Action Research Progress EDLD 5397

Draft Action Research Project Progress Report

Title

Rescuing BFS – Evaluating the effectiveness and feasibility of Brighter-Farther-Smarter, a current tutoring/study program that has been implemented at Sonora High School.

Needs Assessment

Two years ago, an opportunity for high school students to have access to school resources and certified teachers outside of the traditional school day was developed. The program was named “BFS”, Brighter-Farther-Smarter. The plan opened the library computer lab with two certified teachers on Sunday evenings for three hours. Students have access to computers, library resources, and tutoring. Students can voluntarily come and go, and the certified teachers are compensated hourly.

The inquiry into improving BFS was prompted in a conversation with the high school principal that revealed the thought to discontinue the program. From there, the purpose of the action research project evolved into evaluating the effectiveness and feasibility of the current tutoring/study program that is available to students at Sonora High School.

In the beginning, BFS was a success. Recently, the program has lost popularity. Due to the decline in use of this opportunity, there is the thought to discontinue the program. Reflection of its past success has encouraged the research to determine its continued feasibility.

Vision and Objectives

Rescuing BFS will determine that the program is needed and feasible. The entire campus community will realize the benefits and its former popularity will be restored; and the study/tutoring needs of the students will be met.

1.       Students will be ensured the learning resources to extend their studies outside of the traditional classroom/day. (site, technology, tutoring)

2.       Students will utilize the program to enhance their learning, project results, and assignment completions.

3.       Teachers will utilize the program to extend learning outside of the traditional classroom.

4.       Teachers will recognize the monetary compensation for their volunteer expertise.

5.       The administration will see the benefit of the program and promote it.

6.       The administration will secure the financial resources to continue the program.

Literature Review and Strategy to Establish Research

There will be minimum literature resources utilized in the research. The research is very specific to the local campus. Sources will be sought to reinforce the general need for non-traditional study/tutoring opportunities for students; however, the local need will be the focus of the study. Those needs will be established through local campus experiences.

The decision to focus on BFS resulted through conferences with the campus principal that identified campus needs. Through collaboration, it was determined that redefining the feasibility of BFS would have the most immediate impact on the students’ needs.

Articulation of the Vision

The vision and objectives were established through collaboration with the campus administration. The vision of the action research project was communicated to the campus faculty in the form of survey announcements, survey basis and the actual surveys. The surveys and announcements were distributed through hard copy form and electronic form, and were returned anonymously. After the surveys were completed, the objectives were articulated to the concerned faculty. The purpose of withholding the objectives until after survey completion was to ensure honest answers, versus opinions of the faculty based on personal desires to enhance or discontinue the program. The vision and objectives will not be articulated to the students until BFS is proven to be feasible and effective.

Manage the organization

Procedure is an important calculated portion of the research. When the campus need was identified, a template and guide were used to establish the plan of action for the research. This plan outlined the process and ensured the guided focus. The plan allowed for adjustments as the research progressed. The research required minimal delegation of duties and financial resources. Surveys were developed independently and were proofed by additional faculty before administration. The proofing faculty members were asked for input on the surveys to ensure that pertinent data collection would result. The queries were aligned with student success and safety in mind. Student safety must be considered because the BFS activities occur on campus, but outside of the traditional school day with a minimum number of school personnel present. The only tangible resources were paper and printer ink. Use of these resources was not tracked. The availability and use of these resources was approved by the campus principal and were justified as student enhancement activities.

Manage the Operations

Operations and priorities were established in the beginning stages through the use of an Action Research Plan Template. The plan outlined the process and ensured guided focus. The process required minimal delegation; therefore I was the primary contact, designer, and implementation person. From the Needs Assessment, it was established that there was a distinct need to address this student opportunity and determine the feasibility of continuation. Surveys and questionnaires were distributed to students and teachers that have utilized BFS. The information was analyzed and disaggregated to determine trends in opinions and benefits of the program. Collaboration with involved teachers will be used to explore patterns that indicate possible solutions and ensure that they pertain to the question in order to solidify the desired direction. The identified improvements will then be implemented to the BFS program and monitored for success. Reflection was and will continue to be a vital aspect of each stage of the research process.

