Action Research Project Progress Report

Charter School TAKS Data Analysis: Comparing charter school students to students transferring from public schools. Is there a difference?

Needs Assessment

        The Charter School has recently expanded and was able to double the size of its fourth and fifth grades for the 2010-2011 school year. For example, there are students in fifth grade at the charter school that have attended a public school for the first five years (K-4) and are now in the charter school setting for the first time because of this expansion. This increase in student population provides a one-time opportunity to review and compare the TAKS data for students who have always attended the charter school to students who previously attended public schools and are now in their first year of charter school attendance.

Objectives and Vision of the Action Research Project

        After reviewing the results of the TAKS data analysis, the charter school administration will be able to determine if students entering the charter school from a public school setting improved their test scores with different teaching methods when compared to methods and strategies used in a public school setting. This analysis will provide information to assist the administration as they evaluate their teaching methods and prepare for the future.

Review of the Literature and Action Research Strategy

        The comparison of charter schools to public schools has generated interest and misconceptions among the general public for a number of years. There are studies and reports that support that charter schools are superior to public schools, that public schools are better than charter schools, and studies that show that students perform essentially the same in either setting (Education Law Center, 2010). The Charter School seeks to determine how their teaching methods compare to those used in public schools within the local community. The charter school administration made the decision to analyze the TAKS scores once the student population doubled in size in fourth and fifth grades. This analysis will allow a one-time opportunity to review the success of their teaching strategies with students who have transferred from a public school to the charter school and to compare “career” charter school student achievements to transfer students.

Education Law Center. 2010. Charter school achievement: Hype vs. evidence. Retrieved from  

http://www.educationjustice.org/newsletters/nlej_iss21_art5_detail_CharterSchoolAchievement.htm

Articulate the Vision

        The interest in the success of the charter school has always been high at the university. At the inception of the charter school, it was still a part of the local ISD. Within the past few years, the charter school has now become a separate entity and is no longer a part of the local ISD. It is an individual charter school that is governed by a separate board and members of the university. It is grant-funded as a separate charter school through the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The interest in the instructional approach at the charter school provided the foundation and vision for this action research project. The results of the analysis will assist the administration in preparing for the future needs of the school by determining if their current teaching methods are providing for the academic success of its students. The vision and the results of this project were shared with board members in a recent board meeting. Table of data and a summary report were provided for their review. Information from the project will be considered when developing future campus improvement plans and professional development at the charter school.

Manage the Organization

        This portion of the assignment really does not apply to this particular project. The entire project consisted of my review, documentation, and analysis of all TAKS scores for the fourth and fifth graders. I reviewed the fourth graders’ TAKS scores from third grade and fourth grade and the fifth graders’ TAKS scores from fourth grade and fifth grade. Within this comparison approximately half of each of these grade levels attended a public school for the first year and transferred to the charter school for the second year. The other half of the student population attended the charter school for all (or almost all) of their school career.  No additional monies, materials, or people were required to complete this project.  While the results involved student learning, students were not directly involved in this project so active student learning and student safety were not issues to be addressed.

Manage Operations

        As in the previous section, this portion of the assignment does not apply to this particular project. However, now that the project has been completed, the results of this analysis will be used to determine future teaching methods and will assist the administration in preparing their Campus Improvement Plan and will provide guidance as the plan appropriate professional development sessions needed to meet the CIP’s goals and objectives. These plans will be communicated to the teachers and staff in future faculty meetings. There were no conflicts to resolve with this project.

Respond to Community Interest and Needs

        The Charter School has a limited special needs student population and the results of this action research project will not affect them. The student population is diverse in its cultural and ethnic populations, but the results of the data review does not impact one group more than another as it compared overall student populations in an equitable manner. Any future goals or objectives developed as a result of this study will provide for the success of all students fairly and equitably.

Reflections: EDLD 5301 Research

When I first read this course title (Research), I had only negative thoughts. Reading pages and pages of information to form my own personal opinions about an assigned topic sounded unappealing and boring. Words such as boring, dull, and uninteresting came to mind. To quote my two young sons: “Yuck!” However, after learning more about the systematic approach of action research and how the end result can positively impact students, teachers, and administrators I then realized this would help me in my professional growth in this masters program.

