Update to My Action Research

My action research project is in full swing.  In June, I analyzed the fifth grade Science STAAR scores from my new school that I would be teaching at this school year.  Overall, our scores were at a 75% which is a drop from the previous year.  I compared our scores to the fifth grade scores in our district.  The district overall scores for 2013 was a 73.
After speaking with the Science Coordinator for grades K-6, she said that the school board is questioning what is happening in Science at these grade levels.  I attended a school board meeting and there was quite a bit of discussion concerning how to raise the science scores across the district.  I worked closely with the Science Coordinator to get a proposal for a new science curriculum and the district approved it.  So we are now vertically aligned grades K-6 which should help with our scores.  My school also increased the amount of time students spend in Science daily from 45 minutes to 65 minutes.  We are back in teams but right now the focus is on intervention with our Math and Reading students.  I will be planning an interdisciplinary unit with the focus on Science for the beginning of November.
I created a curriculum-based assessment that all fifth grade teachers will be giving their students this week.  That will be my first data point that I will be collecting.  I will also be sending out a survey to the teachers to see if the new curriculum is working for them and for their students, as well as if the increase in the time given to Science is making a difference in the students' success in their classrooms.
I have written six curriculum-based assessments that will be taken throughout the year and will continue gathering the data from these.  I will also continue to survey the teachers on the progress in the classroom with their students.  I will continue to research districts in the area that have already moved in this direction.  Of course in the Spring, I will be collecting the Science STAAR scores for my school and the district to analyze and see if the programs put in place have had a positive effect on the scores of the test.

Looking Pretty Good

This week was definitely a low-stress assignment week.  I felt a lot more comfortable in reviewing my plan because I wasn't creating anything brand new.  I'm not working at the school I will be doing my action research plan in so I have emailed with my principal numerous times to get her feedback on the project.
This week I had the opportunity to Facetime with my new principal as we looked again over the action research plan.  We were both really pleased with it's set up and are looking forward to the implementation with the new school year.  I did add a blog to the way I will disseminate the information collected so that I could communicate in another form with my colleagues and my principal.  I also changed the dates of my data collection.  I focused on only using the Science STAAR data from 2013 and 2014 because the scores counted those years and not 2012.

Action Planning Template
Goal:  To improve the district science STAAR scores of fifth grade students relative to the state scores from 2013 to 2014.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Increase the amount of time fifth grade students spend in science class from 45 minutes to 65 minutes daily.	All fifth grade teachers will plan according to the new schedule. Assistant Principals Principal District Elementary Science Coordinator	New schedule: August 2013 – 2014 First Survey:  November 2013 Second Survey: March 2013 District will determine the benchmark dates for the 2013-2014 school year. Classroom Observations:  August 2013 – May 2014	Surveys given to fifth grade science teachers to see if they see improvement in student achievement in their own classrooms.  How often? School and District-wide Benchmark assessments given to the students to check for improvement of grades from the 2012-2013 school year to the current 2013-2014 school year.	I will gather the survey results given to the teachers and determine if time is a factor in student achievement.  This will also be recorded in the blog. I will compare the benchmark assessments given during varied times of the year to look for improvement of scores.  I will also compare the benchmark assessment scores from 2012-2013 school year to the current 2013-2014 school year. Classroom observations
Reintroduce teams at the fifth grade level so interdisciplinary units that support science are possible.	Fifth grade teams and their science teachers to aid in the creation and implementation of science-based interdisciplinary units. Team Leaders Principal	August 2013 - February 2014 Unit Test: February 2014 Survey: February 2014	I will work collaboratively with the team teachers to create an interdisciplinary unit that will support the science curriculum and create the assessment to measure the learning objectives presented to the students. Survey given to the team teachers after the unit takes place to evaluate student performance and the academic outcomes provided in the unit.	I will collect date from the assessments given to the students and will gather the survey results given to the teachers.  This will also be recorded in the blog.
Use vertically aligned Science Curriculum (grades K-6)	Fifth grade Science teachers Principal District Elementary Science Coordinator	Stemscopes and Curriculum:  August 2013 – May 2014 District will determine the benchmark dates for the 2013-2014 school year. First Survey:  November 2013 Second Survey: March 2013	Stemscopes Science Curriculum Stemscopes Representative – Gloria Chatelain District Scope and Sequence Collaboration on lesson plans for fifth grade science Survey to teachers over use of new curriculum	Calibration of assessments based on Stemscopes and the new curriculum. I will use District-wide Benchmark assessment results to see if the curriculum is being used successfully in grades K-5.  This will also be recorded in the blog. I will gather the survey results from the teachers to compare the amount of time using the new curriculum to the assessment scores.  This will also be recorded in the blog.
Analysis of Science STAAR scores from 2013 through 2014.	Principal District Elementary Science Coordinator	May 2014	Texas Education Agency District and state fifth grade Science STAAR results from 2013 and 2014	I will compare the scores given the original 45 minute classes, no teams, and not having a vertically aligned curriculum with the 2014 Science STAAR results after an increase in class time, having teams at the fifth grade level, and a vertically aligned curriculum grades K-6. I will compare district versus state scores to look for an improvement over the state scores.

