Action Plan Outline

• Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation:
1. To show that extracurricular programs promote attendance, good behavior, and academic success in students.
2. To show that extracurricular activities provide an avenue for students to invest and have pride for their education.
• Activities designed to achieve the objectives:
Activities to achieve the objectives are using teacher/parent surveys, student surveys, and interviewing teachers, parents, and students. Students will consist of those involved and not involved in extracurricular activities.
• Resources and research tools needed for data gathering:
To research this area, I will need to have access to the laptop computers, report cards, and attendance records. I will also need additional time for interviews.
• Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities:
The timeline is one year with a survey to be taken at the beginning, middle, and end of the year with interviews throughout the year.
• Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan:
Persons responsible for implementation of the research plan will be teachers, parents, counselors, and students.
• Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives:
The process for monitoring the achievement of goals will be to first randomly select one hundred of the three hundred 8th grade students enrolled to follow. I will need to document their extracurricular activities, attendance, and grades from the seventh grade, at the end of the 8th grade first semester, and at the end of the 8th grade school year.
• Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study:
1. Assessment charts and graphs
2. Attendance records
3. Grade reports
4. Standardized test results

Action Research

In this week's assignment, I have learned that action research can improve the teaching and learning process by reinforcing, modifying, or changing perceptions based on formal data and non-systematic observations. As a teacher/administrator, action research could help me learn what areas I will be able to influence, and what areas I will be able to make changes and show changes in the end. This research will also help with peer collaboration. I will be able to work with my faculty and staff to bounce ideas off each other and discuss what we feel as a group are areas that need to be addressed and how to go about that. As a group, we will also be able to have more input when we reflect on the decisions we made. We will be able to have a closer teamwork and reach our campus goals and visions in a better way.

Educational leaders could use blogs just as we are for this course; to share information when face-to-face meetings are not convenient. Sometimes it is easier to get your thoughts out on paper than it is just to speak in front of people. Using a blog also gives other educators time to read and reflect on what you have written before giving a response.