As the weeks have progressed, I’ve found that the concept of Action Research has been in practice for a while; I just never knew this was the name for it. The thought of collecting data and using the information for something that is relevant to a specific campus, classroom, or school issue is very appealing to me. Being able to identify and work towards a common goal or solution is exciting and far more refreshing than a “boxed presentation” from an outside expert that doesn’t REALLY know about my campus or my students. The methods presented throughout this course have helped strengthen my abilities in identifying topics for inquiry both at my “intern campus” and in my current job assignment.

As an administrator, my use of action research will allow me to determine areas of need and will enable my campus and me to better plan for staff developments that will provide opportunities to improve student achievement and increase teacher participation in the decision-making proves. “The combination or use of mixed data sources can provide a more accurate and meaningful picture and consequently lead to a better decision and successful solution” (Harris, Edmonson, & Combs, 2010, p.7).

Most individuals that enter the field of teaching or school administration do so because they care about the students. Students are not just numbers; they are individuals with personalities, strengths, weaknesses, hopes and dreams. All are required to attend school to get an education. School is not about scores, it is about the individual students and their successes. If a student perceives that he/she is just another number then they may get the attitude that it’s not important to try because no one cares about me as an individual.

Action research studies that delve into the personal aspects of student interest will prove beneficial. Projects that provide support for student achievements, grades, attendance, and overall success will benefit everyone involved on a school campus. Projects that assist students directly or indirectly with their academics will results in students that have a positive outlook on education and the teachers that provide it.

I enjoyed watching the interviews of the three administrators. The one that I enjoyed the most was that of Dr. Johnny Briseno who is the principal at Rancho Isabella Elementary in the Angleton ISD. His discussion of the students on his campus covered both the data-driven paper trail of information derived from the endless reports and statistics generated from standardized test results as well as qualitative data that focuses on the environment and needs of his students. Dr. Briseno appears to be a very caring administrator, both for his teachers as well as his students. He is not so focused on test scores that he forgets about the children on his campus. He realized they are individuals and have needs and requirements that must be met in order to assist them in their achievements.

There have been many examples of student action research studies on the discussion boards for the EDLD 5301 Research course. One in particular is the study by William Bradshaw at Forest Park Middle School in Longview, Texas. His action research study is built around student motivation for “non-academic” students. His pilot program will allow students that show increased improvement in the core subject areas to be allowed to participate in an on-campus “game room” where they can relax and play video games, foosball, ping pong, and other indoor recreational activities. Mr. Bradshaw’s action research study should prove to be an interesting study to follow and it will be interesting to read his reflections as the program continues.

The areas of interest in which I want to learn more are the Action Research plans/topics that the people in this class are developing and will be working on (now and in the future). I can’t wait to see how the game rooms (Eagle’s Nest and VISA) turn out for the students. The study on poverty and raising awareness in this area is wonderful and I look forward to reading the results. Should a school use a regular schedule or a block schedule? Is there a difference there between these two that will save a district money? I’m real curious about this one – how can changing just the length of class times save a district money? Should teachers be assigned only one course or multiple courses to teach? How does one prep vs. multiple preps affect the teacher? There are many more, but I think that the inquiries presented are all relevant to today’s schools and, if administrations are open to the suggestions, can make a huge positive impact for the students.

I plan on following the blogs and future discussions in the classes that follow. I also know that my classmates are paving the way for similar issues that will arise in our future roles as administrators and I will definitely refer back to the sharing of their findings and, if it fits, incorporate those ideas into my campus plans.

Harris, S., Edmonson, S., and Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools: 

            8 steps to improve our schools. Eye on Education Press.

