Action Research Update

I have continued to survey the staff following our Wednesday faculty meetings. Part of my action research was to follow a teacher who has taken something learned from staff development and integrated it into her classroom. I chose a teacher who has yielded positive results based on what she took away from the training. I will compare this teacher to someone on her grade level who did not bring new learning into her classroom to see if the data shows a difference. I am looking at 2 second grade teachers. Both attended a training on inquiry in the classroom this summer. One teacher has redesigned her lessons based on inquiry and one has not. Since inquiry takes a while to show results, I will look at 3rd and 4th nine-week data. 

Action Research Progress

So far, I have started my action research project by conducting two surveys. My first survey asked about the effectiveness of the Back to School staff development, and rated the activities. In this survey I learned I used Survey Monkey to create the survey and made it anonymous. It was sent to teachers on campus who attended the training, and out of our 40 teachers I had 19 participate. I heard some concerns from teachers that administration would read their answers and so they did not feel like they could participate. The fear to get “caught” expressing true feelings was sad and did not expect this. The survey revealed that 60% of teachers enjoyed time to plan with their teams, while the others enjoyed learning in small groups from teacher leaders. I also learned that most teachers on campus left the staff development with unanswered questions.

 

 My second survey inquired about one of our faculty meetings and its level of engagement. I learned from this survey that the majority of teachers were not engaged in the meeting due to the topics covered. However, the teachers did find value in creating a Plus/Delta on our Early Release systems.

 

 My next step will be analyzing the data and finding some teachers who have taken some of the staff development into their classroom.

Reflections from the Week

I attended quite a few "back to school" staff development sessions this week. I decided to get some feedback during and after the sessions to get a feel for the general attitude prior to beginning my research project. I, of course, had my own opinions on the set up and delivery of the staff development. It was in a large auditorium with a speaker system that was on the fritz, as usual. We viewed about 100 power point slides, read several articles, and reflected with our table. 

Sound familiar? I have attended sessions like these my entire teaching career and always find I learn more about the people I sit next to then what the session is about! The feedback from the session was on par with my feelings: sitting for too long, went through the slides too quickly, could not hear, etc. 

After the session, I decided to call a friend who led a similar staff development the week before. I wanted to get an honest opinion for the reasoning behind this set-up. I explained to her the kinds of activities we did, and how the learning did not transfer this way. She was so surprised, because she did not do any of those things and had a very successful staff development! I was very curious now.....

She integrated Pinterest, team planning, lots of music throughout the day. It sounded like a blast! Of course, she is a veteran kindergarten teacher and is a master at entertaining. However, all these things were in line with the new generation of teachers and engaging. This gave me a great starting point for my research. Although I cannot follow both groups back to their classrooms to see if they implement their learning, I can predict what types of staff developments will most likely promote this action. 

Action Research Plan- Final

Outcomes Activities Resources/ Research needed Person(s) responsible Timeline Evaluation Set the foundation by meeting with my site supervisor to obtain permission to complete project -Meet with my site supervisor to discuss my action plan K. Azanza, Site Supervisor Aug. 13-17, 2012 Feedback from site supervisor Analyze data for patterns - Collect and Analyze classroom data from each grade level - 2011-2012 EOY LA and Math Scores - District 9 week assessments K. Azanza (Project Leader) Aug-Sep. 2012 Data Analysis will compare classrooms. Developing a deeper understanding by gathering more specific research on effective staff development - Research forms of effective staff development Internet/ access to Library resources K. Azanza (Project Leader) Aug-Sep. 2012 - Literature on staff development Analyze Data surveying current classroom teachers on the attitude and effectiveness of staff development - Survey staff – Pre and Post Staff Development - Collect and Analyze data. - Find two teachers to follow who participate in staff development and two who feel it is ineffective to interview Staff surveys (survey monkey) K. Azanza (Project Leader) Aug-Sept 2011 Completed surveys and identified subjects for interviews Developing a deeper understanding by interviewing selected teachers Interview four teachers one on one to understand how staff development has or hasn’t affected their teaching Interview time K. Azanza (Project Leader) Oct. 2012-Nov. 2012 Four interviews completed Explore Programmatic Patterns  by observing staff development planning - Observe the planning of an in-service or faculty meeting by administration -Debrief with site supervisor after the staff development to gain an insight on if she feels it was effective Data/ observations K. Azanza (Project Leader), Site Supervisor Oct. 2012-Dec. 2012 Reflection notes and debriefing with site supervisor Determine Direction: Attend February Conference sessions with selected staff members -Attend curriculum based sessions February Conference handouts, notes K. Azanza Feb. 2013 A plan for implementation of curriculum ideas in the classroom Taking Action: Assist in Planning and Leading Staff Development Implement new staff development techniques based on findings -Survey campus post staff development for changes in effectiveness Data/research Findings K. Azanza (Project Leader) Jan. 2013- Mar. 2013 Survey results, effective staff development Taking Action: Observe the implementation of February Conference sessions -Schedule time to observe classrooms that have implemented ideas taken from February Conference K. Azanza, classroom teachers Feb. 2013-Apr. 2013 -February Conference session handouts, purpose of implementation Self-Reflection- Skills/ resources assessment - Reflect on whether I/ we have the skills and resources necessary to complete the action plan. Action Plan K. Azanza, Site Supervisor Apr. 2013 Continuation with project based on reflection and feedback Sustaining Improvement: Share findings -Share the results of the Action Research plan during a faculty meeting Action Plan K. Azanza, Site Supervisor Apr. 2013-June 2013 Faculty meeting is successful