Community Interest and Needs

Brighter-Farther-Smarter will be proven as a feasible and effective educational support opportunity for the students of Sonora High School, and the conclusions of the research project will support continuation of BFS. The BFS program has historically shown success through increased class attendance, completion of assignments, successful student research, and improved grade averages. Students will again recognize the opportunity for its benefits to their educational experience. The project will serve the needs of students at all grade, socio-economic, and academic levels. It will allow them to work in a self-paced atmosphere with minimum restrictions or barriers. Technology and technology assistance will be provided during the sessions. The on-site tutors in the form of certified teachers will provide assistance to student need in various subject areas. The discoveries within the research will also reveal time slots and days that will be the most beneficial to the overall student population. Enhanced utilization will provide for growth and address the educational needs of all students. Student development will boost the overall climate of the campus, supporting the theory that success is contagious. Reinforcement of the findings will lead the teachers to promote and encourage utilization of this student opportunity. Buy-in by the school community will be vital, but should be easily promoted.

Course Reflection EDLD 5326

As I look back on 5326 and reflect on what new things have been discovered, I have to admit that the course sent me in a different direction than I thought we were headed. My previous view of school community relations was from an advertising-only standpoint. I now realize that true school community relations are partnerships with the community that promote and build student achievement, not just methods of advertising existing achievements. I also now have a greater appreciation for the impact that parent involvement at the home level can have on student success. I am certain that there will be many more discoveries as I delve deeper into the realm of school community relations.

Week 5 Reflection EDLD 5301

While I am on a short break between stock shows I will take this opportunity to reflect on my experience in EDLD 5301 Action Research.  I have learned that there is a difference between traditional and action research, and what those differences are. We, as educators, have been engaged in action research since we began teaching—whether we knew it or not. This awareness has enabled me to identify need areas within my campus that would benefit from a structured action research activity. Another area of realization is the usefulness of blogs. I now have an appreciation for blogs as a pathway to communication between educational professionals and to the entire school community.  I must admit that this course has been much more interesting and thought-provoking than I had initially anticipated. My first impression of “research” was not flattering, however I have learned to view it from a different perspective.

Rescuing BFS (revised)

Action Research Plan
Goal: To salvage and improve the BFS program, a student resource at Sonora High School
Outcomes/ Objectives:	Activities:	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Resources Needed:	Evaluation & Monitoring:
Set the Foundation: Determine the need areas for the campus	Conference with Raul Chavarria, Sonora HS Principal, to discuss research topics	Michael Kissire & Raul Chavarria	January 2012	Three proposed research topics	The BFS topic was chosen as the most beneficial to the campus
Analyze Data: Collect data concerning the use of BFS	Collect data through surveys of teachers and students that have utilized BFS	Michael Kissire & other identified teachers and students	February 2012 – April 2013	Copy of the BFS sign-in sheet. Questionnaires that are developed to identify strengths, weaknesses, and benefits of BFS	Data collected will be examined to determine desires of students and teachers
Develop a Deeper Understanding: Disaggregate information accumulated in surveys	Data will be broken down to isolate students and teachers that have had positive experiences from those with negative experiences.	Michael Kissire & other identified teachers and students	February 2012 – April 2013	Questionnaires that are developed to identify strengths, weaknesses, and benefits of BFS. Further questions will be developed from findings.	The findings will determine further questioning to evaluate positives to build on and negatives to improve on.
Engage in Self Reflection: Reflect on the findings thus far and determine if it is being approached completely	Determine if the initial approach is exposing the needed information for progress and begin molding a plan for implementation	Michael Kissire	February 2012 – April 2013	Time and willingness to recognize any shortcomings in the process	If necessary, adjust my approach accordingly to stay focused on the desired outcome and begin realizing the big picture.
Explore Patterns: Compare findings with the principal and teachers to encourage input	Collaborate with the campus principal and other teachers to gather feedback on possible solutions.	Michael Kissire, Raul Chavarria & identified teachers for collaboration	February 2012 – April 2013	All data collected and analyzed to this point, and concerned campus teachers	Evaluate feedback to fine-tune possible solutions that will return BFS to its initial success.
Determine Direction: Remaining questions will be answered and the program improvements will be finalized for implementation.	Confirm that all aspects have been addressed and that the solutions pertain to the problems	Michael Kissire & Raul Chavarria	February 2012 – April 2013	A recap of questions that are pertinent to the implementation of aspects that will enhance participation for students and teachers	Evaluation will be a collaborative effort of campus teachers, the campus principal, and Michael Kissire
Take Action: Implementing the improvements to BFS.	The improvements will be applied to the BFS program to encourage utilization of the educational resource.	Michael Kissire & Raul Chavarria	February 2012 – April 2013	Continued use of the library computer lab during the specified session times and certified teachers willing to contribute	Participation will be monitored and student improvement reports will be solicited from teachers.
Sustain Improvement: Share findings for student improvement	The ideas and improvements of the program will be shared for collaboration that will encourage thoughts for continued progress.	Michael Kissire & All Stakeholders	Begin with implementation and continue accordingly	An open mind, and the technology and desire for student success.	Monitoring will be ongoing and will solicit recommendations for further improvement.

