Update on my Action Research Project. . . . .

My action research plan has been going well and it is still in the early stages.  It has been a great learning experience and has allowed me to really engage in the Administrative procedures that take place.  I've been able to work with and collaborate with some of the Administrative team on my campus and this has been very beneficial for me.  I have had some conflicts/issues that have arised in regards to my action research plan.  One of the areas that that has been a serious discussion has been when discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the current discipline plan.  Some of the Administrators believe that the Discipline plan that is in place does not have much to be changed about it but I would have to disagree somewhat with that.  We have been able to talk this out and discuss what may be best for the campus so this is a positive thing.  When the Teachers were given information the different discipline techniques that may be useful for them, they were excited to learn about them.  This has helped some of the Teachers in dealing with the diversity of the students on the campus. We have many different cultures on our campus and it is important for the Teachers to know how to deal with all of the students.  If we are able to continue to change some of the discipline procedures then there will definitely be more learning taking place in the classrooms.  There have been some changes that have already taken place and I am looking forward to the completion of the project.

Final Reflection. . . .

When I first began this course I was somewhat apprehensive about it and what was to come.  I did not totally understand what an "Action Research" project was because I've never had to do something like this before.  My first impression of the class was that it would be a lot of research and writing of papers.  I must say that I was totally wrong and I am glad that I was.  I really did enjoy the class and I feel that I learned a lot about doing an Action Research project and it has really helped me to lay the groundwork for my project.  The readings from the text were very helpful and there are many ideas that I learned from it.  The book was very thorough as well as informative and I enjoyed the assigned readings because I felt that it made really dig deep into my thoughts.  I also enjoyed creating the blog.  I've always heard of people doing blogs and I thought it was something difficult or time consuming to do but once I created it I enjoyed being able to go back in and update it every once in a while.  It was also good to be able to see what other individuals had to say concerning the information that was posted on my blog site.  The information and feedback from some made me consider if I was heading in the right direction and even helped me with my action research project as far as adding or taking away from it.  As for my actual action research project, I really enjoyed the way I had to think of situations that were currently occurring on my campus that I could possibly help to fix.  I truly felt that I was able to come up with some great ideas and concepts for my campus and I am looking forward to implementing some things and hopefully from my action research project I will be able to help and improve certain situations.  The discussions were also very informative and engaging because the feedback from the others in the class was always positive and professional.  One other important aspect that I took from the class was the many ways that Administrators can examine themselves to see if they are doing the right things for their campuses.  I learned that in order to be a great leader you sometimes have to take a step back and examine yourself to make sure that you are doing the right thing.  Reflection is very important and it should be done often to ensure the success of everyone.  One of my favorite assignments that I enjoyed the most was Assignment four.  Each part offered something that I can take and use in my future as an Administrator.  I really enjoyed being able to meet and conference with my Supervisor.  It is always good to speak to someone that is in a position that I am striving to be in because they can lead me and guide me with great advice to be the best possible leader that I can be.  Overall, I must say that there were many positives in this course and I hope that all of the other courses that follow are as intriguing as this one.

The conference between my Supervisor and I went really well.  I spoke with my Supervisor and he offered some suggestions that I did not have in my action research plan that may be very beneficial.  His overall feedback was very positive and he agreed with my action research plan template.  One of the first suggestions he offered was about adding Intervention into the plan.  He felt that it was necessary to add this as a step to ensure that it was something done within the discipline process.  Sometimes when there is an intervention with students, further disciplinary actions may not be necessary.  Another suggestion he offered was concerning staff development training to equip the staff with the tools to deal with misbehaving students.  He stated that some teachers at times may not know exactly how to deal with behavior issues and with proper training this may give them the security they need when dealing with behavior incidents firsthand.  One of the last suggestions he offered aligns somewhat with the staff development which is classroom management.  He stated that it was very important for teachers to understand classroom management techniques, especially new teachers, because some have a hard time handling a classroom of students and this could create problems if there is no classroom management.  Overall, he felt very good about my plan and he looks forward to seeing the ending results.  I have updated my action research plan by adding the training as well as Intervention into it.  

