Action research is an extremely beneficial practice that all
administrators should take part in on a regular basis. While traditional
research just seeks out what university professors or educational specialists
say about a particular issue, action research involves conducting your own
research and analyzing that data to decide the best plan of action for your
particular situation. When an administrator sees an issue in the school or
has an inquiry, it is most beneficial to begin an action research plan. This
can be done solely by the administrator, or responsibility can be divided up
among Professional Learning Teams (PLT’s) or to Campus or District Improvement
Teams. All of these groups should be responsible for collecting and analyzing
data for issues that are affecting their particular group. These issues may
include parental involvement, test scores, student motivation, or any other topic
of interest. Collaboration with others
in the school is essential during action research. Other teachers and
administrators in the school can help reflect on the best method for solving
the problem, and can assist in disaggregating data. While I am just now
learning about action research, I think I have been taking part in it for
awhile and just didn’t realize it. In our Math PLT, we regularly disaggregate
data from common assessments to decide the best ways to reach out to students
who are struggling. Also, in our staff development, we use state test data to
create goals and plans of actions for the school year.
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