Throughout my courses at Lamar University, I have participated in the web conferences.  The web conferences have provided a sense of belonging to a class and allowed me to receive help from my professor and colleagues.  Any and all questions are answered in real time, face to face with my instructor.  The web conferences, also, allow me to listen to my colleagues’ questions and interpretation of assignments and theory.  I am thankful Lamar University offers web conferences for their online courses.

Kingwood High School is a class 5A high school located in Kingwood, Texas, a suburb northeast of Houston.  Kingwood High School has 2,644 students enrolled in grades nine through twelve. 

Kingwood High School, like other schools, tracks their students’ grades throughout the year.  Administration and teachers have noticed there has been a greater percentage of freshman failures over the past couple of years.  After reviewing the data showing the number of freshman failures, we formed a Freshman Transition Team.  We were wondering why the percentage of freshman failures was higher than that of the sophomores, juniors, and seniors.  To develop a deeper understanding of this issue, The Freshman Transition team analyzed data showing the percentage of freshman failures per subject area for the 2012-2013 and 2011-2012 years, interviewed a member of the academic learning team, and interviewed the principal of one of the middle schools that feeds into our high school.  After further analyzing the data, self-reflection, and discussion, we began to wonder if freshman have the study and organizational skills necessary to be successful in high school.

We wish for all of our students to be successful in high school, as well as post graduation.  It is important that our students possess the skills necessary to be a contributing member of society.  Therefore, Kingwood High School is going to pilot one section of a College Readiness and Study Skills course for freshman in the spring of 2013.  The criteria involved in selecting the students to populate the class are currently being discussed.  Due to recent budgetary cuts to our school district by Texas State Representatives, we are able to populate only one section of College Readiness and Study Skills.  Our goal in implementing this class is to increase the success of freshman in high school by equipping them with the proper study and organizational skills.  At the end of the spring 2013 semester, all students receiving a passing grade in College Readiness and Study Skills will receive a one-half credit towards graduation.

One of our Freshman Transition Team members, Marilyn Scalia, will teach the class, College Readiness and Study Skills.  The students taking the course will “acquire techniques for learning from texts, including studying word meanings, identifying and relating key ideas, drawing and supporting inferences, and reviewing study strategies.”  (19 TAC Chapter 110, Subchapter C, 110.48 a1)  The students’ organizational skills will also be strengthened.  The Freshman Transition Team will monitor the students’ progress through next semester.  At the end of the 2012-2013 school year, the students’ first semester averages will be compared to their second semester averages.  If substantial improvement is noted, the College Readiness and Study Skills course will be offered to incoming freshman in the fall of 2013.

Since the research will not be completed until the end of the 2013 spring semester, I cannot describe what will be learned from the research, support this information with the data collected during the research, nor include concluding thoughts and recommendations.

I will share the progress of my action research as well as the processes through my blog at http://cbardwell.blogspot.com.  I will disseminate my action research findings  and recommendations via my blog and meetings with my Freshman Transition Team, site supervisor, principal, and superintendent.

When communicating the findings  and recommendations in writing and verbally, I will be sure to include background information of the action research project, the design of the inquiry or research, describe what was learned from the research and support this information with the data collected during the research, and include concluding thoughts and recommendations.

After setting the foundation, analyzing data, developing a deeper understanding of the problem, engaging in self-reflection, and exploring programmatic patterns, our Freshman Transition Team has determined a direction. I am including the template for our action rearch.

Charles Bardwell’s Action Research Template for EDLD 5301

Tool 7.1 Action Planning Template
Goal: Increase the success of freshman in high school by equipping them with the proper study and organizational skills.
Action Step(s)	Person(s) Responsible	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1.  Identify students to enroll in one section of a College Readiness and Study Skills course for the spring of 2013.	Freshman Transition Team: Steve Steinke, Marilyn Scalia, Charles Bardwell Counselors: Karen Kruger, MaryAnn Briggs, Melissa Whittington, Stephanie Pelfrey, Michelle Oliver, Kay Farris, Lori Robinson	December 7, 2012/ January 7, 2013	Time, personnel, data obtained through e-school (list of freshman failing one or more subjects, first nine week, second nine week, and semester averages), criteria for selecting students.	One section of a College Readiness and Study Skills course will be created and populated for the spring of 2013.
2.  Teach the students enrolled in the College Readiness and Study Skills course the study and organizational skills needed to be successful as a freshman in high school.  Monitor the students’ progress.	Teacher: Marilyn Scalia, Freshman Transition Team: Steve Steinke, Marilyn Scalia, Charles Bardwell	January 8, 2013/ June 7, 2013	Money, teacher, classroom, planners.  paper, use of a copy machine.	The students’ 1st semester grades will be compared to their 2nd semester grades.

 

Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools           Sandra Harris, Stacey Edmonson, Julie Combs

© Eye On Education

This week I was exposed to many different ideas for action research.  I also reviewed my internship plan self-evaluations, and reflections.  In doing so, I came up with three ideas for possible action research and scheduled a meeting with my site supervisor.

After discussing several action research ideas with my site supervisor, I chose to do action research on why freshman have a greater number of failures than the other grades in our high school. I chose to perform this research because it will be more curriculum driven and affect a larger group of students.  We began to discuss the possible reasons for the large number of freshman failures.  I will analyze the data and refine the research to the core subject with the greatest percentage of freshman failures.  My site supervisor also recommended I speak to the academic team leader of the core content area with the greatest amount of failures to get his/ her perspective.  To further gain insight into the problem, we will try to visit one of the middle schools that feed into our high school prior to Christmas Break.

Action research is a process that someone or a committee goes through to solve a problem or to improve a situation.  Depending on which literature you review, action research may consist of a couple of steps to eight steps.  Sandra Harris in Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools:  Eight Steps From Analysis To Action categorizes the steps of action research as:  setting a foundation, analyzing the data, developing a deeper understanding, engaging in self-reflection, exploring patterns, determining a direction, taking action for improvement, and sustaining improvement. 

Action research is taught to aspiring administrators during their educational career in classes such as EDLD 5301 at Lamar University.  I am currently enrolled in this class.  I plan to perform action research regarding successfully transitioning freshmen into high school.  I will meet with my site supervisor for approval of the action research and designing the plan.  I will document the progress of the action research on this blog. 

Central office administration, principals, assistant principals, teachers, students, and community members can perform action research.  Action research is used on everything from helping a single student to perform better in a given class to improving study and/ or leadership skills for an entire school district.

Many people use action research to solve problems or improve situations, but may not recognize that this is the method they are using.  They may call it by another name, such as practitioner inquiry, practitioner research, inquiry, administrator inquiry, or classroom research. 

Educational leaders may use blogs as a way of self-reflection to gain insight to their own administrative practices.  Blogs also allow administrators to work together collaboratively on a variety of issues.  Administrators may use blogging to communicate their action research with their colleagues.