Thursday, December 30, 2010

Action Research Future Implementation

There were many things that can be considered highlights throughout the course.  We received a lot of information through our lectures, readings and through the set up of our research.  When we first began this course, when they mention research, I originally thought it would be a traditional research.  However, as we got more in depth, I started to understand the type of research that we would be doing.   It is more of hands on activity research.  It is similar to how I teach in the classroom, whenever I am in the classroom, I like for my students to have hands on material and activities.  Personally, it has shown me throughout the years that they understand more in depth what I am teaching them, instead of the old traditional teaching such as lectures, etc.  Through the activities that we are doing in our active research we get to learn more and be more involve in many things.  At the beginning I did not expect anything of what we are doing.  It has made me talk to people and asking them questions on my research.  I am simply trying to get as much information as possible and it has helped.  When my colleagues ask of how my classes are going,   I explain to them of what we are doing and they are really surprise.   Everything that we have done throughout this course has been very beneficial.  From the beginning with the lectures, the lectures gives us a head start of what we are doing and motivate us to complete the assignment for the week and the ongoing research.  The reading then gives us many ideas and examples that continue to guides us as we work through our material.  As for the assignments and activities, it keeps us to get more knowledge into expanding our active research project.  The discussion boards and blogs, having been the most beneficial ones of them all.  Simply because you get to read about different things that are happening throughout the different school system.  In ways you can relate to some of them and help them out by stating some of the things that one is experiencing in your school system.  That to me is the more helpful resource because it is information that is current and not old material that was written and studied by several people.  Through this course we first began with the samples of the different action research, that really help in planning or giving us an idea on how to get started.  We also read and talked about the benefits of conducting research.  Setting the blogs has opened a whole new world to me; I had very little information on what blogs where, now that I have created my own I can sure implemented in the future as an administrating leader.  The most important highlight to me was listening to the three interviews in which they gave us information on their experience and the advice as well.   I selected two that I wrote about; they were Principal Johnny Briseno and Director of Research, Planning and Development Timothy Chargois.  Although I did not write about the Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis, I saw the interview and gathered a lot of good information.  Throughout this course we read about many different types of research and the one that relates to mine is the Curriculum Development Observation.  Another useful information was the methods used in active research.  Such as Force Field Analysis, Delphi Method and the Nominal Group Technique.  The method that I like the most and that I will be implementing is the Delphi Method.  We also got to go more in detail with our research plan by using the Care Model and meeting with my three site supervisors and peer suggestions through the discussion boards and blogs.  Now, that I am in this program, when I attend many of the meetings, I often think of things that are being discussed and think that would be a good action research project to do.  I think about the blogs or discussions of what some of the other classmates are doing.  Lastly, the last thing that we did was the quality indicators, which guides us in going more in depth and double checking our progress in the active research.    I close this reflection by the most important thing that I learned in this course.  The principal need no longer be the “headmaster” or “instructional leader,’ pretending to know all.  That is that the more crucial role of the principal is as head learner, engaging in the most important enterprise of the schoolhouse-experiencing, displaying, modeling, and celebrating what is hoped and expected that teachers and pupils will do.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Evaluation of C-Scope Curriculum Action Research Plan

Evaluation of C-Scope Curriculum
Action Research Plan

Objective:  Survey the 9th grade Science department teachers regarding the implementation of a    new C-Scope curriculum.
Goals: 
1)    To determine the effectiveness of the C-Scope curriculum implementation on the 9th grade biology classes.
2)    Analyze the results of each six weeks exam data.   

         Action Step(s)             Person                    Timeline:                Needed                    
                                      Responsible              Start/End              Resources             Evaluation
Analyze six weeks data
Rick Torres (Intern Principal)
November 26, 2010 – June 3, 2011
1st and 2nd Six Weeks Results
Use data to create a chart on class performance for each six weeks 2010-2011
Attend the 9th grade Biology  department meetings
Rebecca Ortiz
Biology Department Head
Beginning Dec. 1st and continuing throughout the school year every six weeks.
Handouts for teachers (Surveys, Questionnaires, and Data Collections)
Present information to principal after all information has been compiled per six weeks.
Analyze initial exam data to begin monitoring classes data
R. Torres
November  29, 2010
Progress chart
Exam  data reports
Complete chart with classes  performance plotted
Chart classes growth after each six weeks exam
R. Torres
The 2010-2011 school year
Exam data form and Progress chart
Monitor classes growth between each exam and use this information to make final report at end of school year
Provide six weeks reflection questions for teachers to self-evaluate performance
R. Torres
Beginning Dec. 1st and continuing throughout the school year every six weeks
Teacher reflection journals  or Reflection blog
Intern principal  will monitor teacher responses and compare to other teachers in department
Analyze end of year data and determine student growth
R. Torres
June 2011
Progress charts
on six weeks data and compare it.
Determine student growth overall and in identified from initial exam data


Assessment Instrument for the effectiveness of the action research:  I will use all the six weeks exam results at end of the school year to compile data to be reported to my school principal, who is also my site supervisor.  Determine student growth overall  throughout the school year and  in addition,  this data will determine if implementing C-Scope curriculum impacted student performance through the assessments. Furthermore, it will help our administrators determine what steps and instructional support must be planned for the following school year at 9th grade.