Conducting Action Research

in the School SettingConsiderations for school administrators

Dr. Mark KnightExecutive Director of College and Career Readiness

Puyallup School District

HomeworkYour homework for today:• Identify a program, practice, or course of action in your current school setting.• What might cause you to question the effectiveness of that program, practice,

or course of action?

Disucssion #1 – Talk through the above items with an elbow partner

Discussion #2 – Talk through the following with an elbow partner:• Who is currently evaluating the program, practice, or course of actions that you

have selected? Why or why not?

Our Purpose Today

• Discuss the possible reasons why a leader might want to conduct action research in the school setting.

• Examine a practical example of an action research study in a school setting.

• Generate potential action research topics in your school setting.

Conducting Research

Discussion #3 - Why might a school leader want to conduct research in a building?• Possible reasons:

• New leadership/personnel in key positions• Effectiveness of personnel• Evaluation of new program(s)• Evaluation of old programs (traditions, “sacred cows”…)

• “Purposeful Abandonment”

• 25 years in public education (3 different districts)

• 14 years as a high school administrator - Principal/Assistant Principal (2 different districts)

• 2 years district office administrator

My Background

• 2009 – Doctorate in Education

• Dissertation involving action research in the school setting

• Work that is so compelling that students persist when they experience difficulties.

• Work that is so challenging that students have a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when they accomplish the

tasks assigned.

Setting the Stage

2% 9%2%

11%4%

13%59%

Student Population

Amer. Ind.AsianPac. Island.As./Pac. Isl.BlackHispanicWhite

Fife School District

3550 Students in 7 Schools 1 Primary School (K-1)

2 Intermediate Schools (2-5)1 Middle School (6-7)

1 Junior High School (8-9)1 High School (10-12)1 Alternative School

45% Free/Reduced Lunch

• Descriptive Reviews

• Exemplar Lessons

• Coaching for Design- WOW Academies

Professional Development Progression

School/Classroom Data

(State Assessments, Classroom Based

Assessments, SAT/ACT…)

Identification of Hard to Teach and/or Learn

Concepts

Specific Student Data(Previous grades, reading level, interest

areas ….)

Coaching (Working with a

facilitator to blend specific

student data with hard to teach and/or learn

concepts)

Lesson DesignLesson

Delivery

Student Assessme

nt

Coaching for Design Proces

s

C4D

#1

#5

#4

#3

#2

#7

#6

Changing Demographics

American IndianAsianBlack

HispanicMulti-Racial

Pacific IslanderWhite

Free/Reduced

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

2009-101998-99

Students and Staff Solving Problems

Diversity Summit – 5 Students/2 Staff Members

Fishbowl Activity with Staff – Adult facilitator/5 Students

Faculty Meeting w/Students – Selection of issuesC4D – “Virtual Assembly”

Video - Words That Hurt

Resulting Themes

• Student Voice

• Student voice is the opportunity for young people in the school system to provide their input into issues concerning their education

• Engagement

• A psychological investment in learning, comprehending, or mastering knowledge, skills, and crafts

• Beyond compliance

• Beyond motivation

A Problem of Practice

How can a learning organization create

the capacity for student voice to influence

teacher practice around lesson design so

that the end result is an increase in student

engagement and overall achievement?

Sub Problem #1

Can such a process contribute to the professional and social needs of teachers resulting in a greater

investment in their roles as designers of engaging work for students?

Filter – Communities of Practice

Sub Problem #2

Can such a process contribute to satisfying the academic and social needs of students resulting in a greater investment in their educational

setting?

Filter – Equity in Education

School/Classroom Data

(State Assessments, Classroom Based

Assessments, SAT/ACT…)

Identification of Hard to Teach and/or Learn

Concepts

Specific Student Data(Previous grades, reading level, interest

areas ….)

Coaching (Working with a

facilitator to blend specific

student data with hard to teach and/or learn

concepts)

Lesson DesignLesson

Delivery

Student Assessme

nt

Coaching for Design Proces

s

C4D

#1

#5

#4

#3

#2

#7

#6

School/Classroom Data

(WASL, Classroom Based Assessments,

SAT/ACT…)

Identification of Hard to Teach and/or Learn

Concepts

Specific Student Data(Previous grades, reading level, interest

areas ….)

Coaching (Working with a

facilitator to blend specific

student data with hard to teach and/or learn

concepts)

Lesson DesignLesson

Delivery

Student Assessme

nt

Specific Target Group

Student Focus Groups

Target Questions

Data Collection – Qualitative Research

• Outside consultant hired to conduct interviews of participants• Group interview process• All interviews video recorded• Recordings transcribed• Groups/Participants/Quotes coded

• Student Group (SG)• Individual Students (S1, S2, S3…)

• Teacher Group (TG) • Individual Teachers (T1, T2, T3…)

The Results: Making Sense of the Data

• Focus group preparation• Questioning

• Selection of students

• The group process• Changing perspectives

• Concept development

• Ownership

• Interactions between teachers and students• Empowerment

Conclusions

• The incorporation of student voice activities into the C4D protocol increases the engagement levels of the participants in the lesson design process.

• The incorporation of student voice activities into the C4D protocol increases the perspectives of the participants around the roles that they play in relation to others in the educational system.

• Given the limitations of the study with regard to the time boundaries, it is too early to tell if the student voice activities incorporated within the C4D protocol increase overall student achievement.

Changes Due to the Research

• Building on the findings• 2009 FHS Staff Retreat• Staff Development (concepts and questioning)

• Transfer of the work• Other buildings in the district• Other districts in the Standard Bearer

Network

• Transparency• Website

Questions

Discussion #4 – With an elbow partner, discuss the questions that come to mind regarding this action research example

Discussion #5 – If you were to develop an action research plan for your setting, what would be your focus? • Things to consider:

• Participants• Broad to narrow focus• Quantitative/Qualitative