The lecture gave me an understanding of what were the basic needs for the work that week and what I need to do to plan an action research project. Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Arterbury both gave me better insight on how to start an action research project. They lead the way on how to discover the action research question that I am researching.

The readings gave me the clarification and example of an action research project. Also, the readings showed me certain aspects about the action research plan. You should read in the area of your interests. Find an article on the internet pertaining to your current difficulty. Read the article and it may solve your problem. Don’t shy away from thoroughly researching the topic so that you can find as much as you can and maybe someone has the answer to your problem. “Why reinvent the wheel”.

From the videos I learn many things. I learned that action research can be big part of successful schools. They use it almost every day. They look at data extensively. The data is the driving forces for their research and success of the students. They ask critical thinking question of the teachers and administrators. They think that practical use of action research for the school and students is more important than some research that cannot be use in the school or classroom.

Through the web searches I found that for my action plan I would need more information to be released by the state of Texas. I look at the Texas Education Agency web site to compare the objectives on TAKS test and End of Course test. There are no release test for the End of Course exam right now but I assume they will release some question so we can prepare our students for next year. I also found other action research plans on the web which helped further guide my plan.

The activities and assignments made me think about and prepare how to accomplish my action research plan. Assignments help give the insight on how to arrange a better action research plan. Details of the action research plan were discovered through the assignments.

The discussion board let me see other action research plans and who was doing them. They also gave me insight to what their difficulties were and how they were working through them. It gave me feedback on my action research plan and how I can improve the plan. The discussion boards allow us to feel more like a team or class than we might have otherwise. They provide a sense of camaraderie.

The blogs gave the direction I needed for my action research plan. Fellow students provided new ideas to look at in the action research. The blog will be helpful as I follow the progress of the other student’s action research plan and their reflections.

Research Action Plan

If TAKS and EOC are assessing the same objectives, what is the cause of the discrepancy in scores? For the ’09-’10 school year the passing rate on the TAKS is 70% while the state passing rate on the End of Course exam is 59%. How can we address this instructionally?

Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation
The goal is to improve the End of Course Exams/ STAR Exams.

Activities designed to achieve the objectives
1) Investigate the variation in depth and complexity of the assessment instrument.
2) Vocabulary differences leading to the disparity in success on exams.
3) The consequences of curriculum design on test success.

Resources and research tools needed for data gathering
The resources I will use include the End of Course exam objectives and released items in addition to TAKS exams objectives and released items. I would also like to collaborate with other Algebra 1 teachers in my district as well as those from other districts. Considering our district uses of C-Scope, I would like to visit with their curriculum writers.

Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities
August 2010 to October 2010 - Review objective differences between from.
November 2010 to January 2011 - Compare mutli-level TAKS released items February 2011 to April 2011 - Address curriculum concerns will from

Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan
I am the person responsible for implementation of the action research plan.

Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives
Site mentor and the other Algebra 1 teachers will monitor the achievement of goals and objectives.

Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study
Success improves scores on the End of Course exam.

Week 2 of action research

I learned that action research is a big part of their success in schools. School leader use it almost every day. They look at data extensively. The data is the driving forces for their research and success of the students. They ask critical thinking question of the teachers and administrators. They think that practical use of action research for the school and students is more important than more traditional research that cannot be used in the school or classroom. I discovered from the chapter The Passion That Drive Your Journey what the nine major wonderings of many school leaders are; staff development, curriculum development, individual teacher(s), individual student(s), school culture/community, leadership, management, school performance and social justice or equity issues. I found out how important they are in schools and examples of how administrators used them.

Action research

I learned that through action research administrators seek out change and contemplate on their practices by posing questions and collecting data to gain insight. Action research allows administrators to understand people, contexts and circumstances of life in education. The administrators are empowering educators and giving voice to teachers, students and other administrators. Action research is exposing that which is present but hidden. Most administrators utilize action research as a tool to improve their schools and themselves. One of the goals of action research is to improve TAKS scores. As a result of this goal schools are deeply invested in action research. We ask the questions “how can we improve students score?” Then we investigate our strengths and weaknesses, devise and implement a plan to address the weaknesses and thereby improve scores. During this process the teacher, by means of assessment tools sees if the students are improving. Next teacher and administrator review the results and modify their plan. The process repeats itself until the ultimate assessment, the TAKS test. Then at the end of the school teachers and administrator get together to review the strengths and weaknesses of the plan and see what they can improve on it. Dana puts it best with quote “Thus, an inquiry stance is synonymous with professional growth and provides a nontraditional approach to administrator development that can lead to meaningful change for schools and all the people who inhabit them- principals, teacher and students.”



Blogging can help administrators collaborate with other administrators in nearby districts. Blogging also allows the administrator to reach out to the local community and obtain input of the people there. Plus students can voice some concerns and thoughts that could help the school grow in a positive manner.


Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading With Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.