Updated Action Research Plan

Action Research Plan
School Vision: Our campus will become the premier middle school in Dallas ISD
Goals:  a) To determine the impact of discipline on academic achievement             b) To determine the causes for violations to students’ code of conduct             c) To find possible solutions for violations to students’ code of conduct             d) To reduce violations to students’ code of conduct in 50%
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1.      Investigate the volume of teacher discipline referrals for the 2011-2012 school year	Chaparro, Cordoba (Associate Principal), Aguilar (Office clerk)	03-2012 to 05-2012	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files	Show evidence progress by presenting a summary of student discipline referrals
2.      Analyze data sorting and graphing every referral by offense, ethnic group, grade level, gender, and teacher generating the referral; persons responsible	Chaparro, Aguilar, and Ramirez	03-2012 to 05-2012	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Excel or any spreadsheet software available	Show evidence of progress by presenting a spreadsheet of referrals sorted by offense, by ethnic group,  by grade level of offender, by gender, and by teacher generating the referral
3.      Identify students that are consistently violating the code of conduct	Chaparro, Cordoba	03-2012 to 05-2012	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Excel or any graphing software available	Evidence of progress by presenting list of students violating code of conduct.
4.      Sort and graph code of conduct violators during the 2011-2012 school year	Chaparro, Aguilar, and Ramirez	03-2012 to 05-2012	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Excel or any graphing software available	Show evidence of progress in the form of a collection of graphs for every discipline referral offense by offense, by ethnic group,  by grade level of offender,  by gender, and by teacher generating the referral
5.      Investigate frequent code of conduct violators’ academic status	Chaparro, Cordoba	03-2012 to 06-2012	STAAR,  ACPs, EOCs, and any standardized test taken during 2011-2012 school year, Computer, Microsoft Office Excel or any spreadsheet software available	Summary report for every subject and every student in the sample on academic status
6.      Observe the classes of the teachers that issue the majority of referrals to determine poor classroom management on those classes triggers students’ misbehaviors, document the number of students in that class	Chaparro, Cordoba, Morris	04-2012 to 06-2012	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Word	Analysis report for every teacher/class on classroom management
7.      Count the number of code of conduct violators in each classroom and determine if they are distributed evenly among the different classrooms in the school	Chaparro	04-2012 to 06-2012	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Excel or any spreadsheet software available, direct observation	Analysis report for every teacher/class on code of conduct violators distribution
8.      Create a comparison chart of misbehaving students’ grades and performance vs. non-misbehaving students’ grades and performance	Chaparro, Aguilar, and Ramirez	06-2012 to 08-2012	STAAR  ACPs, EOCs, and any standardized test taken during 2011-2012 school year, Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Excel or any spreadsheet software available, direct observation	Collection of graphs showing misbehaving students’ grades and performance vs. non-misbehaving students’ grades and performance
9.      Determine the three major contributors to the universe of student code of conduct violations	Chaparro, Cordoba	06-2012 to 08-2012	Universe of Student Code of Conduct Violations Graph	Report on the three major contributors to the universe of student code of conduct violations
10.    investigate the socioeconomic and emotional conditions of students that are consistently violating the code of conduct	Chaparro, Toliver and Wright (Counselors), parents, students	08-2012 to 10-2012	Demographics report, Counselors’ files, home visits, and interview with counselors, parents and students, survey data using Monkey Survey tool.	Report on the socioeconomic and emotional conditions of students that are consistently violating the code of conduct based on demographics report, counselors’ files, home visits, and interview with counselors, parents and students, Monkey survey report.
11.    Investigate with teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, and students on possible reasons for specific students' misbehavior;	Chaparro, Cordoba, Morris (Principal), Toliver, Wright, teachers, parents, and students	08-2012 to 12-2012	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Word, interviews with teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, and students using Monkey Survey tool.	Report on input given by each interviewed individual for each case, Monkey survey report.
12.    Interview teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, and students on possible solutions to eliminate or reduce incidences of the three major contributors	Chaparro, Cordoba, Morris (Principal), Toliver, Wright, teachers, parents, and students	08-2012 to 12-2012	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Word, interviews with teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, and students using Monkey Survey tool.	Report on input given by each interviewed individual for each case, Monkey survey report.
13.    Consult literature, internet, and any source of information on possible causes and solutions for discipline disruptions	Chaparro, Morris, and Cordoba	03-2012 to 12-2012	Computer, internet, Microsoft Office Word, books, and literature on student discipline	Report on findings from literature consulted
14.    Make a summary of causes and possible solutions for student misbehavior combining findings in the interviews, surveys, literature, and web.	Chaparro, Aguilar, and Ramirez	10-2012 to 12-2012	Computer, internet, Microsoft Office Word, books, and literature on student discipline	Summary report on causes and possible solutions for student misbehavior combining findings in the interviews, surveys, literature, and web.
15.    Make a report on the impact of discipline on student academic achievement	Chaparro	10-2012 to 12-2012	All the graphics, reports, interviews, and surveys developed for this action plan, computer, internet, Microsoft Office Word, Excel, books, and literature on student discipline	Final report on the impact of discipline on student academic achievement
16.    Implement the possible solutions found on the combination of literature, research, surveys and interviews	Chaparro, Morris, Cordoba, Teachers, Counselors, Parents, and Students	01-2013 to 06-2013	Summary report on causes and possible solutions for student misbehavior from interviews, surveys, literature, and internet.	New analysis of DISD Student Discipline System/ School’s Internal files after changes have been implemented
17.    Develop a student discipline plan to address the consequences and the process of assigning those consequences	Students, parents, teachers, and administrators	03-2012 to 08-2012	Documented input from, students, parents, teachers, and administrators	Finished product: Student Discipline Plan
18.    Make an approximation study of the teaching “down time. Multiply the time teachers devote to correct discipline behavior times the number of students in the classroom at any given time.	Chaparro, teachers	03-2012 to 12-2012	Documented times by Chaparro and teachers.	Final report on Teaching Down Time.
19.    Monitor trends of violations to students code of conduct after changes have been implemented	Chaparro, Morris, Cordoba, Teachers, Counselors, Parents, and Students	01-2013 to 06-2013	Collection of new data. Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Excel or any spreadsheet software available	New Graphs with information gathered after changes implementation should show a decrease of violations to students’ code of conduct
20.    Monitor students’ academic achievement after changes have been implemented	Chaparro, Morris, Cordoba, Teachers, Counselors, Parents, and Students	01-2013 to 06-2013	STAAR, ACPs, EOCs, and any standardized test taken during the second semester of 2013	Summary report for every subject and every student in the new sample on academic achievement
21.    Make the necessary adjustments and updates as school year evolves	Chaparro, Morris, Cordoba, Teachers, Counselors, Parents, and Students	01-2013 to 06-2013	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Word, Excel or any spreadsheet software available, STAAR ACPs, EOCs, and any standardized test taken during the second semester	Summary report for every subject and every student in the new sample on academic achievement and violations to students’ code of conduct
22.    Set new goal for reduction of violations to students’ code of conduct. And academic achievement	Chaparro, Morris, Cordoba, Teachers, Counselors, Parents, and Students	08-2013 to 06-2014	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Excel or any spreadsheet software available, STAAR ACPs, EOCs, any standardized test taken during the previous school year, and any pre-inventory assessment taken at the beginning of the new school year	New goals statement
23.    Repeat the cycle	Chaparro, Morris, Cordoba, Teachers, Counselors, Parents, and Students	08-2013 to 06-2014	Dallas ISD Student Discipline System/ School internal files, Computer, Microsoft Office Word, Excel or any spreadsheet software available, STAAR ACPs, EOCs, any standardized test taken during the previous school year, and any pre-inventory assessment taken at the beginning of the new school year	New reports showing progress and/or attainment of goals