Action Research Template

Action Planning Template
Goal: Compare TAKS achievement scores for first year fourth and fifth grade charter school students to previous scores from public school setting
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1. Review of data from previous year’s TAKS scores (2009-2010) from public schools for first year charter school students that are currently in fourth or fifth grade.	Krista Guerrero (graduate student principal intern)	Start: February,  2011 End: April, 2011	TAKS results data for students that are new to the charter school this school year (2010-2011) Permission from my site supervisor to review the student TAKS data.	Analyze the data for the TAKS results of these students. For current fourth grade students, the evaluation will be for their third grade TAKS scores. For current fifth grade students, the evaluation will be for their fourth grade TAKS scores.
2. I will observe fourth and fifth grade teachers in their daily classroom as they use their current strategies and methods that are practiced in the charter school setting.	Krista Guerrero (graduate student principal intern) Fourth and Fifth Grade Classroom Teachers at the charter school	Start: February,  2011 End: April, 2011	Permission from my site supervisor to observe the teachers. Permission from the fourth and fifth grade teachers to observe their classrooms. Permission from my current employer to visit the charter school during normal school hours.	I will observe the current teaching methods of the fourth and fifth grade teachers as they present their daily lessons to their students and as they prepare their students for the Reading and Math portions of the TAKS test that the students will take in April, 2011. Notes from my observations will be included in my final report for the study.
3. I will interview fourth and fifth grade teachers about their daily classroom strategies and methods that are practiced in the charter school setting.	Krista Guerrero (graduate student principal intern), Fourth and Fifth Grade Classroom Teachers at the charter school	Start: March, 2011 End: April, 2011	Permission from my site supervisor to interview the teachers. Permission from the fourth and fifth grade teachers to be interviewed. Permission from my current employer to visit the charter school during normal school hours.	I will interview the fourth and fifth grade teachers about their current classroom methods. I will ask the teachers for sample lesson plans, and we will discuss the differences of the charter school’s methods of instruction vs. those of the public school. I will also ask the teachers for their opinions and if they think the charter school methods will be as or more successful than those in a public school. I will summarize the interviews in a written report.
1. Review of data from current year’s TAKS scores (2010-2011) for first year charter school students that are currently in fourth or fifth grade that previously attended public schools.	Krista Guerrero (graduate student principal intern)	Start: May, 2011 End: July, 2011	TAKS results data for students that are new to the charter school this school year (2010-2011) Permission from my site supervisor to review the student TAKS data.	Analyze the data for the TAKS results of these students for the 2010-2011 school year. Compare these findings with the 2009-2010 TAKS results to determine if the students were more successful, less successful, or consistent in their scores after transferring from a public school.

Data Driven Action Research

In this week's assignment we were to listen to three online interviews of administrators that have gone through the doctoral program at Lamar University. While I felt that all three men were insightful with their opinions, I found it interesting that two of them, while both speaking about basically the same topic, could be so far apart in their viewpoints (or at least my interpretation of their viewpoints). Personally, I found Dr. Briseno to be refreshing. He seems like he genuinely cares so much for his students and their well-being. However, I was taken aback when Dr. Chargois said that "Unfortunately, it's good to have those good feelings" in referencing the impact that teachers have on their students. Unfortunate? Really? It's unfortunate that teachers feel good about having a positive impact on their students apart from test scores? Perhaps Dr. Chargois might benefit from reflecting on why he entered education in the first place.

Dr. Johnny Briseno, Principal, Rancho Isabella Elementary, Angleton ISD

Dr. Johnny Briseno is the principal of Rancho Isabella Elementary School in the Angleton Independent School District. His discussion of the students on his campus covered both the data-driven paper trail of information derived from the endless reports and statistics produced from standardized test results as well as qualitative data that focuses on the environment and needs of his students.

Dr. Briseno’s approach to problems on his campus is to first address where the problem is coming from. He states that he and his teachers look at all of the facts, not just the numbers and statistics from test scores. He asks that his teachers answer questions such as, “Why wasn’t this student successful? Has something happened at home? What things are going on in this child’s environment that might affect his success at school?”

He feels that these questions must be answered in the event that he or his staff is required to intervene on the student’s behalf. Student identity is important to Dr. Briseno, and it is evident from his interview that he cares a great deal about the students as individuals and not just that their test scores are high.

One example of action research on his campus is in the areas of staff development and teacher motivation. When teachers are successful in their classroom, he encourages them to share their methods and strategies with their peers during faculty meetings or professional development sessions. This provides a win-win situation for all of his teachers. It allows the teacher who is proud of his/her classroom achievements to share these successes with others. The other teachers benefit from these presentations because they are learning what works on their campus and will be able to implement these strategies in their own classrooms.

Of the three video interviews, I enjoyed Dr. Briseno’s the most. He appears to be a very caring administrator, both about his teachers as well as his students. He is not so focused on test scores that he forgets about the children on his campus. He realizes they are individuals and have needs and requirements that must be met in order to assist them in their achievements.

Dr. Timothy Chargois, Director of Research, Planning and Development in Beaumont ISD

            Dr. Timothy Chargois is the Director of Research, Planning and Development in the Beaumont Independent School District. The main idea of his discussion was that his district must be data driven and that teachers today must work under the pressures of improving student performance. Dr. Chargois’s approach to education appears to be solely data driven and that student achievement scores must improve. He states that universities that prepare teachers for classrooms must teach them not only in pedagogy and content, but also how to use the data to improve their teaching skills.

