Reflections on my EDLD 5301 Class

When I first started this course and read my first chapter in the Nancy Fichtman Dana book entitled Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher, I learned the definition of administrator inquiry.  Dana (2009) states, “administrator inquiry refers to the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of inquiry” (p. 2).  As I read further, into the chapter, the idea became a bit less alien.  However, the definition was not crystal clear until week two when I saw the videos of Dr. Johnny Briseno, Dr. Tim Chargois, and Dr. Kirk Lewis probably because they were discussing what their own personal experiences have been with administrator inquiry.  Another reason why it may have been more understandable could be because there is something more tangible about seeing and hearing a person talk as opposed to reading about it in a book.  I’m not, in any way, undermining the book; it was a great help, but I guess I’m more of a visual learner.  I completely appreciated their advice.  From Dr. Briseno, I take the “don’t reinvent the wheel” advice about reading what others have done, so I will apply this when I get into my parental involvement research.  I will read up on what others have done and see how I can incorporate others' findings into my research.  From Dr. Chargois, I take, “Use data to impact instruction.”  In collecting my data, I have high hopes that it will make a huge difference in our campus.  Lastly, from Dr. Lewis, I take, “Do what is practical for you.”  I don’t think I have to explain that further.  All three men offered wonderful advice that made my apprehensive approach toward action research unwarranted.  I am forever grateful.  I think it was their advice that served as a springboard for delving into my research.  With the understanding that I don’t have to bite on more that I can chew, that I can research something that I’m honestly curious about, that I can research an area of concern for my campus, that it’s okay to see what others have done and not have to research “where no man has gone before,” I gained the confidence to take the plunge. 

My Revised Action Research Plan

Revised Action Research Plan
Goal: to determine the effect parental involvement has on the 9th grade population’s academic performance and find means of increasing involvement
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Create a student survey through www.surveymonkey.com in which students complete a parent involvement report card answering questions about how involved or not involved parents are	Celica I. Pena	Feb. 2012-May 2012	-Surveys (survey monkey) -Students -First semester grade reports -Chart to pinpoint student grades in correlation to parental involvement (student perspective)	Completed surveys and student grade reports
Create a send-home parent survey in which the parents rate their level of involvement in their students’ academic performance and provide an electronic survey through www.surveymonkey.com for those who don’t have Internet access	Celica I. Pena	Feb. 2012-May 2012	-Surveys -Parents -First semester grade reports -chart to pinpoint student grades in correlation to parental involvement (parents’ perspective)	Completed surveys and student grade reports
Share data findings as well as share tips for parental involvement such as helping students early on with scholarship applications during Fish Camp, Meet the Teacher night, through Blackboard Connect, and KWES	Celica I. Pena Admin. Teachers KWES staff	August 2012	Research data Laptop/projector PowerPoint Brochures	Student/Parent feedback

Action Research Plan

Action Research Plan
Goal: to determine the effect parental involvement has on the 9th grade population’s academic performance and find means of increasing involvement
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Create a student survey in which students complete a parent involvement report card answering questions about how involved or not involved parents are	Celica I. Pena	Feb. 2012-May 2012	-Surveys -Students -First semester grade reports -Chart to pinpoint student grades in correlation to parental involvement (student perspective)	Completed surveys and student grade reports
Create a send-home parent survey in which the parents rate their level of involvement in their students’ academic performance	Celica I. Pena	Feb. 2012-May 2012	-Surveys -Parents -First semester grade reports -chart to pinpoint student grades in correlation to parental involvement (parents’ perspective)	Completed surveys and student grade reports
Share data findings during Fish Camp and Meet the Teacher	Celica I. Pena Administration Teachers	August 2012	Research data Laptop/projector PowerPoint Brochures	Student/Parent feedback

It's the end of week two of my EDLD 5301 Research course, and I must say that I was a bit overwhelmed with the thought of research, but after watching the videos and listening to Dr. Johnny Briseno and Dr. Kirk Lewis, I'm a little more at ease.  I learned that my research doesn't have to be a huge undertaking and that much can be discovered if instead of "reinventing the wheel," I research others' research in hopes of gaining insight.  Also, I had my feet firmly planted on the idea of researching parental involvement (still leaning toward it at 98%), but week two's assignment which had me include three possible research topics did make me consider researching the effectiveness of instructional assistants in assisting with inclusion students, for I have had assistants assigned to my room, but most of the time they don't show up.  I'm wondering if this is happening to others and how this reflects on the students' scores.

Action Research: What I Learned

At the start of our second semester, as usual, we met for staff development in our library.  Our administration welcomed us and reminded us of the new state standards and our need for increased rigor in the classroom.  This was followed by a “gifting” process which consisted of administration disseminating Rigor is NOT a Four-Letter Word by Barbara R. Blackburn and letting us know that we (as a campus) were going to start a book study and meet once a week to discuss assigned chapters.  What ensued was a series of side conversations, most having come to the conclusion that we had one more “item” on our plates.  Now, having read from Leading with Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Fichtman Dana, I understand this great undertaking.  I literally felt the light bulb turn on: our principal is engaging in inquiry, and his goal is that our school will be able to come up with answers as we meet during our common planning time to discuss our understanding of rigor as well as strategies that work to incorporate rigor across the disciplines.  Dana metaphorically compares making time for exercise to making time for inquiry, and our principal is doing just that.  Just as we can devote at least an hour of exercise three times a week, we can devote ourselves to reading two chapters a week and a forty-five minute day discussion.  This relates to Dana’s professional learning communities, as she describes them as “small groups of faculty who meet regularly to study more effective learning and teaching practices.”  We meet as small learning community teachers during our assigned common planning time to ensure we keep small groups as Dana describes.  I like the idea of being able to keep this blog in order for us to interact with our classmates about our action research, getting feedback and possible recommendations.  I can also see how I can incorporate blogs easily in the classroom with my students.  This is my first blog, and I’m excited about the possibilities.

Educational leaders could benefit by keeping a blog as well.  As I mentioned earlier, some of my colleagues were apprehensive about having an extra duty and as a result, they may not do the reading.  One way to monitor that we are keeping up with the book could be by requiring us to respond to a blog question; that way, they will get a clear indication as to teacher participation.  An area of concern is parental involvement, so there could be a blog dedicated to addressing parents’ concerns as well as distributing pertinent information.