Peer suggestions and revisions

I do not have comments suggesting to make any modifications to my action research project, however, a comment by Lisa Howard “There is a correlation between the lost academic time or lack of academic success, and the offenders”, made me think that it would be an excellent idea to modify my plan to add an approximation study of the “down time”, which would be the time teachers devote to correct student behavior, multiplied times the number of students she/he has in the classroom at any given time, and reflect that approximation study in my action research plan.

Also Israel GM commented about a parent’s concern about the number of students in a classroom, stating that “the size of the class should be smaller than 25 to minimize discipline issues and provide more attention to the children.”

 Israel’s comment prompted me to consider the relationship between class size and number of discipline referrals, which at this point can be linked to teachers issuing the most referrals. This analysis will be included in my action research project as well.

Javier's CARE Model: Planning Tool 

Identify Concerns that must change (look to the future)

(Assign points to concerns from 1 to 3 in the order of the most important issues to consider.)

1. My biggest concern would be the time constraint to implement the plan. The results of my study should not take that long given the importance and the urgency of a solution to the discipline problem.

2. My second biggest concern is the lack of support from parents whenever their help is necessary, from answering surveys and questionnaires to direct intervention to correct students’ behaviors if that is an option determined in the possible solutions to decrease student code of conduct violations.

3. My third concern is the lack of continuity of this plan in case this administrators or I get moved to another school, Will the new administration or the person replacing me continue with the project? Will they give the same importance?

Identify Affirmations that must be sustained (look to the present)

(Assign points to affirmations from 1 to 3 in the order of the most important issues to consider.)

1. Take advantage of the “momentum’. Teachers are motivated and willing to try anything that may work.

2. Collaboration among the departments. Due to this administration and many teachers being new, faculty staff is showing some interest in cooperate and collaborate with some exceptions

3. Our administrators’ willingness to invest time and other resources in initiatives that may help in improving the academic level of the students.

SMART Recommendations that must be implemented:

(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely)

(Assign points to recommendations from 1 to 3 in the order of the most important recommendations to implement.)

1. Reduce in 50% the discipline referrals in the term of one year.

2. Reduce fights in 80% compared to last year’s recorded fights.

3. Increase the academic level of students in 20% for the second consecutive year and in 30% for the third year across subjects in all subgroups.

EVALUATE – Specifically and Often

(Identify the best ways to evaluate the implemented recommendations.)

1. Keep a weekly log of referrals to get timely updated information and to re-direct efforts if actions implemented are not being effective.

2. Keep a weekly log of fights to get timely updated information and to re-direct efforts of actions implemented to prevent them are not being effective.

3. Common assessments with a frequency of one every unit, every month, or every six weeks, depending on every department’s consensus; standardized assessments as scheduled by the district.