to drop an AP course after the first six weeks. Again she wanted to to gauge positive and negative fluctuations. Final, she wanted to evaluate the new number of students that take the course and do not take the actual AP Exam. She suggested that, that might be an indicator of long term commitment to the AP program.

Week Three Posting of Inquiry

Inquiry Topic: Why are enrollment rates of African American and Latino males in AP classes lower than the at large population? What can we do to correct that issue?

• Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation:
The goal is simple to state yet difficult to attain. The goal would be increased enrollment among African American and Latino males within our AP classes. In specific, that our percentage of participation and achievement would mirror the at-large population trends. That is to say, on my campus African American and Latino males comprise approximately 15% of our population. In turn, that number should be mirrored in AP enrollment. At least 15% of our enrollees in AP courses should be among the target group.
• Activities designed to achieve the objectives:
Through the course of the inquiry, forces that contribute to lower enrollment rates should be actively identified. Correction plans should be formed and implemented. Further, students that are prime candidates should be identified and encouraged to enroll.
• Resources and research tools needed for data gathering:
Analysis of student performance results, TAKS, would serve as the beginning step. Students that attained Commended Performance would then be cross-checked against AP enrollment. Students that had attained Commended Status and were not enrolled in AP classes would be surveyed and interviewed, pending parental approval. Surveys and interviews would seek to identify causal factors that inhibited student enrollment.
• Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities:
Due to the fact that we are a new campus, research will be delayed slightly. Research will begin by mid September of 2010 and will be concluded by mid October of 2010. Implementation would begin as soon as approved. Particular attention should be given to implementation prior to spring registration for the 2011-2012 school year.
• Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan:
I will assume major responsibility for the research. I will require the assistance of our Lead Counselor K.C. Further I will acquire assistance and continued approval from my supervisor Karen Kraft.
• Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives:
An initial indication of success will be participation in the survey or interview process. If students are unwilling to participate it will be difficult to affect any change. Second, the rate of enrollment will be a strong evaluator of success. Final achievement on the exam or at least a willingness to attempt the exam will be our final indicator.
• Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study:
Again, enrollment statistics are likely the single greatest evaluator of the inquiry’s success. As a second evaluative tool, AP Exam scores and AP Exam participation rates would further validate success or failure.

• Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation:
The goal is simple to state yet difficult to attain. The goal would be increased enrollment among African American and Latino males within our AP classes. In specific, that our percentage of participation and achievement would mirror the at-large population trends. That is to say, on my campus African American and Latino males comprise approximately 15% of our population. In turn, that number should be mirrored in AP enrollment. At least 15% of our enrollees in AP courses should be among the target group.
• Activities designed to achieve the objectives:
Through the course of the inquiry, forces that contribute to lower enrollment rates should be actively identified. Correction plans should be formed and implemented. Further, students that are prime candidates should be identified and encouraged to enroll.
• Resources and research tools needed for data gathering:
Analysis of student performance results, TAKS, would serve as the beginning step. Students that attained Commended Performance would then be cross-checked against AP enrollment. Students that had attained Commended Status and were not enrolled in AP classes would be surveyed and interviewed, pending parental approval. Surveys and interviews would seek to identify causal factors that inhibited student enrollment.
• Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities
Due to the fact that we are a new campus, research will be delayed slightly. Research will begin by mid September of 2010 and will be concluded by mid October of 2010. Implementation would begin as soon as approved. Particular attention should be given to implementation prior to spring registration for the 2011-2012 school year.
• Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan
I will assume major responsibility for the research. I will require the assistance of our Lead Counselor K.C. Further I will acquire assistance and continued approval from my supervisor Karen Kraft.
• Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives
An initial indication of success will be participation in the survey or interview process. If students are unwilling to participate it will be difficult to affect any change. Second, the rate of enrollment will be a strong evaluator of success. Final achievement on the exam or at least a willingness to attempt the exam will be our final indicator.
• Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study
Again, enrollment statistics are likely the single greatest evaluator of the inquiry’s success. As a second evaluative tool, AP Exam scores and AP Exam participation rates would further validate success or failure.

Week Two Reflection

Though much in week two was intriguing, it was the commonality in Dr. Chargoiss and Dr. Briseno that was most captivating. Both men had diverse suggested topics for inquiry. However, early in their statements they were both quick to address the importance of a data driven inquiry research model. Data driven operations and decision making were central themes in both interviews. Further there was cohesion in the area that data be used as predictive rather than prescriptive. That is to say that data be used to predict and address future problems rather than simply as a snapshot of past performance. This is an area that my district is embracing. In keeping with the Harris et al. (2009)analogy, a doctor might encourage a patient to lose unhealthy excess pounds rather than wait for high blood pressure to develop. In like fashion, a district may use data to diagnose problems in their students long before an unhealthy assessment score develops. Along the same line, common arguments were made in favor of using data generated in the decision making process. A decision made in the absence of validating data is likely little more than a personal agenda, regardless of the best of intentions. Further, appropriate data may increase stakeholder buy-in. As a final note, confidentiality was addressed by Dr. Chargois and Dr. Briseno. Care must be taken to ensure the anonymity of students and to ensure the proper disposal of survey material or other data collecting tools after research is completed. Obviously, I understood the importance of confidentiality on standardized test results. Due to my lack of experience in this area, I had given little thought on the appropriate disposal of survey results.

Harris, S., Edmondson, S, Combs, J., (2009). Examinig What We do to Improve Our Schools: Anaylsis to Action. Larchmont, NY.: Eye on Education.

Danny On Action Research

The action model offers great promise in affecting change over the more traditional model. The traditional model may be flawed or at least incomplete due to the fact that much of the research is created by the academic elite rather than by on the ground educators. The traditional model is lacking in collaboration among educators and valuable stakeholders. It is a top down model rather that a model that solicits input from, as is described by Dana(2009) in Leading with Passion and Knowledge, “practitioners.” The action model encourages those “practitioners” on the “front lines” to identify and correct their own problems. Research generated by those “practitioners” that have assumed responsibility for their own campus needs is likely to have great buy-in. Further the research is likely to be local relevant research, not simply canned generic research. Additional those that will actually generate an action plan or solution to the problem will collect the research themselves. It may lead to a more clear understanding of the causes and nature of their specific need. Based in that research they may generate a “home grown” tailor made action plan, not a plan created by outsiders. Again, this self created plan may lend itself to greater buy-in. Additional, should the plan be found lacking, the creators of the plan are on site to tweak the plan. As a final word the book Leading with Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Dana cites work in Qualitative Studies in Education by J. Eliot. Eliot stated that true inquiry or action models are ongoing and spiraling (Dana, 2009, p.5).The identification problems or needs, research, detailed data analysis, action plan creation, and action plan implementation are perpetually in motion. Quality organizations will move from need to need carrying out the action model to address those needs.

Citation:
Dana, N.F., (2009). Leading With Passion and Knowledge: the Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin Press. 1-15.


How Blogs Are Useful To Administrators:
According to Leading With Passion and Knowledge by Dana (2009), blogs serve as a medium for “capturing thinking“(Dana. 2009, p. 87.). Such an open and flexible tool may also serve as an online diary or journal. This diary could in turn be used to facilitate real honest reflection.

Citation:
Dana, N.F., (2009). Leading With Passion and Knowledge: the Principal as Action
Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin Press.