Action Research DRAFT

All feedback is appreciated, thanks!

Action Planning Template
Goal: To explore the connection between staff development and student achievement.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Survey the campus before and after a staff development on information presented Outcome: Understand the campus attitude towards staff development	Katy Azanza	Aug. 2012-May 2013	-Survey -Permission from site supervisor	I will be able to answer these questions following the survey: What is the overall opinion by the campus of our staff development? Do they feel it will affect their classrooms?
Select a group of teachers based on site supervisor’s recommendations and survey results who are strong participants of staff development, and/or feel staff development is a chore. Outcome: Understand the level of implementation by each teacher of staff development information	Katy Azanza	Aug. 2012-May 2013	-One on one interview -time for classroom observations -9 wks. LA Data	Evaluate interviews with teachers and analyze variations in class data, Is there a difference in student achievement?
Observe administration planning for staff development Outcome: Understand the process of planning for a staff development and what the expectations are for the session	Katy Azanza	Aug 2012-Dec. 2012	-time for observation	Debrief with site supervisor after planning, What is her objective of this staff development and what is guiding it?
Research data from online resources Outcome: Understand history behind effective staff development	Katy Azanza	Aug 2012-May 2013	-access to internet	Share findings with site supervisor and potentially lead a successful staff development based on what I have learned
Attend curriculum based sessions during February conference with campus members, survey afterwards Outcome: Understand the opinion of the sessions by my campus and probability of implementation into classroom	Katy Azanza	Feb. 2013-May 2013	-Survey -Classroom observations	After attending the conference, identify through observations and interviews: What causes the teachers to bring what they learned into the classroom?

Staying curious...

     This week has kept my mind very busy as I try to pin down one idea for an action research plan. After reading the chapter on the various action research topics, I feel like I could pick any of them to study. Action research proves to be the best way to look inside the workings of your campus and pinpoint specific problem areas, or room for growth.


     I feel like there are many times when we try a new system, whether it be aimed  at discipline or safety, just because we heard it worked somewhere else. Why did it not work on our campus then? Because we were lazy! We have a chance to personalize a system by doing research on our campus, improving not only our target area but other areas as well. Though this may seem like more work (something teachers can't seem to get enough of these days), the wealth of information gained during the process is invaluable. From my experience, this makes my job easier! And who doesn't want that??


    Alright, back on topic. I am still eager to do my action research on effective and ineffective staff development. This seems like a broad area to take on, but I am hoping with the help of my site supervisor I can narrow it down to something more specific to my campus needs.

How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs

              Blogs are a growing form of communication, and are now being integrated into the educational setting. Not only can a blog serve as a form of reflection, it can also be a way to share information, thoughts, and opinions. Educational leaders can use blogs to communicate with their faculty and get feedback. Teachers can pose a question to their students on a blog and encourage collaboration to find the answer. A blog could allow a way to leave a positive comment to a fellow teacher, which creates the campus climate a leader should desire.

Action Research

                 The purpose of this Curious Katy is to follow my action research plan throughout my internship. To prepare for this project, I have learned a lot about action research and the benefits it can bring to a leader. Action research gives the leader a chance to pose a question personal to their campus and collaborate with others in efforts to find the answer. It is also a reflective practice of self-improvement. We use inquiry in our classrooms on a daily basis, but being able to use inquiry to create a more knowledgeable and efficient campus is something unique.
              "Action research usually refers to research intended to bring about change of some kind, usually with a social justice focus...." (Dana 2009). Change can be an uncomfortable feeling, but action research makes the campus apart of the process. This creates a feeling of engagement and investment into the change. Having learned about action research and how to apply it to my everyday work life, I feel prepared and excited to get started on my own inquiries.
              I would like to research the topic of staff development. More specifically, what makes a staff development most successful in the eyes of the audience? How can one create engagement and have faculty walk away with the most out of their staff development time? I will focus on the needs and desires of my campus, taking data during faculty meetings, in-service days, and our three-day conference.