            Projects or research topics presented to his district  for consideration must assist Beaumont ISD in improving student performance. He mentions several projects, all of which require the teacher to learn how to manipulate data in order to raise student achievement scores. One in particular that he talks about is a project funded by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation where district personnel learn to use programs to analyze data from today (the present) in order to prepare for tomorrow (the future). It seems evident though that Dr. Chargois may need to consider the students behind these achievement scores. He goes on to state that new projects that his district are considering will only be allowed to be conducted after testing is completed for the year.

            While I realize that data is an important part of planning for a district’s needs, Dr. Chargois’s viewpoints appear to be very much in favor of data driven campuses that are concerned only for improvement in test scores. I was appalled to hear his comments towards the end of his online interview:           

“The old adage ‘If I just touch one kid, I’ve done what …’ No sir, that doesn’t work under today’s accountability. Unfortunately, it’s good to have those good feelings about ‘I made this kid feel good’ and all that, but come May or August those results have to show, ‘Hey, we got this kid to improve.’ … Today’s teacher has to realize those pressures in terms of accountability. … We work under this umbrella that we have to produce results. We have to increase student performance.”

            Dr. Chargois’s interview was in direct contrast to that of Dr. Johnny Briseno with the Angleton ISD. Where Dr. Briseno appears to be a very caring administrator and one that is concerned about his students’ personal successes as well as their scores, Dr. Chargois appears to be concerned only with test scores and that everything his district does should be to ensure that the scores improve. I sincerely hope that this is not indicative of the majority of administrators in public education today.

Chargios, T., 2010. EDLD 5301 Action Research Study Online Interview. Lamar University.

How I Can Use Action Research

I will admit that when I first read this course title (Research) that I was apprehensive about embarking on this five week journey. Reading pages and pages of information to form my own personal opinions about an assigned topic sounded unappealing and boring. However, after learning more about the systematic approach of action research and how the end result can positively impact students, teachers, and administrators I then realized this would help me in my professional growth in this masters program.

Administrative inquiry or action research is the process of identifying an area of concern, gathering and analyzing relevant information, developing a plan of action, implementing the steps necessary to resolve the problem, and then sharing this information with others. In reviewing the steps in an action research plan, I realize that I am already utilizing this approach in my current position.

The grant in which I now work has been charged with the responsibility of “looking into” the possibility of creating end-of-course exams for certain courses on our Crosswalk and whether or not end-of-course exams is a practical approach to validate the course outcomes. I now recognize that this task can be called an action research plan and that this investigation of EOC exams is our situation or problem to be solved.

We are now in the next phase of this action research plan which is collecting information from  various sources to determine if developing these exams will benefit the students. We have researched current testing procedures and policies and formed committees of secondary teachers and post-secondary community college faculty members across the state. These committees have met and worked together to discuss this possibility and to create drafts of exams that meet both the secondary TEKS and the WECM course outcomes for their assigned courses.

While the formulation of sample exams is still ongoing, the grant is concurrently evaluating these exams, conducting interviews of interested stakeholders, and evaluating the gathered information to determine if this is the direction in which we need to focus our attention.

Knowing now that action research plans are a part of my current position I can see that the utilization of this process provides great insight and benefit to current issues that are relevant to student achievement and success.

Educational Blogging

Blog. A fairly new term for a modern-day journal. There's no key to hide in your bedroom though. This journal is open for the entire world to see, if they happen to find it.

Blogging as an administrator can be a positive experience. It's certainly not the place to share your dissatisfaction about your job, but that is true for anyone, not just administrators. It is, however, a place to express your concerns about issues facing education today: issues with your district, campus, student successes, and your own professional progress as an educational leader.

One positive aspect of sharing your "wonderings" as an administrator is that you can get feedback from a variety of sources. Sharing these same issues at a faculty meeting or with a group of your peers limits the conversation to those present at the time. Blogging provides a chance to pose your questions or comments to the public thereby expanding your audience, and in return, the amount of responses to your postings. In other words, it helps to alleviate "professional isolation."

Having an educational blog that is open to other educators will allow administrators to brainstorm ideas for common problems without the limitations of school walls or district boundaries. Responses may be immediate or delayed but all will form a dialogue that is relevant to the author's original comments as well as those participating in the "online conversation."

A blog is also a way to offer ideas and share successes. Posting a success on your campus can be positive and motivational to others who may have similar issues thus giving them possible alternatives for their own obstacles.

Adminstrators who actively participate in educational blogging will find that is can be another useful tool for reflection and their own professional growth while interacting with others from all areas of education.