Week 3 - Getting More Specific

One thing that I like about action research projects such as this, is that it is a work in progress.  I have had a difficult time taking my topic and dwindling it down to something specific.  I believe this is because I am not currently teaching in the school that this project will be taking place in next year.  So I feel like I am not getting the time, the feedback that I believe I would be getting if I was a current teacher there.  On a positive note, my new principal is amazing and I am really looking forward to working with her as my mentor during this project. 
I was able to meet with her once for quite some time and she and I were able to come up with the topic of 5th grade Science STAAR scores of the district relative to the state scores and the reasons as to why our scores were lower than the state.  We will be looking at time spent in the science classrooms (going from a 45 minute period to a 65 minute period) and having a vertically aligned curriculum from K through 6.  After I emailed her my original plan, she wanted to add a piece to the project:  teaming.  She believes that bringing teaming back to the intermediate grades will allow us as a team of teachers to create interdisciplinary units that will support the science classes.
 

Action Planning Template
Goal:  To improve the district science STAAR scores of fifth grade students relative to the state scores from 2012 to 2014.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Increase the amount of time fifth grade students spend in science class from 45 minutes to 65 minutes daily.	All fifth grade teachers will plan according to the new schedule. Assistant Principals Principal District Elementary Science Coordinator	New schedule: August 2013 – 2014 First Survey:  November 2013 Second Survey: March 2013 District will determine the benchmark dates for the 2013-2014 school year. Classroom Observations:  August 2013 – May 2014	Surveys given to fifth grade science teachers to see if they see improvement in student achievement in their own classrooms.  How often? School and District-wide Benchmark assessments given to the students to check for improvement of grades from the 2012-2013 school year to the current 2013-2014 school year.	I will gather the survey results given to the teachers and determine if time is a factor in student achievement. I will compare the benchmark assessments given during varied times of the year to look for improvement of scores.  I will also compare the benchmark assessment scores from 2012-2013 school year to the current 2013-2014 school year. Classroom observations
Reintroduce teams at the fifth grade level so interdisciplinary units that support science are possible.	Fifth grade teams and their science teachers to aid in the creation and implementation of science-based interdisciplinary units. Team Leaders Principal	August 2013 - February 2014 Unit Test: February 2014 Survey: February 2014	I will work collaboratively with the team teachers to create an interdisciplinary unit that will support the science curriculum and create the assessment to measure the learning objectives presented to the students. Survey given to the team teachers after the unit takes place to evaluate student performance and the academic outcomes provided in the unit.	I will collect date from the assessments given to the students and will gather the survey results given to the teachers.
Use vertically aligned Science Curriculum (grades K-6)	Fifth grade Science teachers Principal District Elementary Science Coordinator	Stemscopes and Curriculum:  August 2013 – May 2014 District will determine the benchmark dates for the 2013-2014 school year. First Survey:  November 2013 Second Survey: March 2013	Stemscopes Science Curriculum Stemscopes Representative – Gloria Chatelain District Scope and Sequence Collaboration on lesson plans for fifth grade science Survey to teachers over use of new curriculum	Calibration of assessments based on Stemscopes and the new curriculum. I will use District-wide Benchmark assessment results to see if the curriculum is being used successfully in grades K-5. I will gather the survey results from the teachers to compare the amount of time using the new curriculum to the assessment scores.
Analysis of Science STAAR scores from 2012 through 2014.	Principal District Elementary Science Coordinator	May 2014	Texas Education Agency District and state fifth grade Science STAAR results from 2012, 2013, and 2014	I will compare the scores given the original 45 minute classes, no teams, and not having a vertically aligned curriculum with the 2014 Science STAAR results after an increase in class time, having teams at the fifth grade level, and a vertically aligned curriculum grades K-6. I will compare district versus state scores to look for an improvement over the state scores.