Action Research Plan version 2

Action Research Plan on Early Literacy

The topic of early literacy skills was chosen for action research because at our school the kindergartners and first graders are consistently performing below grade level on their DRA2 assessment. In Kindergarten at the end of the school year 70% of our students were below grade level on the DRA2. In first grade, 64% of our students were considered below grade level on the DRA2 level. This is a trend that is getting worse as the years continue instead of improving. The action research questions that address possible areas for action research are:
(1) What areas of reading are the areas in which our kindergartners and first graders struggle the most in learning to read?
(2) What research based practices can our teachers use in order to meet the needs of our struggling kindergartners and first graders in order to get them to be successful readers that read at or above grade level as prescribed by the school district?
(3) How does teaching to the identified greatest area of need in reading impact other areas of reading ability in the kindergarten and first grade teachers that are involved in the study?
The reason for doing action research on this topic is to identify gaps in the learning of students at the kindergarten and first grade level in reading instruction and to meet the needs of these students by providing teachers with research based strategies that will address these deficit areas and give the students the strategies and skills needed to be successful readers. This is important to study because reading affects every area of learning. If a student is not a successful reader, he or she will most likely have a problem in other areas because of the integral part that reading plays in all subjects. I think that if this area of study is addressed and a specific area of weakness is found then the best practices that are identified for this area of weakness can be used to help the students to be better readers. Improvement in one area of reading will help to improve the other areas of reading as well, and then our students should be more successful readers. When the students are more successful readers, they will enjoy it more and they will hopefully become lifetime readers and hopefully that will lead to more success in school overall.
Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation: The goal of this action research project is to identify the areas of reading in which our students in kindergarten and first grade struggle the most and to address those needs using research based practices. When these practices are put into place it is expected that the students in kindergarten and first grade will become more successful readers and will be able to meet the district set standards for being successful readers. This means that the students in kindergarten will end the school year reading on DRA2 level 4 in May and the first graders will end the school year reading on DRA2 level 18 by the end of the school year. The goal is also for these kindergarten and first grade students to receive a rating of developed on the TPRI assessment for their grade level.
Activities designed to achieve the objectives: This action research project will begin with an information meeting September 27th. Then the students will take assessments that are given individually by the classroom teacher beginning on October 4, 2010. These assessments will test phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. The assessments that will be used will be the TPRI and the DRA2. Once the assessments have been completed, the data will be compiled and I will look at the data in order to identify an area of deficiency in one of these five areas of reading. Once an area has been identified, research based strategies will be identified that will address this need in the students. The teachers of the grade levels along with administrators and me will meet to identify the strategy or strategies that we feel will best meet the needs of our students. The teachers will be trained in using this strategy or strategies and go back to the classroom to put them into practice. I will meet with the teachers every six weeks to allow for time to evaluate how the teachers feel the program is working and whether or not the strategies need to be adjusted for the students. The students will be assessed three times a year using the DRA2, and the TPRI. The data from these assessments will be used in the meetings as data for influencing decision making. At the end of the school year the assessment data will be compiled and the administrators, teachers, and me will get together to assess how effective this research has been in meeting the needs of the students.
Resources and research tools needed for data gathering: The resources and research tools that will be needed for gathering data on the action research project are the TPRI and the DRA2 at the appropriate grade level. There will also need to be a log for keeping track of meetings and decisions made about the instruction of the students. Another tool that I can use will be a resource that contains research based strategies for meeting the needs of students in each of the important areas of reading. This information can be found in the Master Reading Teacher Certification binders and books that I obtained this summer in my Certification class.
Timeline for completion or implementation of activities: An assessment timeline consists of dates for the various activities that will help to enact this research study. The timeline begins on the week of September 27, 2010 with an informative meeting to explain the action research project. Then on October 4, 2010 there will be beginning of the year assessments. The teachers will have two weeks to complete these assessments and will need to have them turned in to me by October 15, 2010. The middle of the year assessments will occur during the two week period that begins with January 10 and lasts until January 24, 2011. Assessment data will need to be turned in to me by January 24, 2011. The end of the year assessments will take place from May 2, 2011 until May 13, 2011. The data will need to be turned in to me by May 13, 2011. The first meeting will take place October 22, 2010 in order to identify an area of need. From October 22, 2010 until October 29, 2010 will be used to gather research based strategies. A meeting will be held on November 2, 2010 in order for the group to come to a consensus on what strategies they would like to use first. November 4, 2010 will be used to teach the strategies to the teachers and instruct them on expectations. Meetings will be held every six weeks until the end of the school year to review how things are going. January 27, 2011 the teachers will meet after the mid-year assessment to evaluate how things are going and see if any changes need to be made. Data from this meeting will be given to administrators. Meetings will continue every three weeks after this meeting. The last assessment data is due May 13, 2011. There will be a meeting May 18, 2011 to review the research and reflect on the process. Teachers will be interviewed on how they think the process went and will be asked for suggestions for the future. The data and the interview responses will be given to administrators in order to let them know how things went in the study. At this meeting student data will be used to plan instruction for the next year for kindergarten and for first grade.
Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan: I will be running the action research project. I will lead the meetings and the project. I will provide all necessary materials and I will facilitate the meetings and decision making that occurs. All data will be turned in to the principal to keep her updated on what is happening and any findings. The teachers of kindergarten and first grade will assess their students and provide them with instruction using the practices that have been researched. These teachers will also be interviewed for their input and will help in the decision making based on what they experience and see in their classrooms. The principal will review the data and make any suggestions she deems necessary. She will provide support for the program in the school.
Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives: In order to monitor the achievement of the goals and objectives of this research project, I will meet with the teachers and the administrator regularly. A journal or log will be compiled that outlines the steps that were taken and the reasons behind the decision making. All data from the assessments will be turned in to me so that I can compile it into a format that determines how successful the project was in meeting the desired goals and objectives.
Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study: The assessment instruments that will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study are the TPRI and the DRA2. If the students are considered to be on grade level on the TPRI, they will be scored as developed in their grade level. If the students are to be considered on grade level for DRA2, they will have to meet or exceed standards set by the school district. For kindergarten, this means obtaining a DRA2 score of 4 by the end of the school year. For first grade, this means obtaining a DRA2 score of 18 by the end of the school year. Teacher interviews will also be used in order to gain insight into what the teachers saw and experienced in the classroom as to the effectiveness, usefulness, and practicality of the practices that were used during the school year.
OUTCOMES ACTIVITIES RESOURCES/ RESEARCH TOOLS NEEDED RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS ACTIVITIES TIME LINE
Establish understanding of plan Meet with the teachers to explain action research plan Data from previous years Terry Boyd and Classroom Teachers September 27, 2010
Baseline data for determining area(s) of need Pre-assessment TPRI- K & 1st grade
DRA2-1st grade
Classroom teachers will complete assessments
Terry Boyd will compile data into grid October 4-October 15, 2010
Area(s) of need identified Meet and collaborate with kindergarten and first grade teachers to identify area of need in reading. Data from beginning of the year assessments Classroom teachers
Terry Boyd
*Data turned in to administration October 22, 2010
Research based strategy bank Research possible strategies to meet deficit area of students Master Reading Teacher materials containing research based strategies Terry Boyd October 22-29, 29, 2010
Agreed upon research based strategy Meet with teachers to gain consensus on strategy to use for identified need. Research based strategies bank created from MRT resources Classroom teachers and Terry Boyd
*strategy turned in to administration November 2,2010
Establish criteria and expectations and instruct on research based strategy Meet with teachers to establish expectations and instruct on the proper use of the agreed upon strategy Research based strategy and materials for instruction Classroom teachers and Terry Boyd November
4, 2010
Collaboration and Communication Meet with teachers to discuss concerns and questions that arise from implementation Classroom teachers and Terry Boyd Every six weeks until
End of the program and/or as need arises in informal checks with teachers in passing
Data for evaluation of best practice and revaluation of program Midyear assessment TPRI-K
DRA2- K & 1st grade Classroom teachers will complete assessments
Terry Boyd will compile data into grid
*data turned in to administration 1/10/2011-1/24/2011
Data for evaluation of best practice End of year assessment TPRI-K & 1st grade
DRA2- K & 1st grade Classroom teachers will complete assessments
Terry Boyd will compile data into grid
*data turned in to administration 5/2/2011-5/13/2011
Interviews from teachers on success/failures of strategy and ideas for improved results Evaluate data and program revaluate process and strategy for future use Data from assessments
Interview questionnaire
Classroom teachers and Terry Boyd
*data turned in to administration 5/18/2011
Plan for next year Meet with teachers and administration. Present data and findings and decide plan for the 2011-2012 school year. SIP or PIP form
Data from assessments
Findings from study prepared in presentation format Classroom teachers and Terry Boyd
Administrators 5/23/2011

*Remember, the Action Research Plan is the framework or blueprint for your Action Research Project that may take several courses, and months, to complete. One of the major goals of EDLD 5301 is to provide this blueprint to assist you in implementing, monitoring and assessing your Action Research Project process and product.

Report and Dissemination of SIP/PIP Findings, Implications and Recommendations: Students will be asked to develop a School Improvement Action Plan Report for your Final Comprehensive Report in EDLD 5398. This report should also address the findings, implications and recommendations from your action research. The report should also provide