Week 4 Reflection EDLD 5301

I am a little more anxious to complete my week 4 assignment as I am preparing to start the annual stock show trek as an Ag Teacher. I figure it is better to get it done before-hand than to try to work on it in the pickup or in a hotel room in San Antonio, San Angelo and Houston. The Lamar University online program is effectively teaching me to subdue my procrastination tendencies.

The biggest roadblock that I have had in attempting to finish in the first half of the week is getting enough timely feedback on the discussion boards and blogs to base part 3 of the assignment. After some feedback and the conference with my site supervisor, I have concluded to open the timeline on the plan to include most of a school year. Lifting the time constraints will allow for accurate data collection through the various extra-curricular seasons.

Now, it’s time to get on the road and time to starting thinking about week 5.

Action Research Plan

Action Research Plan
Goal: To salvage and improve the BFS program, a student resource at Sonora High School
Outcomes/ Objectives:	Activities:	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Resources Needed:	Evaluation & Monitoring:
Set the Foundation: Determine the need areas for the campus	Conference with Raul Chavarria, Sonora HS Principal, to discuss research topics	Michael Kissire & Raul Chavarria	January 2012	Three proposed research topics	The BFS topic was chosen as the most beneficial to the campus
Analyze Data: Collect data concerning the use of BFS	Collect data through surveys of teachers and students that have utilized BFS	Michael Kissire & other identified teachers and students	February 2012 – December 2012	Copy of the BFS sign-in sheet. Questionnaires that are developed to identify strengths, weaknesses, and benefits of BFS	Data collected will be examined to determine desires of students and teachers
Develop a Deeper Understanding: Disaggregate information accumulated in surveys	Data will be broken down to isolate students and teachers that have had positive experiences from those with negative experiences.	Michael Kissire & other identified teachers and students	February 2012 – December 2012	Questionnaires that are developed to identify strengths, weaknesses, and benefits of BFS. Further questions will be developed from findings.	The findings will determine further questioning to evaluate positives to build on and negatives to improve on.
Engage in Self Reflection: Reflect on the findings thus far and determine if it is being approached completely	Determine if the initial approach is exposing the needed information for progress and begin molding a plan for implementation	Michael Kissire	February 2012 – December 2012	Time and willingness to recognize any shortcomings in the process	If necessary, adjust my approach accordingly to stay focused on the desired outcome and begin realizing the big picture.
Explore Patterns: Compare findings with the principal and teachers to encourage input	Collaborate with the campus principal and other teachers to gather feedback on possible solutions.	Michael Kissire, Raul Chavarria & identified teachers for collaboration	February 2012 – December 2012	All data collected and analyzed to this point, and concerned campus teachers	Evaluate feedback to fine-tune possible solutions that will return BFS to its initial success.
Determine Direction: Remaining questions will be answered and the program improvements will be finalized for implementation.	Confirm that all aspects have been addressed and that the solutions pertain to the problems	Michael Kissire & Raul Chavarria	February 2012 – December 2012	A recap of questions that are pertinent to the implementation of aspects that will enhance participation for students and teachers	Evaluation will be a collaborative effort of campus teachers, the campus principal, and Michael Kissire
Take Action: Implementing the improvements to BFS.	The improvements will be applied to the BFS program to encourage utilization of the educational resource.	Michael Kissire & Raul Chavarria	February 2012 – December 2012	Continued use of the library computer lab during the specified session times and certified teachers willing to contribute	Participation will be monitored and student improvement reports will be solicited from teachers.
Sustain Improvement: Share findings for student improvement	The ideas and improvements of the program will be shared for collaboration that will encourage thoughts for continued progress.	Michael Kissire & All Stakeholders	Begin with implementation and continue accordingly	An open mind, and the technology and desire for student success.	Monitoring will be ongoing and will consider recommendations for further improvement.