Determining Action Research Projects

Area of Needs
Action Plan Evaluation Reflection
Concern Assessment
Library Refresh Project
-Library -Teacher and -Create a design -This project was This project
technology is student empathy team successful in a few provided me the
quite old. Many surveys -Collect data different areas. opportunity to
devices are slow -The MacBooks through empathy -The design team work with a small
or non- are no longer able surveys from worked together group of teachers
functioning. to be used unless students and staff without issue. We and
-Library layout they are plugged -Design team were able to administrators
could be more in, which means meets to discuss purchase needed within the school
user friendly. they cannot be results from technology for the and practice
carried to another survey library within the working with a
location in the -Create new budget allocated. strict budget and
library. library layout In addition, we parameters. The
-Several of the -Meet with were able to leave design team met
MacBooks and committee to a balance of several times
desktop choose and $11,000.00 for the beginning in
computers do not finalize librarian to use November and
work at all. technology to over the next few were able to come
-Desktop purchase years as new to a consensus
computers are old -Create purchase technology needs without difficulty.
and run slowly. request and send arise. It was exciting to
This makes it to district -We have not work with the
difficult for received all of the budget we were
teachers to use items, but given, but I felt a
them for whole students are lot of pressure to
research. already using the be sure we were
-The ActiveBoard ones we have. providing the best
panel buzzes and -The librarian has technology for our
the adjustable had to create a students. It is
stand no longer sign-up sheet due difficult to
works, making it to the number of imagine where
difficult for students that technology will go
students to reach want to come in in the next few
it. the morning to years. It changes
-There is a lack of use the new so quickly. This
technology for the touchscreen was the main
Pre-K and Kinder computers. reason the
students in the -My students committee wanted
library. were able to use to be sure to leave
them for the first some money in
time during our the budget for
last library lesson. future purchases.
They were visibly
excited to get on
them, and I was
happy to be able
to have so many
working
computers for my
 students to use at
once.
- Moving the
circulation desk to
the center of the
library has
created a better
flow, as we no
longer have a
traffic problem at
the entrance of
the library.
-The new hands-
free scanners
have made
checking in and
out books an
easier and quicker
process for the
students.
-Evaluation of
this project will
continue into next
school year as
more of the items
arrive.

Bus Dismissal Project

-Safety issue Teacher and -Change the This project has This project was
during afternoon administrator direction the been a huge one that I felt was
dismissal in the observations. students are success. important.
gym. sitting to allow for Following the Dismissal in the
-Students each bus to have staff meeting, the gym was an
involved are one line. behavior in the unsafe
grades 3-5 bus -Create gym improved environment and
riders and grades permanent bus almost needed to be
K-5 Boys & Girls signs on the wall immediately. changed. I was
Club students. so students do not Teachers are quite nervous
-Students are have to hunt for actively speaking to the
extremely loud, their bus. monitoring their staff, but it was a
moving around -Create CHAMPS students as they great learning
the gym, not expectations for walk to the gym experience. Our
sitting in their dismissal and and once they are community
bus lines, and distribute them to in the gym. We superintendent
exhibiting the staff. no longer have to happened to be at
disrespectful -Create a large use a microphone the meeting as
behavior. CHAMPS poster to call buses, as well, which made
-Teacher are not for the gym to the students can it slightly more
all actively reference when now hear them intimidating. The
monitoring the correcting being called over entire staff was
students. behavior. the walkie-talkie. very forthcoming
-Students are not -Meet with staff to It is quiet and with ideas for
being monitored brainstorm ideas orderly and no improvement.
on the way from to help create a After the meeting,
the pods to the safer longer a safety I met with our
gym. environment. concern. counselor and
-Create and assistant
implement plan. principal to
discuss the
changes to be
made. I went
ahead with our
plan; however, the
changes were put
on hold due to the
already much
improved
monitoring by
teachers. As the
end of the year
approaches, I will
be curious to see
what will happen
in the gym. Will
the teachers
continue to
actively monitor?
Will the behavior
revert back to an
unsafe
environment or
will it remain as it
is now?
MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) Skills Project
-Some students -Comparison of Use MAP data The results from This project gave
are struggling to BOY to MOY and MAP Skills to this project have me the
make growth as MAP growth improve student been both positive opportunity to
shown on the reports. growth and and negative. learn and
MAP assessments -Summary with performance. -Math: The implement a new
from September Quadrant Report -Receive training results in math program, lead a
to January. -Class Breakdown in MAP Skills showed that 76% small group of
-Urgency to move by Projected program. of students made teachers, and
students from the Proficiency Report -Train 3rd grade some growth, 3% practice analyzing
projected target of team in use of had no change, data. I know that
“Did Not Meet” to MAP Skills and 21% had all of these skills
“Approaches” or -Facilitate process negative growth. will be important
“Approaches” to of choosing 6 While 76% is a as an
Meets” categories students from good percentage, I instructional
for STAAR. each class to am concerned leader.
retest in March. with the 21% who
-Facilitate process had negative I had hoped the
of goal setting growth. results would
using the Student -Reading: The have been better,
Goal Setting results in reading but I believe there
Worksheet in showed that 54% are several factors
MAP. of student made that affected the
-Meet as needed some growth, and outcomes.
to discuss any 46% had negative
issues or growth. While a 1. I think it is
questions. larger percentage possible that the
-Create of students made higher growth
spreadsheet for growth than not, rate in math could
teachers to input many of the be attributed
current RIT students on the somewhat to the
scores, goals, and negative side had new skills being
March RIT scores. very large drops. taught during this
-Gather data and This is, of course, time. New skills
analyze results. quite concerning are not introduced
as we head into as frequently in
STAAR. reading.
-Goal setting did 2. This is our first
not turn out as year using MAP
hoped. Fewer fully, and we are
than half of the not really sure
students in both what amount of
subjects met their growth is
goal, with 33% in reasonable in a
reading and 45% month’s time.
in math. Therefore, it is
-It was expected likely that the
that most goals set were
students would unreasonable in
make no change some cases.
in the Projected 3. It was decided
Proficiency, as that the students
most of the would be tested in
students were too the classroom
low in their during their
current level. In regular class time.
math, 79% made This means that
no change, 10% they were not in a
increased their testing
level, and 10% environment as
decreased their they were in the
level. In reading, fall and winter
66% made no sessions. This
change 21% also could have
increased their impacted the
level, and 13% outcomes.
decreased their 4. I think it is
level. possible that some
-While the results of the students,
were not always a especially for
success, reading, may have
implementing the suffered from
program was. being over-tested.
Each of the team Prior to taking
members the March test,
embraced the students have
project fully. So taken several
often a new campus and
program is district
introduced and assessments, two
teachers are not MAP
provided with the assessments, and
training to use it. the STAAR
That was not the Release.
case here. I
received three As we continue to
district trainings. use MAP Skills in
The 3rd grade our classrooms
team received two this year, I will be
district trainings, interested to see
in addition to my what kind of
trainings. After growth we see in
implementing this the spring
program and assessment in
using it on a daily May.
basis, all of the 3rd
grade teachers
feel confident with
it.