Action Planning Template
Goal: To determine if stronger discipline procedures will increase student achievement and decrease the amount of discipline problems.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Gather discipline records over a two year time span at the High School to review discipline issues as well as consequences assigned.	Administrators and Counselors	August 2013 to September 2013 (1 Month)	Data such as number of discipline incidents.  Discipline records from previous two years.	Evaluate discipline issues and determine what consequences were given. Did the consequence deter other referrals?  Was the consequence stern enough?
Look at student achievement in reference to grades as well as standardized testing scores.	Administrators, Counselors and Team Leaders	September 2013 to October 2013 (1 Month)	Data from students (e.g. Race, SES, etc.)  Report Cards and Test Scores	How were students grades during this time period?  What were the test scores like from the previous school year?
Examine discipline procedures.  Determine strengths and weaknesses of current plan.	Administrators	October 2013 to October 2013 (2 Weeks)	Discipline Plan currently in place.	Evaluate the current discipline plan to determine its strengths and weaknesses.  Is the discipline plan age appropriate?  Are procedures being correctly followed?
Make necessary changes to current discipline plan.	Administrators and Teachers	October 2013 to October 2013 (1 Week)	N/A	Look over information gathered concerning strengths and weaknesses to rewrite discipline plan.
Conduct Teacher trainings on discipline as well as classroom management.	Teachers	October 2013 to October 2013 (2 Days)	N/A	Ensure that teachers are properly trained on discipline procedures and on how to handle specific situations
Implement new changes with discipline procedures. Also make sure that Intervention is in place and available to students.	Administrators and Teachers	November 2013 to March 2014 (5 Months)	N/A	Monitor discipline issues and classroom performance over 5 month time period.
Examine student achievement/progress.  Review current number of discipline issues that are occurring under new discipline plan.	Administrators and Counselors	May 2014 to May 2014 (1 Month)	Semester grades, Report cards and Test Scores	Analyze data from previous school year and discipline plan and compare with new discipline plan procedures.  Review number of referrals as well as student achievement in the classroom and on Standardized test scores.

Action Planning Template
Goal: To determine if stronger discipline procedures will increase student achievement and decrease the amount of discipline problems.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Gather discipline records over a two year time span at the High School to review discipline issues as well as consequences assigned.	Administrators and Counselors	August 2013 to September 2013 (1 Month)	Data such as number of discipline incidents.  Discipline records from previous two years.	Evaluate discipline issues and determine what consequences were given. Did the consequence deter other referrals?  Was the consequence stern enough?
Look at student achievement in reference to grades as well as standardized testing scores.	Administrators, Counselors and Team Leaders	September 2013 to October 2013 (1 Month)	Data from students (e.g. Race, SES, etc.)  Report Cards and Test Scores	How were students grades during this time period?  What were the test scores like from the previous school year?
Examine discipline procedures.  Determine strengths and weaknesses of current plan.	Administrators	October 2013 to October 2013 (2 Weeks)	Discipline Plan currently in place.	Evaluate the current discipline plan to determine its strengths and weaknesses.  Is the discipline plan age appropriate?  Are procedures being correctly followed?
Make necessary changes to current discipline plan.	Administrators and Teachers	October 2013 to October 2013 (1 Week)	N/A	Look over information gathered concerning strengths and weaknesses to rewrite discipline plan.
Implement new changes with discipline procedures.	Administrators and Teachers	November 2013 to March 2014 (5 Months)	N/A	Monitor discipline issues and classroom performance over 5 month time period.
Examine student achievement/progress.  Review current number of discipline issues that are occurring under new discipline plan.	Administrators and Counselors	May 2014 to May 2014 (1 Month)	Semester grades, Report cards and Test Scores	Analyze data from previous school year and discipline plan and compare with new discipline plan procedures.  Review number of referrals as well as student achievement in the classroom and on Standardized test scores.

Lessons learned from Week 2. . . . 

One of the major things I learned from this week was how much data is emphasized now in schools.  From watching the interviews of the Scholars it really opened my eyes to how significant it is in dealing with students.  I also learned that Action research is something that is not extremely hard to incorporate into one's daily schedule.  You must be open to it and it should be done often if you want to be a successful leader for your Teachers.  Lastly, I learned a very great quote, "If you're green you're growing and if you're brown you're dying."  This quote was used by Dr. Timothy Chagois who is the Director of Research, Planning and Development at Beaumont ISD and by this he is saying that you never stop learning.  I agree with him 100% because no one should ever get to the point in their life where they feel as though they've learned everything because that is not a recipe for success.  

Action Research

Action research is a method in which Principal's examine themselves.  Action research is taking the time out to examine your methods and ways of doing things to ensure that they are the most effective for both the Teachers and the Student's.  It is considered to be a self reflection and it is one of the most important things that a Principal can do to grow professionally and to be able to lead.  Principals must take the time out to engage in inquiry of one's self so that they may be able to lead by example.  Some individuals feel that when they are in an Administrative position they are above being evaluated and this should not be the mind frame.  To be the best leader possible, Principals should make sure that they are evaluating themselves often  to be the most effective leader available to their campus.

With action research, everyone can come together to give their input which will result in a pool of knowledge and may be very beneficial for the campus as well as the students.  It can also be efficient, especially with time management, in accomplishing tasks.  Action research can be a building block for the campus as well as the District because it encourages teamwork and comradery among the Educators.  It can also strengthen the bridge between the school and the community because it may increase the community involvement and open up a great line of communication.  

Use of Blogs

There are many ways that educational leaders may be able to use blogs.  Blogs can be used for the purpose of lessons where students may be able to catch up on notes or information posted pertaining to a particular lesson they may have missed.  Blogs can also be a way of interacting with the students or Teachers in keeping up with certain events that may be occurring on the campus.  Educational leaders may also be able to reflect upon certain situations by using their blog as a journal or a diary for safekeeping.