This is the part of researching that I hate . . . planning the project itself. I enjoy coming up with the ideas, I like carrying out the research project, I don't mind summarizing what I have learned/determined from my research - but I do not like planning the project. However, that being said, I trudged through doing so & have a basic idea of what I am looking to do. So here it is:
- Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation
The goal is to determine in student achievement (in any area) is impacted by recognition of student accomplishments in that given area.
- Activities designed to achieve the objectives
* A character award to be implemented during morning announcements (Ranger Award) for recognition of students who are applying the character traits that are being learned.
* An award for perfect attendance and near perfect attendance (less than 3 absences in a semester).
* An award for 'honor' roll students for each six weeks, semester and year.
* A B.U.G. award to recognize students who have improved their grades by a certain amount of points (5 or 10, TBD) each 6 weeks.
- Resources and research tools needed for data gathering
* Need to have access to attendance records to determine which students will receive awards; also to track any changes in attendance trends by 6 weeks.
* Need to print grades to determine 'honor roll' students.
* Need teacher assistance to determine which students need to receive BUG awards for each 6 weeks.
* Need all personnel assistance to be on the lookout for students displaying the character traits that are being learned.
* Need award paper, award ribbons, and prize (pencils?, gift certificate to local restaurant?) incentives to use for student recognition.
* Need access to data on office referrals to determine if character award recognitions decrease the number of office referrals.
* Benchmark testing data to determine increases in achievement
- Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities
*
Character awards – to be implemented after the 1st semester.* B.U.G. awards to be implemented at end of the 2nd 6 weeks.
* All others to be recognized beginning with end of 1st 6 weeks.
- Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan
* PEIMS personnel (for attendance), Teachers (for grade based awards), All staff members (for Character awards)
- Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives
* Disaggregating Benchmark data to determine trends
* Determining attendance trends
* Reviewing office referral data to determine if character awards result in a decrease in office referrals
* Monitoring of students receiving BUG awards; what do their grades do after receiving the awards (maintain new level, decrease, increase)?
* Compilation of the data for 'honor roll' students, how to the number of students receiving these awards change (maintain, decrease, increase)?
- Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study
* Disaggregation of student data (from previous years and current year) to determine what impact the awards had on student achievement.
I am sure this will need revision once I am finally able to coordinate a meeting with my site supervisor, but it is my foundation J So yay, I got a basic plan down!
I really enjoyed reading your action research plan. The first school I worked at had a TIGER Award and it to was for those students who improved in any subject area 5 or more points from the 1st six weeks to the 2nd six weeks. Then again comparing each six weeks to the previous. When I moved campuses, I did this with my classroom and called it the Great Progress Award.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the Ranger Award. Our district does a character luncheon. At the end of each month every teacher on every campus submits a students name to the designated person on campus and then a drawing is held for 2 students out of the ones nominated for representing that months character trait. Those two students then attend a luncheon sponsored by the district.
Good Luck!